India's cricketers face one of their biggest tests in recent times, when they take on New Zealand with their T20 World Cup hopes on the line.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on Thursday described his hamstring injury a 'minor' one but admitted that an elbow niggle is affecting his grip.
Williamson lauded his batting line-up for putting up a mammoth 200. They bowled out Australia for 111.
Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner, Rachin Ravindra and Hamish Rutherford were released from the initial 20 player squad.
Captain Kane Williamson struck a composed unbeaten century as New Zealand edged past South Africa by four wickets in a thrilling last-over finish.
England lost opener Zak Crawley but held firm in the final hour of a pulsating day four in the second Test against New Zealand.
The tourists will be without batsman Kane Williamson in Bengaluru after the former skipper opted out of the opener due to a groin injury, while paceman Ben Sears was ruled out of the series with a knee injury and replaced by Jacob Duffy.
New Zealand will have their tails up and eye another upset when they resume the trans-Tasman rivalry with a strong Australian side.
The New Zealand captain provided a batting masterclass against Sri Lanka in Wellington on Sunday to keep up his chase of Virat Kohli to become the world's top Test batsman.
After hammering the Kiwis 3-0 in the Tests, the focus now shifts to white-ball cricket . New Zealand will be bolstered by the presence of star allrounder Corey Anderson as captain Kane Williamson looks to avenge the defeat in Tests. Also, MS Dhoni's men will need to win the ODI series by a 4-1 margin to claim third place on the ICC ODI Championship.
Stead also revealed that former paceman Bond has been hired by his country's cricket board to "work specifically" with the national team's spinners ahead of the T20 World Cup.
The Indian team is still searching for the right middle-order combination with the World Cup just a few months away.
Images from the T20 World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia, in Dubai, on Sunday.
Shubman Gill's unbeaten 129 in Delhi wasn't just another century; it was history etched in numbers and intent.
Latham admitted he has given thought to how to utilise the spinners at their disposal. New Zealand have Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel among frontline tweakers and Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips also to roll over their arms.
The New Zealand captain finished on 200 not out as his side posted a record score of 715 for six declared in their first innings - a lead of 481 runs.
Pakistan will have 'revenge' on their mind for a recent off-field snub when they take on New Zealand in the T20 World Cup in Sharjah on Tuesday.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is excited to face India in the ICC World Test Championships (WTC) final next month as he considers showdowns against Virat Kohli's men to be a 'fantastic challenge'.
Kane Williamson completed an unbeaten century to guide New Zealand to a modest first day total of 240 of two in the opening Test against West Indies on Sunday.
After captain Kane Williamson and Michael Bracewell, New Zealand batter Devon Conway has also tested positive for COVID-19, New Zealand Cricket said on Thursday.
Afghanistan stunned New Zealand by a whopping 84 runs in the T20 World Cup match on Saturday.
A new 50-overs world champion will emerge at Lord's after what many consider will be a battle between England's deep batting lineup and New Zealand's incisive bowling attack.
Kane Williamson scored his second Test century and guided New Zealand to an unexpected draw as the hosts made 200 for six at the end of the third and final Test against South Africa at the Basin Reserve on Tuesday.
'We were certainly expecting that it would be tough. But what we didn't quite expect coming into the tournament was the large variety of conditions that we faced'
Rookie batsman Kane Williamson and pacer Hamish Bennett were the new faces in New Zealand's 15-member Test squad announced on Sunday for a three Test match series against India next month.
Kane Williamson is too long in the tooth to get dragged into the debate over India getting to play the Champions Trophy final in Dubai.
Tim Southee will captain the T20 side.
New Zealand skittled Sri Lanka out for 122 on Monday to secure a series-levelling victory by an innings and 65 runs on the final day of a rain-hit second and final Test in Colombo.
New Zealand's late push for a place in next year's International Cricket Council's World Test Championship final will come to a head against an injury-hit Pakistan when their two-Test series begins on Saturday in Mount Maunganui.
Former Australian pacer Brett Lee has highlighted the different styles of the captaincy of Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson ahead of the ICC World Test Championship final later this month.
Captain Kane Williamson and Neil Broom both flirted with centuries as New Zealand cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their third one-day international to complete a 3-0 series sweep at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Saturday.
Sunrisers overcame the loss of Warner in style, savouring more success than failures, to claim the top spot in the pecking order along with Chennai Super Kings.
England finally faced some resistance from New Zealand in the shape of Tom Blundell's defiant century but dismissed the Black Caps for 259 to wrap up a thumping 323-run victory on the third day of the second Test on Sunday.
For Kohli, a trophy-less cabinet doesn't do justice to the champion performer that he has been for a decade.
New Zealand coach Mark Greatbatch has said that Indian bowlers were using sledging as a tactic to unsettle young batsman Kane Williamson during the drawn second Test in Hyderabad.
Mitchell Santner believes that putting Rohit Sharma's side under pressure in that encounter gave his team the confidence for their upcoming summit clash on Sunday.
Youngsters including Shreyas Iyer, Karun Nair, keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, teen sensation Prithvi Shaw will be keen to make a mark and impress the national selectors during Tuesday's One-Day warm-up against New Zealand in Mumbai.
Impressed by the good-natured New Zealand cricketers, India captain Virat Kohli says if his side were to share the number one ICC Test ranking with any team, it will be the Black Caps.
Gill was recently announced skipper of 2022 IPL champions Gujarat Titans
New Zealand and South Africa, both laden with world-class talent but often falling short in ICC tournaments, will face off in a tightly contested Champions Trophy semifinal.
