Cricket

New Zealand tour of India 2021

When Team India took the field on Day 3 of Kanpur Test, Wriddhiman Saha was missing as Srikar Bharat donned the wicketkeeping gloves. With Will Young's wicket in the first session, Bharat became the first wicketkeeper to take a catch in Test cricket without making his debut.&nbsp;&nbsp;After claiming the catch off Ashwin's bowling, the substitute wicketkeeper also affected a stumping to achieve rare feat in Test cricket. In the second session, the 28-year-old stumped Tom Latham off Axar Patel's bowling and became third substitute wicketkeeper to do so in a Test match. The feat was first achieved by England's Neville Tufnell against South Africa in 1909/10. More than half a century later, New Zealand's Bevan Congdon too achieved the same feat against Pakistan in 1964/65 series. Now, after more than four decades, Bharat has added his name to the list.&nbsp;Before Bharat, the most recent incident happened, was in a Test match played in Hyderabad between India and West Indies in 2018 when Jahmar Hamilton substituted without featuring in any international game for the injured Shane Dowrich.&nbsp;&nbsp;Earlier the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had updated about Saha’s overnight stiffness of the neck.&nbsp;"Wriddhiman Saha has stiffness in his neck. The BCCI medical team is treating him and monitoring his progress. KS Bharat will be keeping wickets in his absence," BCCI had said in a media statement.&nbsp;From the second session of Day 2, India were struggling to break the opening partnership between New Zealand openers Tom Latham and Young. The duo went unbeaten after the end of the day’s play. However, in the ninth over of Day 3, Ashwin finally gave India a breakthrough and Bharat registered a record by dismissing Young.&nbsp;&nbsp;Later in second session, Bharat also took another catch of Patel's delivery to dismiss veteran batter Ross Taylor.&nbsp;&nbsp;

new-zealand-tour-of-india-17-nov-2021

First for India, third in the world: Srikar Bharat achieves rare feats in Kanpur

India have made a sensational comeback on Day 3 of the Kanpur Test, thanks to some brilliant bowling from Axar Patel. The left-arm spinner came to India’s aid with his fifth fifer of the calendar year in his seventh innings to create an Indian record in the format. Patel became the first left-arm spinner to take five five-wicket hauls in a calendar year in Test cricket in India. Playing in his fourth Test, Axar has taken second-fewest innings to register five five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. The spin-bowling all-rounder shares the second spot with Charlie Turner of Australia and Tom Richardson of England. Only Rodney Hogg of Australia took fewer innings to register five fifers in a Test match. The former Aussie fast bowler took just six innings to reach the mark. Patel has taken 32 wickets in his Test career so far. The southpaw has a chance to create history in Test cricket as he can break England bowler Charlie Turner's 144-year-old record. Turner was the fastest to 50 Test wickets achieving the feat in just six Test in a year and 215 days' time. For India, the fastest to 50 Test wickets is Ravichandran Ashwin who reached the mark in his ninth Test.&nbsp;The Gujarat-born spinner was lethal on Day 3 as he first dismissed Ross Taylor in the second session. He wasn’t done there and ran riot on a wicket that kept low. He wrecked Kiwi middle-order to complete his fifer. He also got the set batter Tom Latham stump out to push the visitors on the back foot.&nbsp; While Patel has taken only seven innings to register five fifers, Ravindra Jadeja hasn’t managed to do so in his last 26 innings on home soil. Interestingly, there are some encouraging signs for the spinners as nine of the ten wickets in New Zealand innings were taken by spinners while only two Indian batters fell to the Kiwi spinners.&nbsp;

Axar Patel creates history with 5th fifer in 4th Test, has 144-year-old record in sight

Kyle Jamieson has reached 50 Test wickets for New Zealand in record time. After dismissing Shubman Gill in the second innings of India, Jamieson became the quickest Kiwi bowler to reach the landmark in just nine Tests breaking the 16-year-old record. Shane Bond took 12 Tests to reach the 50-wicket mark in 2005, three more than his fellow compatriot. On Day 3 of the Kanpur Test when the wicket was favouring spinners, Jamieson managed to add a feather to his cap with a wicket in the third session. The 26-year-old bowler was in full swing with the new ball, as he dismissed Gill in the second over of the innings. This was also the second time Jamieson dismissed Gill at Green Park. In terms of balls, Jamieson was the third-fastest to get to the tally since 20th century. It took the tall lanky fast bowler 1865 balls to reach the mark. Former South African pacer Vernon Philander and Australian fast bowler Brett Lee managed to get early to the milestone. Philander took 1240 balls whereas Lee took 1844 balls to reach the half-century of Test wickets. Earlier in first innings, Jamieson took three wickets. The 26-year-old also contributed with the bat scoring 23 runs from 75 deliveries to decrease India's lead. The new ball bowler will have his work cut out on Day 4 of the Kanpur Test as India took a 64-run lead at the end of day's play. With all three results still possible the onus will be on Jamieson and company to stop Indian batters from registering a big total.

