Pacer Shardul Thakur gave away plenty of runs in the recent One-day Internationals against the Black Caps and faced criticism for his wayward bowling. For now though he has his eyes set on the showpiece event in Australia later this year.
New Zealand pace spearhead Trent Boult has recovered from a broken hand to be included in the 13-player squad to face India in the two-Test series, as selectors swung the axe following the dismal tour of Australia. Left-armer Boult broke his right hand in the Boxing Day Test against Australia in December but is fit for the first Test against India starting at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Friday.
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.
Injured New Zealand pace bowlers Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson are "tracking nicely" as the side begin their preparations for the Test series against India, according to captain Kane Williamson. Both missed the Twenty20 and One-Day International series against India but Williamson said there are hopes they could be available for the first match against the world's top ranked Test team that starts on February 21 in Wellington.
Latham, De Grandhomme lead NZ to series sweep of India
Tim Southee has now dismissed Virat Kohli nine times across formats.
Shardul Thakur feels the conditions make New Zealand one of the toughest places to play cricket in.
Indian openers have not replicated the kind of starts the Indian batting has grown accustomed to from its top-order.
New Zealand will be banking on injured pace bowlers Trent Boult (hand), Matt Henry (thumb) and Lockie Ferguson (calf) coming back into contention for the Tests
New Zealand were almost rendered a bowler short as Southee was hit by a stomach bug and bowled through the pain to get his side across the line.
New Zealand defended a total of 273 by restricting India to 251 in 48.3 overs taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
This is New Zealand's first offence in the ongoing bilateral after India had the ignominy of being fined thrice for slow over-rate in the last three international games
Saini's 76-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja kept India in pursuit of a 274-run target but the former's dismissal crushed team's hopes.
Kohli said despite defeat, they have got some positives too from the lost series and they can make changes to the playing XI for the third match.
An ill Tim Southee and superb debut from Kyle Jamieson helped New Zealand to a tense 22-run victory over India in their second one day international at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday and clinch the three-match series with a game to spare. India were dismissed for 251 in 48.3 overs with Ravindra Jadeja (55) producing a superb rearguard fightback after he came to the crease with his side in trouble at 96-5 and almost won the game in partnership with fast bowler Navdeep Saini (45). New Zealand had scored 273-8 in their innings with Ross Taylor following up his century in the first match in Hamilton with 73 not out.
'After living in a country with hazy skies and a billion people, it is breathtaking when the sky is blue, the air crisply clean and there is drinking water in the taps. And, joy of joys, hardly any people.'
Towering fast bowler Kyle Jamieson will make his international debut for New Zealand against India in the second one-day match in Auckland on Saturday. The 2.03m (6'8") tall Jamieson was called into the national squad for the final two Tests against Australia but did not play and was not in the side for the opening one-day match against India in Hamilton on Wednesday.
India fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar on Friday dismissed reports raising question marks over Kuldeep Yadav's fitness, saying the spinner is fully fit but not playing regularly is probably having a negative impact on his bowling. Kuldeep has been fairly inconsistent in his international outings of late and conceded 84 runs in his 10 overs and took two wickets in the first ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday.
New Zealand opener Martin Guptill said his team will look to pump up the aggression against Indian spinners during the second ODI in Auckland on Saturday in pursuit of an early series win against the visitors. Guptill said the key to New Zealand's victory was playing well against the spinners. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja were taken to the cleaners in Hamilton by Kiwi batsmen and leaked 148 runs in total.
Some of their bowling and fielding frailties exposed in the series-opener, India will aim for quick course correction when they take on a resurgent New Zealand in a must-win second ODI, in Auckland, on Saturday. India find themselves in a familiar situation after the loss in Hamilton. But the visitors have come from behind against the West Indies and Australia to win their last two ODI series and Virat Kohli's men will aim to do the same against the Kiwis.
