Kane Williamson moved up a rung to join his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli
'Kane and few others from New Zealand were not feeling safe in Delhi because of the COVID situation there'
Fast bowler Tim Southee will lead the Black Caps in the five matches against England starting in Christchurch on November 1.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson revealed he still finds it "difficult to make sense" of the heartbreaking World Cup final loss to England last year and hasn't yet figured if the epic match should count among the highs or lows of his career. New Zealand got a raw deal in last year's World Cup final when England were adjudged the winners on the basis of their superior boundary count after the epic game and the ensuing Super Over also ended in a tie.
India will look for the right balance as they aim for a series-levelling victory against a spunky New Zealand in the must-win second Test.
Kane Williamson believes the late Martin Crowe remains the greatest batsmen New Zealand has ever produced despite surpassing the former captain as his country's highest Test century maker on Friday.
Tim Southee has stepped down as Test captain of New Zealand after struggling for form and has been replaced by opening batsman Tom Latham ahead of the India series.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said forgetting about results and getting the simple things right helped his side recover from the 3-0 drubbing by Australia to beat India, the world's top ranked Test side, by 10 wickets on Monday.
Abbas also acknowledged the consistency displayed by India across formats and said the Rohit Sharma-led team will be a strong contender for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
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.
Harry Brook continued his remarkable form in New Zealand with a second century of the series to drive England to 280 before the tourists reduced the Black Caps to 86 for 5 at the close of play on Friday, the first day of the second Test.
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?
Sri Lanka stayed on course for victory against New Zealand in the opening test in Galle despite Rachin Ravindra's unbeaten 91 on Sunday.
Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya wreaked havoc with the ball to leave New Zealand on verge of a big defeat in the second Test.
The hosts ended the day on 144-4 and Henry Nicholls (26) and BJ Watling (six) will resume in Mt. Maunganui on Saturday to try and eat into their 209-run deficit after England were dismissed for 353 after lunch on Friday.
India has only minor concerns, but New Zealand's troubles across batting and bowling departments are more pronounced.
Tim Southee will captain the T20 side.
Captain Kane Williamson struck a composed unbeaten century as New Zealand edged past South Africa by four wickets in a thrilling last-over finish.
'There's no secret we're right in the hunt for the World Test Championship final following our two-nil win over India and having Trent and Kane fully fit and focussed for the upcoming series will be crucial.'
New Zealand on Monday named a strong squad, which includes five spin bowling options
Virat Kohli and Steve Smith have indulged in fiery on field exchanges early in their careers but their relationship has evolved in recent times.
Kane Williamson hit an unbeaten century as New Zealand beat South Africa by seven wickets on the fourth day of the second Test
Head coach Trevor Bayliss said the reason why Kane Williamson was left out of SunRisers Hyderabad's opening match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday was because the New Zealand captain needs a bit of extra time to regain his match fitness.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan praised the team's collective display after they claimed an emphatic 84-run victory over New Zealand.
Did Harpreet Brar take the best catch of the match?
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.
Former captain Daniel Vettori termed New Zealand's 3-0 Test series win on Indian soil as his country's greatest achievement while ex-batter Ross Taylor said he did not think of a clean sweep even "in our wildest dreams".
The ICC is set to start a nine-team Test league and a 13-team ODI league in 2019 and 2020 respectively, aiming to bring "context and meaning to bilateral cricket".
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.
Kane Williamson reached 29 tons in 95 Tests (165 innings) while Kohli played 111 Tests (187) innings for his 29 centuries.
The 36-year-old Watson smashed 11 fours and eight sixes en route to this second hundred of the season as CSK chased down the target of 179 in 18.3 overs in Mumbai on Sunday.
Chasing a revised target of 235 from 33 overs following two rain interruptions, Australia were struggling at 53 for three in nine overs when the heavens opened up for the third time in the day, forcing the onfield umpires to abandon the game as both the sides split points.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins bowled Kane Williamson in the final hour of play on the second day of the second Test in Christchurch on Saturday, just as the master batsman threatened an innings that would put New Zealand on top.
At the start of the auction on Sunday, Punjab Kings had the highest funds at Rs 110.5 crore, which decreased to Rs 10.9 crore before Day 2 on Monday.
With an average of 65.17, he is only second behind Don Bradman.
England star Joe Root is cementing his status as one of the greatest players as he achieved new career-high rating in the latest ICC Men's Test Batter Rankings.
Since his comeback after an injury lay-off in August 2023, Jasprit Bumrah has been a key figure in India's success.
Kane Williamson has shown that classically elegant batsmen, too, could prosper big time in the slam-bang world of Indian Premier League cricket and former Australia batsman Dean Jones wants the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Gautam Gambhir, who have struggled in this year's IPL, to take cues from the New Zealand captain.
Former player Ian Smith questioned New Zealand's preparations for the T20 World Cup.
Ashwin's legacy, marked by his intellect and dominance on the field, will resonate for years to come.