Kyle Jamieson breaks all-time Kiwi record in Tests with Gill's wicket

The Day 3 of the Kanpur Test turned out to be a productive prospect for India as spinners were on a roll. Nine of the 11 wickets on Day 3 were taken by the spinning trio of Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja. On the other hand, substitute wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat also made his presence felt and was involved in three dismissals. The trio of Ashwin, Axar and debutant Bharat were involved in a funny conversation in a video posted by Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) on their official Twitter handle . In the video involving the three, it was the Tamil Nadu spinner who went rampant with a series of questions. Ashwin funnily introduced both Axar and Bharat, stating that fans would take time to get used to Bharat’s twitter handle name which read @KonaBharat. Ashwin who picked up three wickets on the day missed out on a leg before the wicket of Kiwi opener Tom Latham. India decided not to take a review Latham on the advice of the wicketkeeper Bharat. Ashwin quickly made his regrets felt asking Bharat, “Tell me about the review that denied me a wicket?” The keeper though replied with an apology, stating “I am sorry.” While praising the glove work of Bharat, the veteran off-spinner turned the attention to Axar whom he asked rapidfire questions, “How do you bowl the wonderful low ball, which is called as ‘Surra’?” and “How do you control your spin as my ball beats the batter while your ball produces an edge, how do you manage to do that?” The Gujarat bowler in a funny reply answered, “I produce little spin on the ball which is capable of producing an edge while your (Ashwin) delivery produces more spin and therefore beats the batter.” After dismissing New Zealand on 296, India have made a slow start to the second innings on Day 4. The spinners will have their work cut out in the remainder of Test as the trio might once again have to produce the goods to take India home.

'Tell me about the review that denied me a wicket?': Ashwin questions Bharat for missed DRS

The first Test match between India and New Zealand in Kanpur is moving to a decisive stage as the visitors &nbsp;came all guns blazing in the opening session of Day 4. One Kiwi bowler who made the most impact was Tim Southee with the new. The right-arm seamer has become just the second Kiwi bowler to pick 50 wickets on Indian soil in all formats. After dismissing Mayank Agarwal and Ravindra Jadeja in the same over, he reached the milestone and now shares the record with former New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori. Jadeja’s wicket in the 20th over was his 50th on Indian soil. This was Southee’s seventh wicket of the match. In Test matches, the right-arm bowler has managed to take 19 wickets, which is 12 short of Vettori who took 31. When it comes to limited-overs, Southee edges Vettori as the 32-year-old who has taken 25 wickets in ODI cricket while former New Zealand captain Vettori managed only 19. Interestingly, Vettori never played a T20I game on Indian soil whereas Southee managed to take six wickets in the shortest format of the game. The former New Zealand skipper has 50 wickets from 29 innings on Indian soil. Vettori played seven Tests and 16 ODI matches on Indian soil while Southee currently has played in 27 innings across all formats; this includes seven innings in four Test matches, 16 ODI matches and four T20I matches. Southee’s next wicket in the Kanpur Test will take him above Vettori on 51. Interestingly, both Vettori and Southee have taken fifers at the current venue as the pace bowler managed to take five wickets in first innings. It now remains to be seen how Indian batters respond to the lethal pace attack at Kane Williamson’s disposal with still five seasons to play in the match.&nbsp;Southee surpasses Kumble, enters top 5 listThe 32-year-old became the second Kiwi bowler to take 50 Test wickets against India in the longest format. With Jadeja's wicket, Southee has 51 Test wickets in 10 innings against India. He also surpassed the all-time second-highest wicket-taker Anil Kumble's wicket tally in India vs New Zealand Tests (50 wickets). Southee is now second to only Richard Hadlee, who has &nbsp;65 wickets from 14 Tests.&nbsp;