India's fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar said that the team has not lived up to the fielding standards which was witnessed during the ICC World Cup last year. In the ongoing tour of New Zealand, the Indian team has dropped quite a few catches and has not been able to capitalise on the run-out opportunities.
New Zealand batsman Henry Nicholls said the ODI squad did not carry the baggage of the T20 side which was blanked by India and that reflected in its highest run chase in 50-overs cricket, in the series opener in Hamilton, on Wednesday. Riding on Ross Taylor's 21st hundred, the hosts chased down their highest total in ODIs on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second ODI will be played in Auckland on Saturday.
Stand-in skipper Tom Latham says building partnership and holding their nerves at crucial moments helped New Zealand cross the finish line in the high-scoring first ODI against India, in Hamilton, on Wednesday.
Former World number one Serena Williams must rethink her approach to Grand Slams after her latest bid to win a record-equalling 24th major prize came unstuck at Melbourne Park, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou has said. The 38-year-old American, who is looking to match Australian great Margaret Court's record, has reached four Grand Slam finals since giving birth to daughter Olympia in 2017 but failed to win any of them.
'The lessons from tiny New Zealand about mobilising to prevent an environment going up in flames around us and combatting the feral Whatsapp politics of hatred are in many ways Gandhian,' says Rahul Jacob.
Kane Williamson suffered an "inflamed AC joint in his left shoulder" while fielding in a Twenty20 match against India last week and will miss Wednesday's match in Hamilton and Saturday's clash in Auckland, New Zealand Cricket said on Tuesday.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson reacts after the heart-breaking loss to India in the third T20 International, in Hamilton, on Wednesday.
The list of international sporting events affected by a new virus outbreak in China grew on Wednesday with skiing World Cup races in Yanqing cancelled and Olympic women's football in Australia in doubt over concerns about athletes' safety. Badminton, tennis and basketball were among other sports whose governing bodies were rearranging events, weighing possible changes or monitoring the implications of the outbreak.
Rohit Sharma belted two sixes off the final two deliveries of a Super Over to give India victory in a thrilling finish in the third Twenty20 international against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Wednesday and clinch the series with two games to spare. Images from the third T20 between India and New Zealand, at Hamilton, on Wednesday.
The T20 team has been doing really well in New Zealand and the young guns have contributed significantly to its success, leaving the batting coach hugely impressed.
India won the twin T20 Internationals in Auckland by margins of six and seven wickets respectively to go 2-0 up in the five-match series.
Tim Southee asked his team's batsmen to raise their game.
Information was was disclosed on Chahal TV during the team's bus ride to Hamilton for the third T20I against New Zealand in the five-game series.
Tim Seifert says the Indian speedster's subtle variations have been difficult to pick
There is no one better than Virat Kohli when it comes to chasing down totals in white-ball cricket, something that India's newest No 4 Shreyas Iyer wants to emulate on a consistent basis. With a half-century and 44 off 33 balls in the successful chases in the first two T20 Internationals in the ongoing five-match series against New Zealand, Iyer is fast becoming an integral part of the Indian batting line-up apart from its talismanic skipper when it comes to tricky run-chases.
Martin Guptill felt that India once again out-batted them on a difficult track.
KL Rahul said he had to make some changes to his game as the pitch was different than the one India played during the opening match.
India captain Virat Kohli lauded his bowling unit for taking control of the proceedings from the onset after an emphatic seven-wicket victory against New Zealand in the second T20 International in Auckland on Sunday. Ravindra Jadeja (2/18 in 4 overs) and Jasprit Bumrah (1/21 in 4 overs) were primarily responsible for restricting New Zealand to 132 with the help of a steady Mohammed Shami (0/22 in 4 overs).
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.
It is the job of a talented cricketer like Rishabh Pant to prove his detractors wrong, legendary India all-rounder Kapil Dev said. Recently, Pant has found himself at the receiving end of criticism for his inconsistency with the gloves and the bat and has lost his place in the Indian team.
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