The Blackcaps thrashed the visiting South Africans in their first meeting in Christchurch last week and another win over the Proteas would see the New Zealanders replace Australia at the top of the Test rankings.
Sri Lanka lead the standings with 100 PCT, having won both the Tests they have played in this cycle. They are followed by Australia, who have a PCT of 86.66.
New Zealand needed just an extended session to complete an innings and 276-run victory over South Africa in the first Test, at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, to register their first Test victory over the Proteas in 18 years.
Images from Day 2 of the first Test between New Zealand and South Africa in Christchurch on Friday.
Matt Henry produced a career-best seven for 23 in a spectacular display of pace bowling as New Zealand skittled out South Africa for 95 in two sessions to take charge of the opening Test in Christchurch on Thursday.
Williamson has been battling a tendon injury in his left elbow over the last 15 months
India suffered 18-run defeat to hosts New Zealand
'In today's times, it is even more important to have them around with the team with the longer duration of tour and quarantine and bubbles.'
The 31-year-old Williamson also sat out the two-Test home series against Bangladesh last month due to the niggling elbow issue.
'The players are comfortable in MIQ. The team will start training in the nets after the completion of quarantine on Saturday. The fact there are balconies attached with the rooms make a huge difference.'
Ross Taylor claimed the last Bangladesh wicket in his final act in Test cricket to seal New Zealand's series-levelling victory by an innings and 117 runs in the second and final match in Christchurch on Tuesday.
New Zealand skipper Tom Latham smashed 252 before Trent Boult and Tim Southee wrecked Bangladesh with the ball to put the hosts on course for a series-levelling victory on day two of the second and final Test.
Captain Tom Latham smashed an unbeaten 186 as New Zealand bounced back from their shock defeat in Mount Maunganui to amass 349-1 on the opening day of the second and final Test against Bangladesh on Sunday.
Star batter Jemimah Rodrigues was on Thursday dropped from the 15-member Indian women's squad for the ICC ODI World Cup to be held in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3.
'I can't describe it, it's unbelievable. I couldn't sleep yesterday because of the pressure'
Bangladesh's first win in any format of the game in New Zealand gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-match series
Tom Latham will captain the team for an entire series for the first time in place of Kane Williamson, who suffered a recurrence of an elbow injury in India and will miss both Tests.
India will open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in the Women's ODI World Cup, starting in New Zealand on March 4.
Basking in the glory of becoming India's third highest Test wicket-taker, senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed that he feared his career would not survive the chaos unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
New Zealand abandoned their limited-overs series in Pakistan on Friday after receiving a security alert, with the tourists "unilaterally suspending" all their scheduled matches.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has taken an indefinite break from all cricket with immediate effect to prioritise his mental wellbeing and continue his recovery from an injury to his left index finger.
The victorious New Zealand cricketers will carry the ICC World Test Championship Mace on a week-long, nationwide tour of the country, starting on July 26, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Wednesday.
Before they take the field for the World Test Championship final on Friday, June 18, Rajneesh Gupta takes a look at India-New Zealand Test encounters in the new century.
Rajneesh Gupta offers insights about the World Test Championship Final.
India and New Zealand will fight it out for the inaugural title at Southampton's Ageas Bowl
Stand-in White Ferns captain Amy Satterthwaite was named the women's ODI Player of the Year, after taking some time off to have a baby and returning to the fold to score 304 runs at 38, including a top score of 119 not-out against England in Dunedin.
K N Prabhu, the doyen of cricket writers, salutes Sunil Manohar Gavaskar, who appeared for the first time in Test cricket 50 years ago today, March 6, 1971.
Stokes had no hesitation in admitting that these are the "hardest conditions" to bat on.
Australia clawed back to 2-1 in the five-match series following defeats in Christchurch and Dunedin.
Players from New Zealand and Australia made significant gains in the rankings updated after the first two matches of the ongoing series between the two sides.
New Zealand's biggest city Auckland went into a seven-day lockdown from Sunday after the emergence of a new local case of the coronavirus of unknown origin.
'He's arguably the best Twenty20 batter in the world over a long period of time. His record's so good and he's our captain, so maybe that's what's going on off-field but in our heads we just trust him'.
'But Guptill played a brilliant innings in that partnership with Kane, built a lot of momentum.'
2nd T20I: Guptill fires Kiwis to close win over Australia
Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull says players from his country have always been 'overlooked for second rate Australians" in the Indian Premier League, expressing his views after Devon Conway created a flutter with his splendid hitting days after going unsold at the IPL players' auction.
Warner said that he has to teach his brain to not worry about the pain.
The 29-year-old Conway clobbered 10 fours and three sixes during his 79 minutes of stay in the middle.
'I'd prefer to be playing cricket, but a little bit of time at home might not be the worst thing'
Kyle Jamieson is the highest paid New Zealander and fourth highest in the IPL's 14-year history.
Promising Australia fast bowler Jhye Richardson was left "excited as well as exhausted" after he earned a life-changing bid of Rs 14 crore from Punjab Kings at Thursday's IPL players' auction.
© 2024 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances