Mitchell Santner's captain's knock and Rachin Ravindra's bowling brilliance led New Zealand to a 61-run victory over Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup, pushing them closer to the semifinals.
Openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen powered New Zealand to an emphatic 10-wicket win against UAE in the T20 World Cup match, in Chennai, on Tuesday.
Former New Zealand player Ian Smith put down the Shubman Gill-led India's recent red ball struggles at home to their diminishing ability against spin.
Kishan's statement knock, Surya's welcome fifty give India 2-0 lead
Pakistan were all out for 260 in 47.2 overs with Babar Azam (64) and Khushdil Shah (69) scoring half-centuries but the hosts never looked in the hunt.
LSG set MI 204 to win and the visitors fell short by 12 runs. Here are best bowlers of the night...
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy Group A match played between Pakistan and New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday.
There was plenty of action over the last 12 months that kept the loyal Indian fan interested.
Washington Sundar justified his selection with a career-best 7/59 to bowl out New Zealand for 259 on Day 1 of the second Test in Pune.
Would he continue to be calm under pressure now that he is leading the side?
Kane Williamson, spinners set up NZ's 35-run win over Ireland
Images from the 1st ODI between India and New Zealand played in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
'Kane and few others from New Zealand were not feeling safe in Delhi because of the COVID situation there'
Images from the second One-Day International between India and New Zealand, at Raipur.
In a bid to make the popular tournament more interesting for fans, the BCCI has introduced new major rules this year.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12 match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, at Sydney Cricket Ground, in Sydney, on Saturday.
Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw hit quickfire fifties as they put on a decisive opening stand of 138 runs from just 81 balls, completely exposing the lack of depth in the CSK bowling.
'Williamson, Jamieson rested from T20s as Tests key priority.'
Australia captain Tim Paine lost a referral when third umpire Aleem Dar upheld the decision after reviewing video replays from several angles.
Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santer may have not picked up a wicket in New Zealand's thumping win over India but his tidy spell helped immensely in putting pressure on the opposition batters, said teammmate Ish Sodhi.
But it was all Mumbai after that as Yadav joined Pawar at the crease. Yadav would have gone back without scoring had Sodhi not made mess of a regulation catch off his own bowling. That dropped catch proved costly for New Zealand as Yadav took their attack to the cleaners. Whether it was the express pace of Trent Boult and Neil Wagner or the three spinners, it did not matter much to Yadav. Such was his dominance that he brought up his 50 as well as his 100 with a six.
For Pakistan, Rauf clinched three wickets while Afridi grabbed two scalps.
'We knew it would get easier as the game progresses. We bat quite deep -- until 9 -- and knew we could accelerate in the last few overs'
New Zealand pace spearhead Trent Boult has recovered from a broken hand to be included in the 13-player squad to face India in the two-Test series, as selectors swung the axe following the dismal tour of Australia. Left-armer Boult broke his right hand in the Boxing Day Test against Australia in December but is fit for the first Test against India starting at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Friday.
KXIP's chances of a top four finish took a serious hit after Rajasthan Royals handed them a seven-wicket loss,
South Africa will need their bowlers to step up to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
One of New Zealand's most successful coaches who is now currently director of cricket at the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mike Hesson expects Rohit and Gill to open but wants Agarwal, who lost his spot in the eleven after two Tests in Australia, to be given a chance.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test played between Australia and New Zealand at the MCG on Saturday.
Kedar Jadhav has played as a wicket-keeper batsman in 23 of his 51 IPL matches. The 31-year old attacking batsman donned a different role in India's victory in the first ODI against New Zealand in Dharamsala. A part-time off-spinner Jadhav claimed two crucial wickets to heap more misery on the Kiwis. On his new role with the Indian team Jadhav said, "When you play for India, you have to contribute in every possible way you can.
'India have played very good cricket for a long time now in your conditions (sic). They are tough to beat. We have taken it to the decider in the last two series. Both teams will want to win (tomorrow).'
Images from Wednesday's World Cup match between England and New Zealand, at Chester-le-street.
'Yeah, it's all happened and it's been dealt with pretty much right after the game. And the game is finished and that's the thing about the IPL. You get to move on to the next match very quickly. There's no point us dwelling on it. Worrying about and stressing about it, we've got to move on'
Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming said that captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni would play a 'more prominent' role as a batsman in the upcoming Indian Premier League by batting 'relatively high' in the order.
Yet another semi-final exit from a big ICC event but New Zealand captain Kane Williamson refuses to call it a jinx, saying that the loss to England in the World Twenty20 last-four stage was just a case of going down to a better team on the given day.
With India claiming to be in good position after the first day's play in the opening Test, New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner reckoned that his side was not in a bad position either, considering the kind of start the home team got in Kanpur on Thursday.
Back-up opener Luke Ronchi made his case for selection in the first Test with a cracking century as New Zealand's only warm-up match of the India tour ended in a draw against Mumbai at the Feroze Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Sunday. Ronchi's racy 107-run knock was the highlight of the New Zealand second innings which ended at 235 all out in 66.4 overs on the third and final day, providing the visiting side more batting practice ahead of the first Test beginning in Kanpur on September 22.
Pakistan will be desperately looking to ensure the painful defeat to India becomes a distant past when they run into an in-form New Zealand in Mohali on Tuesday with an aim to bounce back into the World Twenty20 and pacify their bitter fans back home. Pakistan are coming into the Group 2 Super 10 game having suffered their 11th defeat to the arch-rivals in ICC's world events. The 2009 champions entered the tournament after an early elimination in the Asia Cup. On the other hand, the New Zealanders are on a roll with two massive wins over hosts India and Australia, making them one of the strong contenders to lift the coveted trophy on April 3. Another win and they will be in the knockout stages of the mega-event. New Zealand have emerged as the team to beat after the stunned tournament favourites India first up, before getting the better of traditional rivals Australia in a trans-Tasman battle.
New Zealand will have their tails up and eye another upset when they resume the trans-Tasman rivalry with a strong Australian side.
India's chief coach Anil Kumble on Tuesday asserted that the team has not asked for a rank turner for the first Test beginning on Thursday besides saying that that focus this long home season will only be on cricket irrespective of the conditions. "It is the first match of the home series, I knew the first question would be about the pitch and also the last question," said Kumble ahead of the season opener, drawing an instant laughter from the packed press conference.
India's batting line-up failed to recover from the early blows dealt by New Zealand's concerted bowling effort and wobbled to 239 for seven on day one of the second Test.
