Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian in former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum's all-time cricketing eleven, which is led by West Indian great Vivian Richards.
Panesar feels the concept of WTC is a great advertisement of Test cricket and the former spinner went on to term the summit clash as an encounter similar to arch-rivals India and Pakistan playing a Test match or the Ashes.
Australian James Faulkner's superb all-round show helped Rajasthan Royals outclass Kings XI Punjab by 26 runs in their opening Indian Premier League match in Pune.
Rain disrupted almost all of the second day of the first Test between New Zealand and England on Friday, with the hosts managing to extend their lead to 171 runs before they were forced from the field for good ahead of the final session.
Brimming with confidence after a clean-sweep in the Test series, India will look to carry on their dominance over New Zealand when the two teams lock horns in the first cricket One-day International of the five-match series, in Dharamsala on Sunday.
An unwell Trent Boult skipped the New Zealand cricket team's training session at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Monday, staying away from the squad as a precautionary measure. The left-arm pacer is among eight players including Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner, who are attending the first half of the camp that started on Sunday.
New Zealand have drafted in two debutants in the T20 squad besides all-rounder Scott Kuggeleijen, who has played just one T20
Mumbai Indians will be fretting over their team combination as they take on a marauding Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League encounter, in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Buoyed by their thrilling last-ball win against Delhi Daredevils, a confident Rajasthan Royals will take on a beleaguered Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League cricket encounter in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma struck scintillating half-centuries during a record 158-run partnership and powered India to a formidable 202 for three.
Off-spinner Mark Craig captured the best figures by a New Zealand bowler on debut as the visitors beat West Indies by 186 runs late on the fourth day of the first Test at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.
India opener Prithvi Shaw is likely to retain his place in the playing eleven for the second Test against New Zealand, starting Saturday, while Ravindra Jadeja may replace Ravichandran Ashwin.
The Indian-born 29-year-old, New Zealand's top domestic wicket-taker in the past three seasons, replaces all-rounder Mitchell Santner who is still recovering from knee surgery.
New Zealand, who made 249 in the first innings, were undone by the Sri Lankan spinners in their second spell as well.
The decision to create a separate window for IPL has played a massive role in qualitative growth of New Zealand cricketers, believes former seamer and current national selector Gavin Larsen. Another practical reason of having an IPL window is fear of attrition, considering that the cricketing talent pool in a country like New Zealand would be limited with a population of barely 5 million.
Royal Challengers Bangalore pacers blew away the Mumbai Indians' top order before shining in the death overs to set up a much-needed 14-run win, which kept them alive in the Indian Premier League Play-offs race, in Bengaluru, on Tuesday.
'It's not really a surprise (the rule was changed). I genuinely think that no one ever thought that was going to happen and it did'
Trent Boult took two wickets in one over and broke a partnership that had threatened to take the game out of New Zealand's reach as Sri Lanka reached 264 for seven by the end of a rain-shortened first day of the second Test on Friday.
New Zealand strike bowler Tim Southee will miss the upcoming One-Day International series against Australia but Blackcaps coach Mike Hesson is optimistic the seamer would recover from a foot injury in time for the subsequent Test series.
Andre Russell smashed an explosive 13-ball 48 to spoil Royal Challengers Bangalore's party.
India's bowlers highlighted the balance of their side as they set up an easy seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the second Twenty20 international at Eden Park in Auckland on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. KL Rahul (57 not out) and Shreyas Iyer (44) then marshalled the run chase as they helped their side to reach 135-3 with 15 balls to spare, chasing New Zealand's 132-5.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12s match between India and New Zealand, in Dubai, on Sunday.
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings, in Dubai, on Friday.
Images from the T20 World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia, in Dubai, on Sunday.
Daryl Mitchell's superb unbeaten half-century fired New Zealand into their first ever ICC men's T20 World Cup final at England's expense following a thrilling semi-final in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor calmly guided New Zealand to an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Monday.
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.
Senior New Zealand opener Martin Guptill was ruled out of the three-match series after failing to recover from a back injury.
Check out the Rajasthan Royals squad for the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League.
The squad for the two Tests against India is set to be named on February 17, with the opening match starting four days later in Wellington on February 21.
Neesham replaced Doug Bracewell in the team while leg-spinner Ish Sodhi made way for Astle.
The lack of fight in the run chase was a big disappointment, as mentioned by captain Rohit Sharma in Wellington. Despite having eight batsmen in the eleven, India lost by 80 runs.
New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum smashed the fastest fifty in the history of the World Cup during the Group A match against England in Wellington.
Tom Latham led New Zealand's solid response with an unbeaten 111 against Sri Lanka's first-innings total of 244 on the third day of the second and final Test in Colombo.
Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor scored centuries as New Zealand completed their World Cup preparations with a crushing 119-run win over Pakistan in Napier on Tuesday. It was their eighth win in their last 10 completed matches.
Opener Rohit Sharma countering Trent Boult's incoming deliveries will make for a fascinating contest, something that Virender Sehwag will be looking forward to during the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, starting in Southampton on June 18.
Kane Williamson hit a century and Luke Ronchi smashed 24 runs off one explosive over when the match was still in the balance to steer New Zealand to a four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the fourth One-Day International in Nelson on Tuesday.
Kumar Sangakkara became the fastest player to reach 12,000 Test runs and will look to rebuild Sri Lanka's innings after they were left teetering at 78 for five at the end of the first day of the second Test against New Zealand.
Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne obstinately defied New Zealand's bowlers for much of the second day of the first Test at University Oval in Dunedin on Friday though the hosts still have the upper hand.
Ricky Ponting's woes continued as Australia were dismissed for just 214 on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba (Brisbane), on Thursday.
