Martin Guptill continued his rich vein of form against Zimbabwe as he scored 91 not out to help New Zealand beat the visitors by seven wickets at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday in the first of their two Twenty20 internationals.
The India right-hander has 862 points in his kitty, still 25 points behind AB de Villiers of South Africa, who is heading the list.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership as well as finishing skills will be put through a stern test when an inconsistent India take on a rejuvenated New Zealand in the series-deciding fifth and final cricket ODI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. With the series locked at 2-2, Dhoni and his men will be eager to clinch the issue while history beckons Kane Williamson's men as they have a glorious opportunity to taste their maiden success in a bilateral ODI rubber. The only thing that can play spoilsport is the cyclone threat which can lead to complete washout.
As troubling as it was to see Boult leaking so many runs, New Zealand fans might be as much concerned by how little he and his compatriots have played in the marquee Twenty20 tournament this year.
Images from Day 2 of the third and final Test between India and New Zealand in Indore on Sunday.
Tom Latham produced another masterful innings of patience and concentration as New Zealand turned the screw on Sri Lanka on the third day of the second Test at Hagley Oval, in Christchurch, on Friday.
After being defied by young New Zealand batsmen Jesse Ryder and debutant Kane Williamson for almost two full sessions on Day three of the first Test, India's new ball bowler S Sreesanth maintained that the home team bowlers had performed well on the flat track at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera.
India opener Shubman Gill's reign at the top of the ODI batters' list was short-lived as he was replaced by former Pakistani skipper Babar Azam in the ICC Player Rankings issued on Wednesday.
While Kane Williamson's side will probably be relieved at having avoided pre-tournament favourites and hosts England, the 2015 finalists face a no less formidable opponent in India.
Will India drop Rohit for the Sydney Test and put Kohli on notice? Or will the team management grant the senior pros a final chance to redeem themselves?
New Zealand Cricket officials have commissioned international security consultant and expert Reg Dickason to visit Pakistan later this week to carry out a thorough security and COVID-19 assessment before advising them whether they should send their team to Pakistan.
Ishan Kishan jumps 10 places to 23rd, Hooda re-enters top 100
He became the second-fastest cricketer in the world to reach 200 Test wickets but Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin says the thought of creating records never crossed his mind since he is 'happy competing with himself'.
Images from the T20 World Cup Group C match between the West Indies and New Zealand in Trinidad on Thursday.
New Zealand will bank heavily on reverse swing to emerge from the trial by spin that awaits them in the test series in India, coach Mike Hesson said on Tuesday. Last time they hosted a team, India rolled out turning tracks and flexed their spin muscles to crush South Africa 3-0 in the four-test series last year. Kane Williamson and his men can look forward to a similar treatment in the three-test series beginning in Kanpur on Sept. 22 but Hesson sounded upbeat.
But with the Kiwis set to play a total of 14 Tests during the current cycle, Mitchell knows his side have plenty of work ahead before they think about a potential place in the World Test Championship final at Lord's in the middle of 2025.
Kuldeep Yadav picked up four wickets, while Shikhar Dhawan hit an unbeaten half-century to power India to a crushing eight-wicket victory against New Zealand in the first ODI.
New Zealand's planning for next year's World Cup further crystallised on Tuesday with the decision to maintain 12 of their One-Day side for their two Twenty20 matches against West Indies.
The calm, assured manner in which New Zealand chased down South Africa's imposing total on Tuesday to advance to their first cricket World Cup final is a hallmark of a team that has developed into a cohesive unit over the last two years.
'It's not too many Chinaman bowlers going around and those coming in have all been fairly successful. It's a challenge that the guys are looking forward to'
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson doffed his cap to pacer Mohammed Shami and the India team after his side was outplayed in the World Cup semi-final.
New Zealand World Cup campaign on shaky ground as losses, injuries pile up
Batting first, Board President's XI made 295 for 9 in 50 overs and then bowled out the tourists for 265 in 47.4 overs.
New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner said losing three wickets put his team under pressure and they ended up posting a below par total against India in the second One-Day International in Pune on Wednesday.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson feels that one can "learn a lot" by watching his contemporary Virat Kohli's stellar performances in the ongoing ICC World T20.
New Zealand lurched to 14 for two in their second innings at the close of play on the third day of the first Test against West Indies in Kingston on Tuesday although they still controlled the match with a massive 260-run lead.
New Zealand are looming as the popular dark horses for the cricket World Cup.
Their opponents New Zealand, who effectively knocked India out of the World Cup, have reached Jaipur on a chartered flight from Dubai with little time to reflect on their loss to Australia in the title clash.
The Kiwi bowler said all teams will look to have their World Cup players spending the coming weeks together in order to finalise their preparations for the mega event.
'The two fast bowlers that did play were outstanding. Bowling long overs was an unbelievable effort. We know this Indian side is a very strong one.'
Images from Day 1 of the third Test between England and New Zealand at Headingley on Thursday, June 23, 2022.
Images from the Day Two of the second and final Test between New Zealand and India, at the Basin Reserve, in Wellington, on Saturday.
Smith (900 points) is placed second behind New Zealand captain Kane Williamson (919).
A first T20 series victory in New Zealand will be the icing on the cake for the Men in Blue, who have far exceeded expectations during their three-month sojourn in this part of the world.
Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor got some valuable time at the wicket as New Zealand did what they needed to looking ahead to the World Cup quarter-finals with a six-wicket victory over Afghanistan at McLean Park on Sunday.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead is confident his team had put losses to Pakistan, Australia and England behind them as they head to the knockout stage.
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli rued the dropped catch of SunRisers Hyderabad batsman Kane Williamson at the fag end of the Indian Premier League Eliminator, in Abu Dhabi on Friday, saying the match could have gone in his side's way had the "difficult" chance been taken.
England and New Zealand have both had to ride out the storm to make this year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final. It has been far from smooth sailing for either side, but in the end it is Kane Williamson and Eoin Morgan's side who have emerged on top, and deservedly so.
It remains to be seen whether India stick to their combination of three specialist pacers and two spinners combination or bring in an extra spinner in Kuldeep Yadav to partner Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja.
