Azhar Ali and Haris Sohail scored half-centuries as Pakistan overcame a shaky start to reach 207-4 against New Zealand on day one of the second Test in Dubai on Saturday.
India's captain Virat Kohli, speaking after the 10-wicket defeat in the first Test, says he is not too concerned with his batsmen, as technically they were all sound and able to deal with New Zealand's attack.
Captain Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor combined to put New Zealand in a strong position in the first Test before India struck back late on Saturday to remove both just as their partnership threatened to take the match away from the tourists. Images from Day 2 of the first Test between New Zealand and India in Wellington on Saturday.
Images from Day 4 in the first Test between India and New Zealand, at Green Park in Kanpur, on Sunday.
Ashish Nehra running into bowl one last time at a place where it all began will form the sub plot as India aim to better their abysmal T20 record against New Zealand in the three-match series starting in New Delhi, on Wednesday.
New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Latham, who scored an unbeaten century in the team's surprise victory India in the first One-Day International, prefers playing the sweep shot against spinners rather than hitting them down the ground.
Hardly challenged in a dominating run this season, India once again start as overwhelming favourites when they take on an inconsistent-but-gritty New Zealand in a three-match One-Day International series, starting in Mumbai, on Sunday.
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.
Youngsters including Shreyas Iyer, Karun Nair, keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, teen sensation Prithvi Shaw will be keen to make a mark and impress the national selectors during Tuesday's One-Day warm-up against New Zealand in Mumbai.
New Zealand made 152 for 1 in their first innings, when play was called off early because of rain, on Day 2 of the first cricket Test against India in Kanpur on Friday.
Watling, who was initially a top-order batsman and part-time wicketkeeper when he first made the New Zealand side in 2009, moved one behind Adam Parore's national record as the hosts bowled Bangladesh out for 234 early in the final session.
New Zealand, on Monday, recalled temperamental all-rounder Corey Anderson for the five-match ODI series against India next month and he will play as a specialist batsman.
IMAGES from the Day-Night Test, the first played between New Zealand and England at Auckland on Thursday
Batsman Neil Broom has also been offered a contract after he was recalled to the national side following a lengthy absence to replace Ross Taylor while he recovered from eye surgery.
'I saw him bat in the nets and I was like wow I was not even ten percent of that when I was 19.'
England fast bowler James Anderson claimed his 400th Test wicket when he had New Zealand's Martin Guptill caught at slip by Ian Bell for nought in the second Test at Headlingley, Leeds.
India dished out a dominating performance to crush New Zealand by 90 runs as spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal yet again tormented the home batsmen.
Concerted pressure from New Zealand's bowling attack pushed them to the brink of victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday.
Trent Boult needed just 15 balls to change the complexion of the second Test against Sri Lank
New Zealand head into the final day still facing a five-run deficit after England were dismissed in their first innings for 476
Kane Williamson completed an unbeaten century to guide New Zealand to a modest first day total of 240 of two in the opening Test against West Indies on Sunday.
Yasir Shah took eight first-innings wickets for 41 and added two more after New Zealand were forced to follow on, becoming the first bowler to take 10 wickets in a day since Indian Anil Kumble in 1999.
Rain forced the abandonment of Monday's cricket World Cup warm-up match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe.
A brilliant performance by New Zealand's seamers and a composed run chase by Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor ensured the Black Caps made history by beating India to win the inaugural ICC World Test Championship.
Manprit Juneja narrowly missed out on a well-deserved double hundred for India 'A' while the New Zealand 'A' top-order got some much needed batting practice as the second unofficial 'Test' between the two sides finished in a dull draw, in Visakhapatnam, on Thursday.
Kane Williamson's assured unbeaten 70 guided New Zealand to a comfortable four-wicket win over Pakistan in the second One-Day International in Sharjah on Friday to level the series at 1-1.
The hosts were 451-4 at stumps on the second day at Seddon Park with captain Kane Williamson on 93 and nightwatchman Neil Wagner one not out, having built an imposing 217-run first innings lead.
India are poised for their third T20 International series triumph in five years but would be wary of a strong fightback from the usually plucky New Zealand when the two sides clash in the second game of the three-match series in Rajkot.
India's bowling coach Bharath Arun made it clear on Tuesday that Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav are first choices for Test matches, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah are the preferred option for the limited-overs' format.
Thanks to Taylor's 102 and Latham's 108 (both retired out) on a flat Brabourne Stadium track, New Zealand notched up a mammoth 343 for nine in the allotted 50 overs.
India win fifth ODI to seal 4-1 series victory in New Zealand
New Zealand romped to a seven-wicket victory over India in the second Test in Christchurch on Monday for an emphatic 2-0 series sweep of the number one side in the world. The Black Caps dismissed the tourists for 124 in the first hour of the day before chasing down their 132-run victory target with half of the Test to spare for the loss of three wickets.
India's top-order may fail to fire under overcast conditions in England and the batsmen down the order must be battle ready to bail out the team during the ICC World Cup beginning next week, said captain Virat Kohli.
New Zealand opener Tom Latham on Tuesday backed underfire batsman Ross Taylor, who is battling poor form in the ongoing tour of India and and has also faced criticism from former captain Brendon McCullum. In his autobiography 'Declared', McCullum derided Taylor for being uninspiring during his captaincy and someone who failed to communicate with the team. "We haven't seen anything about that at the moment," Latham said when asked whether the book 'Declared' has affected Taylor off the field.
Mitchell Santner scored his maiden Test century and then grabbed three quick wickets to reduce England to 55-3 at the close of play on the fourth day of the first Test at Bay Oval on Sunday.
Wearing Australian colours for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal erupted in Cape Town in March, 2018, Steve Smith and David Warner were greeted warmly by a small crowd in Brisbane, where Aaron Finch's team took a one-wicket win.
Martin Guptill flirted with a world record then had to settle for a New Zealand one as he demolished Sri Lanka's bowling to guide his side to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory in the second One-Day International in Christchurch on Monday.
Tom Latham has been New Zealand's best batsman on the on-going tour of India, having struck five half centuries. But he knows the biggest responsibility is to help the visitors win and for that he looking to take a cue from Virat Kohli's batting.
Kane Williamson staged a fight-back along with opener Tom Latham (36), and Ross Taylor (26) as New Zealand reached 140 for 2 (42 overs) at close of play on Day 2 of the 2nd Test at the WACA in Perth on Saturday.
For Kohli, a trophy-less cabinet doesn't do justice to the champion performer that he has been for a decade.
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