As much as Ishan Kishan has done his bit, India will need Iyer, the proverbial slayer of spin bowling in the middle overs during the World Cup.
All-rounder Cameron Green thwarted New Zealand with a sparkling, unbeaten century after the hosts' seamers threatened to dominate the opening day of the first Test against Australia in Wellington on Thursday.
IMAGES from the match between Australia and The Netherlands, played in New Delhi on Wednesday.
World champions Australia will hope to round off one of the nation's most successful seasons in cricket with victory in a rare Test series in New Zealand starting at Wellington's Basin Reserve on Thursday.
Australia bowled out South Africa for a below-par 212 despite David Miller's defiant 101 but the chase was not as straightforward as Pat Cummins and his team would have liked.
Heading into the third and fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia will see a series of changes and Peter Handscomb discusses whether the side will benefit from the withdrawals.
The Australians still managed to score at a fair pace and will resume on Monday on 77-4 with Mitch Marsh, who was 27 not out, and Travis Head, unbeaten on 17, looking to cut deeper into their 279-run victory target.
Steve Smith scored an unbeaten 85 to guide Australia to 339/5 as England wasted favourable bowling conditions on the first day of the second Ashes Test.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar said that India batter Shubman Gill should incorporate what Ollie Pope did using his front foot to good effect.
Australia batsman Usman Khawaja has mounted a spirited defence of David Warner.
Josh Hazlewood took a five-wicket haul to skittle New Zealand for 162 on Day 1 of the second Test.
Australia led England by 12 runs at the end of a tense and fluctuating second day to leave the final Ashes Test at The Oval on a knife-edge on Friday.
Windies were restricted in their second innings by economical seamer Josh Hazlewood (3-23) and spinner Nathan Lyon (3-42).
New opener Steve Smith, thrust into the role after David Warner's retirement, fell to Roach for six in the first over of Australia's innings when a seaming delivery was adjudged lbw on review.
Australia batter Usman Khawaja heaped praise on Pakistan skipper Babar Azam by calling him "one of the best batsmen" ahead of the first Test clash between the two cricketing giants.
One piles up runs, the other piles up wickets. Both Kane Williamson and Tim Southee will hope to add to their hauls when they play their 100th Test match against Australia in Christchurch this week.
Boland troubled India throughout the game with his incisive bowling, not allowing the famed Indian batting line-up to breathe easy at any point
'I'd like to probably err on the side of preparing him through red ball. We know how good a white-ball player he is so you put a priority on what it looks like next summer.'
Australian batter Steve Smith on Thursday said his bowlers reaped the benefits of relentlessly targeting the off stump.
It was the wicket-keeper's second Test and it must have been pure joy to be there at that glorious moment when victory was achieved.
Australian team will be aiming to put up a much better batting performance with a rejigged playing eleven against an upbeat South Africa
Yashasvi Jaiswal's Test career is just nine games old but the great Brian Lara feels if there is anyone who can get close to his lofty feats, including the record 400 not out, it is the 22-year-old southpaw from India.
India's young bowling unit will have to push behind the timid show in the series opener and find its flow against a forceful Australian batting line-up in the second T20 in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
The five-match series will begin on November 23 in Visakhapatnam and will conclude in Hyderabad on December 3.
From England's fiery all-rounder Ben Stokes to India's rising star Shubman Gill, and the ever-reliable Babar Azam from Pakistan, these cricketing maestros are ready to redefine the game.
The 33-year-old has been in strong form in 50-overs cricket too and famously quipped "I'm back, baby" during an ODI against England in November after a successful technique tweak.
'It's really amazing for my team mates, I must give another shout out to them. They're really encouraging.'
Erskine hit back at Johnson, stating that his questioning Warner's selection isn't logical.
Australia opener David Warner looks likely to get the Test farewell of his choice after being named in the 14-man squad for the opening clash in the three-match series against Pakistan on Sunday.
'Fan wars should never go this ugly a route. One should remember which country these players represent -- our country. So, then what warrants a cricketer getting booed?'
Latest pace sensation Shamar Joseph on Tuesday became the first West Indian to win the Men's ICC Player of the Month award for his heroics in the Australia Test series.
Mike Hussey believes spinner Adam Zampa and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh will play a crucial role in the team's bid to clinch the World Cup in India.
Australian captain Steve Smith said the pitch for the fourth and final Test match at the Narendra Modi Stadium potentially looks to be the 'flattest day one track' of the series.
On preparing for next two matches against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, two sides he has not played much in ODIs, Smith said that both teams have some quality spinners and it is important that the team bats well in middle overs against them.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the opening Ashes Test played between England and Australia at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham on Saturday.
After defeats in their opening two matches, Australia came roaring back, winning their next nine games in succession
'It's hard for me not to think, you know, as a man of faith, that there's not someone else pulling the strings.'
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test played between New Zealand and Australia in Wellington on Friday.
'We had one hour of chaos there and that cost us that Test match when we'd played pretty good cricket. We came here and doubled down on what we'd set out to achieve at the start of the tour.'
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