We give ourselves a 50-50 chance in the final, says McCullum.
Kiwi star Brendon McCullum must have given nightmare to many bowlers around the world during his international playing days. The former New Zealand captain, who recently retired from international cricket, named the four toughest bowlers he found difficult to face against during his 14-year dream career. "Murali (Sri Lanka champion Muthiah Muralitharan) was always, for me, incredibly difficult to face, mainly because you had no idea which way it was spinning," McCullum told Star Sports. "Brad Hogg, as well, because of his uncanny bowling action and his ability to turn it both ways. "I think Brett Lee when he was in his pomp. He was fast, wasn't he? "And probably Mitchell Starc too of more recent times."
India's pace spearhead Mohammed Shami received the biggest compliment in his two-year international career as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time Sir Richard Hadlee termed the young seamer's efforts in the ICC Cricket World Cup "particularly impressive".
New Zealand's pulsating form in the Cricket World Cup is sparking a surge of ticket sales.
All that's transpired on and off the cricket pitch on Saturday.
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.
Demoralised Bangladesh will look to end their campaign on a high when they face a rampaging New Zealand.
Australia cruised to a 19-run victory in a rain-affected Twenty20 tri-series final with New Zealand to claim the world number one ranking in the shortest form of the game for the first time.
Rohit Sharma-led squad will be hoping it has enough left in the tank to record a maiden T20 series win in New Zealand
He expressed hope that it will also benefit a large number of Hindi-speaking umpires and those giving training in this field, to whom the rules in English are hard to understand.
One of the primary focus of Monday's encounter could be the inclusion of Indian cricket's latest enfant terrible Hardik Pandya, who is coming back from provisional suspension for his loose talk on a TV chat show.
The Indian team is still searching for the right middle-order combination with the World Cup just a few months away.
Captain Virat Kohli praised New Zealand for their impressive effort while admitting that his batsmen "were not good enough" on the day as India lost the second T20 International in Rajkot by 40 runs, on Saturday.
Shikhar Dhawan's injury has unintentionally forced India to go for a tactical rejig despite convincing victories in the first two games against South Africa and Australia.
Mike Hesson has been rewarded for his successful reign as New Zealand coach with a contract extension that takes him through until after the 2019 World Cup in England.
New Zealand were dealt a setback in the ongoing ODI series against India after pace sensation Adam Milne was ruled out owing to a torn abdominal muscle.
Former New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori believes a quick start will be crucial to their hopes against India in the first semi-final at Old Trafford.
On the occasion of Vijaya Dashami, which will fall on October 11, the RSS workers will wear the new pants along with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
IMAGES from the 2nd T20 International played between New Zealand and India in Auckland on Friday
England trail New Zealand's first innings by 69 runs but need to survive the remaining 31 overs in the final session to stop the hosts from taking a 1-0 lead in the two match series.
The Indian fans could get a glimpse of the immensely talented Shubman Gill in the senior team jersey if he is chosen to replace Virat Kohli for Thursday's fourth ODI against New Zealand.
Glenn Phillips and Todd Astle are in line to make their ODI debut after being among the six players added to the New Zealand squad for the three-match series against India, beginning in Mumbai on October 22.
The troubles plaguing the Australian Test team will have little bearing on their one-day side's performance in the three-match series against New Zealand starting on Sunday, according to Black Caps coach Mike Hesson. Steve Smith's Test side have been pilloried by fans and their own media after they lost their latest series 2-1 at home to South Africa. That defeat came on the back of a 5-0 one-day series loss in South Africa and a 3-0 Test series defeat in Sri Lanka, leading to plenty of questions being asked about administrators, management and the players.
Cricket teams have previously abandoned tours amid outbreaks of violence.
Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has used the Marylebone Cricket Club Spirit of Cricket lecture to criticise the sport's governing body for its handling of match-fixing evidence. Speaking at an annual function at Lord's on Monday, McCullum said he felt let down that his report of alleged match-fixing approaches from former New Zealand teammate Chris Cairns were leaked. Cairns was acquitted of match fixing-linked perjury charges following a two-month trial in London at last year, at which McCullum gave evidence. The 34-year-old said the leaking of his initial testimony had a huge personal effect on him and his family because of the intense media scrutiny and fears his experience will put off others who may want to provide evidence to authorities. "No witness should ever have to go through such a scenario again," he said. "The leak has never been explained to me. To my knowledge no one has been held accountable and, in those circumstances, it is difficult to have confidence in the ICC. "It goes without saying that, if players do not have confidence in the organisation, they will be reluctant to report approaches and the game is worse off."
Describing New Zealand as a force to reckon with on home turf, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his team will not be taking the Black Caps lightly in the upcoming ODI series, starting January 19.
Inexperience cost England, feels Morgan
India ended an utterly forgettable tour of New Zealand by drawing the second and final Test at the Basin Reserve (Wellington) on Tuesday. Captain Brendon McCullum became the first New Zealand batsman to hit a triple century, a knock that helped stage an incredible turnaround that ensured his team a memorable series win.
India pulled off a brilliant all-round performance to trounce New Zealand by 178 runs in the second Test and clinch the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead, a win that propelled the team to the top of the ICC rankings, dethroning arch-rivals Pakistan.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and senior batsman Ross Taylor will skip next month's limited overs series in Sri Lanka to prepare for December's home tests against West Indies, the country's cricket board said on Saturday.
Former Australian speedster Mitchell Johnson has criticised Virat Kohli's comments, when he had announced that the hosts are "favourites in our (Indian players) own minds" to win the tournament ahead of their defeat to the Black Caps. With the hopes of a billion expectant fans already weighing on India, Johnson, a key member of last year's ODI World Cup-winning team for Australia, suggested Kohli's 'over-confident' comments will only heap extra pressure on the home-nation. "From our experience playing in the one-day World Cup at home last year, we just wanted to enjoy every moment and saviour the experience but we still tried to take the focus off ourselves, rather than adding to it," he said. "Going into a big tournament like that, there's pressure on every team. Putting even more pressure on your side is just setting yourself up for disaster.
Bureaucratic insensitivity gave way to compassion with the state administration, police and passersby joining forces to help the stream of Indians fleeing Delhi.
Former captain Sunil Gavaskar feels India got a taste of their own medicine in Tuesday's World Twenty20 loss to New Zealand and should be prepared to handle quality spin if they want to dish out rank turners for their opponents.
England found cricketing bliss by dint of divine intervention and Ben Stokes's brilliance, cracking a code that proved indecipherable for 44 years as history sliced through teary-eyed New Zealand's grasp in a final that will be remembered for ages.
Australia coach Darren Lehmann has claimed that his side has got some plans for Brendon McCullum.
Gavin Larsen says if he could rein in the batsmen of 1990s era even with his military medium pace it was because of his skipper Martin Crowe's tremendous leadership style and his faith in the bowlers.
Presenting some of the good, bad and ugly looks this week.
After a comfortable outing in the tournament-opener against Bangladesh, title favourites England are set to face a much stiffer test against New Zealand in a crucial ICC Champions Trophy Group A fixture in Cardiff, on Tuesday.
While the triple century against India and an away series win over West Indies were the highlights of his career, Brendon McCullum said it was the camaraderie of the dressing room that would linger longest in his memory.
Jasprit Bumrah backed debutant fellow-India pacer Mohammed Siraj to learn from his mistakes and come good after he received a hammering from New Zealand's batsmen in the second Twenty20 International, in Rajkot, on Saturday.
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