A look back at a few memorable showdowns in the last decade and half that had the quintessential crests and troughs of Test cricket.
Set 280 for victory on the final day, Pakistan suffered two separate batting collapses as New Zealand's bowlers secured a memorable victory at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Kane Williamson is aware that spin is a "big component" in a Test series in India and expects his specialist slow bowlers -- left-arm orthodox Ajaz Patel and off-spinner William Somerville -- to adapt to the conditions quickly and make a difference.
Images from Day 5 of the first Test between India and New Zealand, at Green Park in Kanpur, on Monday.
India failed to bowl out New Zealand on a deteriorating track on the fifth and final day of the first Test but skipper Ajinkya Rahane praised his players saying they tried their best and couldn't have done 'anything different'.
Sri Lanka got off to a strong start in their chase for a 268-run victory target after skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne frustrated New Zealand with a 133-run opening stand on Day 4 of the first Test.
Mayank scored 150 and 62 in the first and second innings respectively of the second Test against New Zealand before India defeated the Kiwis on Monday, December 6.
Captain Dimuth Karunaratne continued his rich vein of form to remain unbeaten on 49 with Angelo Mathews yet to score as only 36.3 overs of play were possible due to rain and bad light.
New Zealand, who made 249 in the first innings, were undone by the Sri Lankan spinners in their second spell as well.
Azhar, who finished the day unbeaten on 62 off 169 balls, helped Pakistan recover from the loss of two early wickets to trail New Zealand by 135 runs with seven wickets remaining.
Centuries by Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq helped Pakistan overhaul New Zealand's total of 274 but a lower-order collapse saw their lead restricted to 74 on day three of the third and final Test in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
New Zealand started the day shakily but recovered to post 229-7 at the close thanks to Williamson's 89 off 176 deliveries on a spinning track at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Captain Kane Williamson cracked an unbeaten century as New Zealand took a valuable 198-run lead against Pakistan on day four of the third and final Test in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
Debutant Shreyas Iyer was guts, aggression and flair rolled into one during an unbeaten knock of 75, which was nothing short of a baptism by fire, as India ended on 258 for four on the first day of the opening Test against New Zealand in Kanpur on Thursday.
Two more failures in two home games could effectively mean end of the road for Ajinkya Rahane, who is leading India in the first Test in Kanpur, starting on Thursday.
India fast bowler Bumrah has achieved a career-high ranking of 33rd, after his three for 47 and three for 68 at Adelaide helped him to rise five places.
Shreyas Iyer sparkled with a half-century on debut, while Ravindra Jadeja also hit an unbeaten fifty to keep New Zealand at bay on Day 1 of the first Test in Kanpur on Thursday.
Jasprit Bumrah, the fastest Indian pacer to 50 wickets, is now seventh in the bowlers' list after a leap of nine places owing to his five-wicket haul against the West Indies.
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