Southee joins Vettori with 50 wickets on Indian soil; surpasses Kumble on another elite list

Shreyas Iyer has become the first Indian player in the nation’s 89-year-old history in the format to score a century on Test debut and follow it up with a half-century. Iyer scored 105 in the first innings at Green Park, Kanpur and followed it up with another half-century to save India from a batting collapse on Day 4.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1934, Dilawar Hussain became the first Indian to register fifty-plus scores on Test debut against England in Kolkata. 35 years later, legendary Sunil Gavaskar achieved the same feat against West Indies in Port of Spain. Earlier this year, India women’s young opener Shafali Verma too scored half-centuries in both innings of a Test against England. &nbsp;&nbsp;After four decades, Iyer bettered the feat achieved by Hussain and Gavaskar as he scored a century in his debut innings as well. Interestingly, the 26-year-old got his Test cap from Gavaskar who was in commentary box when Iyer crossed the 50-run mark in the second session of Day 4. He scored 65 runs from 125 deliveries and got out at the stroke of tea break. Tim Southee got the Mumbai batter out in both innings. He hit eight fours and one six in the counter-attacking knock.&nbsp;&nbsp;With a total of 170 runs on a tough Kanpur pitch, the middle-order batter registered third-highest score by an Indian on Test debut. Only Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan (187) and Rohit Sharma (177) have scored more runs than Iyer.&nbsp;

Shreyas Iyer becomes first player to achieve rare feat in India's 89-year Test cricket history

Wriddhiman Saha finally managed to score a half-century after a long-running drought of 14 innings in the Test format spanning over four years. Saha managed a crucial half-century despite suffering from a stiff neck which prevented him from keeping the wickets on Day 3 of the ongoing first Test at Green Park, Kanpur.&nbsp;&nbsp;There were questions over Saha’s selection as his best score in last 14 innings was 29. There were three instances where he remained not out including two single-digit scores. The last time the Shaktigarh-born batter scored a half-century (67) was in August 2017 against Sri Lanka.&nbsp;&nbsp;The 37-year-old walked in to bat at no.8 as Ravichandran Ashwin batted ahead of him when India lost four early wickets in the first session on Day 4. Saha came to the crease in the second session with debutant Shreyas Iyer on the other end. He shared a 44-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Iyer before tea break.&nbsp;&nbsp;Saha then stitched a partnership with Axar Patel to get India’s lead past 250 as New Zealand spinners failed to wrap up India’s second innings with the old ball. During the drinks break in the third session, he received some on-field treatment from the physio and carried on his innings. This was also his third Test half-century against New Zealand.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Bengal wicketkeeper remained unbeaten for 61 as India declared the innings with few overs to go in the last session. It is also his best score against New Zealand in Test cricket surpassing his previous best of 58 in 2016.

Despite a stiff neck, Wriddhiman Saha scores half-century after 1579 days

It will surely take a monumental effort from Kane Williamson’s brigade to have a chance of winning their first Test in India in 33 years. Chasing a huge total of 284 on a Day 5 Kanpur pitch that will keep low and favour the spinners, New Zealand will need a similar opening partnership as first innings. After a batting collapse in first session with new ball, half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer and Wriddhiman Saha put India in the driver’s seat. Furthermore, early wicket of Will Young off Ravichandran Ashwin's bowling turned out to be another setback for them as Kiwi could score only four runs in four overs. &nbsp;Statistics that matter A piece of statistics that will haunt the visitors is that no team has successfully chased down a target of 150-plus in the fourth innings against India. Also, the highest target chased successfully by a visiting team in India against India is 286 by West Indies in 1987. On the other hand, New Zealand’s highest successful run chase of 324 came against Pakistan in 1993/94 series.&nbsp; Game-changing counter-attack It was the counter-attack of debutant Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin in the first session that helped India play out the new ball and get some runs on the board. As India were reduced to 51/5 in the first session, Iyer and Ashwin decided that they need to put some runs on the board instead of blocking each delivery. They shared a 52-run partnership for the sixth wicket but the lead was not enough to put pressure on Kiwis.&nbsp; Saha’s gritty fifty, Iyer’s massive record After Ashwin, Saha who did not keep wickets on Day 3 due to stiff neck walked out to bat. The wicketkeeper-batter provided support from the other end as Iyer went on to score his half-century. The 26-year-old became the first Indian batter to score a century and a half-century on Test debut. The two shared a 64-run partnership for the seventh wicket.&nbsp; In the second innings, Axar Patel did not get out cheaply too and provided much-needed support to get a big total on board. Saha received some on-field treatment in the drinks break of third session and battled through the pain to score his first half-century after four years. He remained unbeaten for 61 off 126 deliveries including four fours and one six. On the other end, Patel remained not out for 28 runs off 67 deliveries.&nbsp;

Counter-attacking India put New Zealand on backfoot, Kiwis struggle early in 284 run chase

India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour has responded to the question everyone is looking an answer for after Shreyas Iyer’s record-breaking debut — who will Virat Kohli replace in second Test? However, Rathour tried to dodge the question as there is still a day to go in the ongoing Kanpur Test where India need nine wickets to take a lead in the two-Test series.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Of course, you want the top-order to contribute but cricketers (Pujara and Rahane) you mentioned they have played 80 (79 for Rahane) and 90 Tests (91 Test for Pujara),” Rathour told the reporters after the day’s play.&nbsp;"Of course, to play that many games, they must have done well for us. We understand that both of them are going through a lean phase but we understand that they have both played very, very important knocks for us in the past. We are pretty sure that they are going to come back and play important knocks for us," the batting coach added.&nbsp;While Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have a batting average of 19.57 and 30.42 so far this year, Rathour emphasised that their impact cannot be put in numbers.&nbsp;"I don't think you can put a number to that. It really depends on situation the team is in and what the team is required to do," the former Punjab opener said while taking the diplomatic approach.&nbsp;With Iyer scoring 105 and 65, there is bound to be an outrage if he does not take the field in front of his home crowd on December 3. With Kohli returning as skipper it will be interesting to see which way the selectors go in Mumbai.&nbsp;&nbsp;Captain coming back in, that will happen in next game and we will get to that point when we reach Mumbai. The focus is on this game and there is a day to go and a game to be won. We will get to that point when we get in Mumbai," the 52-year-old dodged the question again.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Once we land in Mumbai, we will take that call, what our playing XI is going to be," he said while not confirming whether Iyer retains his spot or not at Wankhede stadium after becoming the only Indian to score a century followed by a half-century on Test debut.

'Once we land in Mumbai, we will take that call': India batting coach's response to who will Kohli replace

With less than 48 hours remaining for the first Test match between India and New Zealand, Team India has been dealt a huge blow. Opener KL Rahul has been ruled out of the two-match Test series. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source has confirmed the news to Sports Tak. The news comes as a major blow, as the team prepares to take on New Zealand at the Green Park stadium in Kanpur. The source hasn’t confirmed the extent of the injury but has said the opener has sustained a muscle strain on his left thigh. The Karnataka batter will undergo rehabilitation at NCA in preparation for the series against South Africa scheduled next month.&nbsp;&nbsp;India's in-form T20I star Suryakumar Yadav has been named as Rahul's replacement in the squad. However, his batting position is still not clear or whether he will make his debut in the series with Shreyas Iyer awaiting his Test debut as well. It is also worth noting that India is already without regular opener Rohit Sharma who is rested for the Test series.&nbsp; &nbsp;Earlier on Tuesday morning, Cheteshwar Pujara spoke about the availability of players and Gill’s place in the team. But with 29-year-old Rahul ruled out, the baton for the opening pair is highly likely into the hands of Shubman Gill. Mayank Agarwal is likely to be Gill's opening partner in the Test series.&nbsp;India's squad for 1st Test: Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Prasidh Krishna, Srikar Bharat &nbsp;

KL Rahul out of Test series with muscle strain, in-form T20 star named replacement

Team India will have their heads held high as the ‘Men in Blue’ whitewashed New Zealand in the T20I series. Rohit Sharma’s men dominated New Zealand on all fronts to exact revenge after their T20 World Cup defeat. The attention now turns to red-ball cricket as the Green Park stadium in Kanpur gears up for its first Test match after more than half a decade starting on November 25. The big stadium measuring 21 acres, 2 roofs and 2 posts, is situated on the banks of river Ganga. In the 19th century, it was used as a pre and post-mutiny (1857) parade ground. Many British officials part of the industry formed a Sports Club and used the venue for cricket, football, hockey and other games. The first unofficial Test took place in 1949-50 between Commonwealth Team and India. There is an interesting story that surrounds the name of the stadium. ‘Green Park’ was named after a British lady ‘Madam Green’ who used to visit the surroundings for horse riding. Situated on the banks of river Ganga, the city had a great ambiance for horse riding and in the pre-independence era, Britishers would often visit the locality for horse riding. But during the 1950s Green Park was renamed the ‘Modi Stadium’. It was renamed in honor of the first governor of Uttar Pradesh Sir Hormasji Pherozeshah Modi. However, the stadium was renamed to its previous name Green Park in 1954 as JK Group took over the stadium administration from the government. The stadium in Kanpur houses the largest manually operated scoreboard in the world. It has also witnessed some of the most historic events in Indian cricket. India’s first-ever Test win against Australia in 1959 came in Green Park stadium. In its entire history, India has lost only twice at the venue as West Indies remain the only team to beat India in this part of the world. When it comes to New Zealand’s record at the iconic venue, they have failed to register a win in three matches. They have lost their last two visits to Green Park while the only time they avoided defeat was in 1976. The draw prevented India from completing a whitewash on that occasion as they won the three-match series by 2-0.

Why Kanpur stadium was named & renamed as Green Park? The story of IND vs NZ 1st Test venue 

The Rahul Dravid era has got off to a fantastic start as India white-washed New Zealand in the three-match T20I series. India playing under the stewardship of the former India captain showed ruthless approach as they disentailed the New Zealand in the final T20I at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.&nbsp;Speaking after the match, the coach said, “It was a really good series win. Everyone played really well right through the series. It feels good, nice to start well. We are also quite realistic. We have to keep our feet on the ground and be a bit realistic about this win. Not easy for New Zealand to play a World Cup final and then to turn up three days later to play three games in six days, was never going to be easy for them.”&nbsp;The 48-year-old further added, “There are a lot of games to be played, so we have to do that with some of our players and be realistic with the amount of cricket they can play. It's nice to see people step-up and do well at this stage. We have got just three or four boys who are going onto the Test matches. We'll ask them to have an early night because in a couple of days, they'll have to start getting up at 7:30 in the morning for a 9:30 start. So hopefully we can get a good night's sleep. The other boys can probably have a late night and enjoy themselves.”&nbsp;The attention now moves to red ball cricket as Green Park stadium in Kanpur gears up for the opening Test match of the two-Test series. The Indian coach also highlighted that his team will have work to do in the coming months. ‘Man of the Series’ in the T20I series, Rohit Sharma will not be available for the Test series. Virat Kohli though will return to the fold for the second Test in Mumbai starting on December 3.

‘They'll have to start getting up at 7:30 in the morning’ : Rahul Dravid

India’s newly appointed T20I captain, Rohit Sharma is jubilant with the scintillating performance of his team in his very first assignment as a captain. India whitewashed New Zealand at home after suffering a horrendous defeat against them in the Super 12 game of the T20 World Cup 2021. After completing the&nbsp; clean sweep against Kiwis at Eden Gardens, Rohit was ecstatic with the all-round show by the Men in Blue. Moreover, the Indian skipper emphasised on the importance of batting depth in T20Is.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Teams around the world bat deep till No.8, No.9. Harshal, when he plays for Haryana, he opens the batting for them. And then Deepak, we've seen what he did in SL. Chahal was looking forward to bat as well,” Rohit said in the post-match presentation.&nbsp;Furthermore, when asked about his favourite shot (pull shot), the 34-year-old&nbsp; revealed how he used to practice the shot on concrete pitches during his childhood days.&nbsp;“I've grown up playing on a concrete pitch back in the day. Once I started opening a lot of things changed. Won't say it (playing the pull) comes naturally. I've practised a lot playing those shots. Some days it comes off very well but I've got out also playing that shot. That's why I say when you've got a certain strength, you've got to back it,” the Indian skipper revealed.&nbsp;In their last 10 encounters in T20Is against the Blackcaps, India have won eight which includes a clean sweep of 5-0 on New Zealand soil as well. On the other hand, both the victories for the Kiwis came in the ICC T20 World Cups (2016 and 2021).&nbsp;India will now face off Kane Williamson-led New Zealand in the first Test of the two-match series which will begin from November 25 at Green Park in Kanpur. New Zealand had rested their skipper in the limited-overs series while India’s big guns including Rohit and Rishabh Pant will miss the Test series. However, in the absence of Kohli from the first Test, Ajinkya Rahane will lead the Indian side.

Rohit Sharma impressed with India's batting depth after Harshal-Deepak show

It has turned out to be a dream debut for Shreyas Iyer as he joined the elite company of players to have scored a hundred on debut innings. After taking a couple of runs in the 92nd over of the innings, Iyer reached the magical three-figure mark in red-ball cricket.&nbsp;The 26-year-old year has become the 16th Indian batsman to score a century on debut. He joins the likes of Lala Amarnath, Mohammad Azharuddin, Rohit Sharma in a notable company. It is the 10th time that an Indian batter has scored a hundred on debut on Indian soil. Interestingly, the last two players to score a Test hundred on debut also represented Mumbai at Ranji Trophy level, Rohit Sharma and Prithvi Shaw.&nbsp;It is also worth noting, he has become the third Indian to score a debut hundred against New Zealand. The last Indian to score a century on debut against New Zealand was Surinder Amarnath in January 1976. The first Indian batsman to score a century on debut against New Zealand is Kripal Singh in November 1955.&nbsp;When it comes to Kanpur, Shreyas has become the second player to score a hundred on debut at Green Park stadium. Gundappa Viswanath is the only other to have the accolade to his name. He scored 137 against Australia in December 1969. Iyer eventually departed for 105 falling to Tim Southee. His innings included 13 fours and two sixes.

Shreyas Iyer joins illustrious company with century on Test debut

Not one session belonged to India as New Zealand broke stereotypes of visiting teams and made an emphatic comeback on Day 2 of Kanpur Test. There was not much to cheer for Indian fans after first session as New Zealand openers Tom Latham and Will Young stood tall on a spin-friendly track and scored their respective half-centuries. At the end of day’s play, New Zealand are in a commanding position with 129 for no loss and trail trimmed down to 216 runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Wicketless sessions for IndiaContrary to popular belief on Indian pitches, New Zealand openers dominated Indian bowlers on a Day 2 pitch. They took their time, gave respect to the good balls and walked back to the dressing room unbeaten. Latham took 165 deliveries to score 50 runs whereas Young took 180 deliveries to score 75 runs. The southpaw scored just four boundaries whereas Young hit 12 fours in his second Test half-century. The unbeaten 129-run partnership is the third-highest opening stand for New Zealand in India. It is also the first century stand in five years by overseas openers in India.&nbsp; Poor umpiringLatham survived wrong umpiring decisions thrice in the innings. First, he was given lbw off Ishan Sharma’s delivery early on in the innings. Later in the second session, Latham was given lbw again off Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling but the ball had hit his bat. Close to the end of day’s play, he was given caught out off Ravichandran Ashiwn’s delivery but DRS saved him again as ultraedge showed no spike.&nbsp; Iyer's major feat amidst sensational Southee spellThe fifth-wicket partnership between Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja was broken early by Tim Southee who bowled a dream spell with the second new ball. Iyer carried on and became the 16th Indian batter to score a century on debut. The Mumbai batter added 30 more runs to his overnight account.&nbsp; The wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha did not impress with the bat and scored just one run from 12 deliveries. Iyer got out after scoring 105 runs from 171 deliveries. Axar Patel followed him to the dressing room soon with just three runs from nine deliveries. Ashwin top-scored for India on Day 2 with 38 runs from 56 balls including five boundaries. Southee’s record fifer and Ajaz Patel prevented India from posting a big first innings total. India could add 89 runs to their overnight total and lost six wickets as they were bundled out for 345.

IND vs NZ: Latham, Young defy overseas stereotypes in India after Southee special

India's stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane has made a big announcement about the playing XI ahead of first Test at Green Park, Kanpur against New Zealand. In the pre-match press conference, Rahane has revealed that Shreyas Iyer will make his Test debut in the first Test of two-Test series. The stand-in skipper has not revealed Iyer's batting position. However, the 26-year-old is likely to bat at no.5 or no.6.&nbsp;“KL Rahul getting out is a big blow for us. Shreyas Iyer will make his debut tomorrow, right now I’m not sure about his batting position,” Rahane told reporters in the virtual press conference.&nbsp;&nbsp;In addition, when asked about the pitch and the absence of key players like Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, Rahane said that it will be a great opportunity for the youngsters and the team is happy with the conditions in Kanpur.&nbsp;“We are happy with the pitch and the series will be a good opportunity for youngsters in the side. Captaining India is always a pride,” the 33-year-old answered a Sports Tak query in the press conference.&nbsp;Furthermore, the Test specialist seemed ecstatic with the dressing room’s atmosphere under new head coach Rahul Dravid.&nbsp;“Rahul Dravid treats everyone equally, he backs players and motivates those who are down. Everyone is excited to play under him,” the veteran added.&nbsp;The two giants' last meet in the longest format was in the World Test Championship (WTC) final earlier this year. The BlackCaps had beaten Kohli-led India by eight wickets to clinch their first International Cricket Council (ICC) title. Speaking on the opportunity to avenge the WTC defeat, the stand-in Indian skipper said that the conditions in Kanpur are different when compared to Southampton.&nbsp;“Nothing like revenge, conditions here is different than Southampton, we will just try to play our best game,” Rahane concluded.&nbsp;

Ajinkya Rahane announces debutant for Kanpur Test in KL Rahul's absence

After sweeping the T20I series, Team India will now don the Test whites for a two-match series against New Zealand. Even as several key names will be missing from the team sheet, the clash between the two top-ranked sides in the longest format, promises to be a spectacle for fans.&nbsp;Uphill task for KiwisIndia’s wonderful record at home though makes them heavy favourites. Their last series defeat at home came at the hands of Alastair Cook’s England nine years back. Considering India have won 13 series since then, New Zealand would have to play out of their skins to have any chance of overcoming this formidable Indian side. The fact that the visitors haven’t won a Test in Indian conditions since 1988, highlights how difficult a task it will be for the Kiwis.&nbsp;Indian fans though would remember the humbling they received at the hands of New Zealand in the World Test Championship final five months back. The conditions in England surely favoured the BlackCaps but the low, slow tracks of the Indian subcontinent will prove to be a massive challenge for the visitors. However, with India resting several key players through the series, this is probably New Zealand’s best opportunity of improving upon their record.&nbsp;Injuries &amp; replacements KL Rahul’s thigh strain right before the Kanpur Test means India will have to rework their batting plans. India now only have three batters available to them who have the experience of playing in at least 10 Tests – Captain Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara &amp; Mayank Agarwal.&nbsp;India have added Suryakumar Yadav to the squad in place of Rahul but the Mumbai batter will most likely warm the bench, with Shreyas Iyer all set to make his debut for the hosts. Mayank Agarwal &amp; Shubman Gill will slot in as the openers.&nbsp;The visitors will be without their strike bowler Trent Boult who has been rested but the return of Kane Williamson as captain will surely be a huge boost for New Zealand. The Kiwis will also be without their first-choice opener Devon Conway, who is missing from the India tour due to a fracture in the right hand.&nbsp;Ashwin-Jadeja supremacyFor India, the return of Ravichandran Ashwin &amp; Ravindra Jadeja after rest in the T20Is, makes their bowling look far more formidable even as names like Bumrah &amp; Shami are missing. Ashwin has an incredible record against New Zealand at home, having picked six 5-wicket hauls in just 5 Tests. With conditions expected to favour the spinners, Ashwin &amp; Jadeja might once again prove to be their opponents’ undoing.&nbsp;Veterans' turn to shineThere will be pressure though on two of India’s senior statesmen - Cheteshwar Pujara &amp; Ajinkya Rahane. India’s captain for the first Test, Ajinkya Rahane, is averaging under 25 over the last 15 Tests with only one century to his name.&nbsp;Pujara too has struggled in recent times, averaging less than 30 in his last 22 Tests, during which he has failed to score a single ton. All eyes will be on these two to put their batting woes behind ahead of India’s crucial tour of South Africa.&nbsp;With several key players rested or missing, the first Test will provide the Indian youngsters with a glorious opportunity to showcase their talent. &nbsp;Those who grab this opportunity might find themselves on the flight to South Africa.&nbsp;New Zealand will definitely start the game as underdogs but even if they go down, they won’t go down without a fight. A cracking contest awaits us all at Green Park.

Williamson's New Zealand look for first Test win in 33 years on Indian soil

Debutant Shreyas Iyer repaid the faith of selectors with an unbeaten 75 on Day 1 of the Kanpur Test. Iyer’s partnership with Ravindra Jadeja for the fifth wicket helped India finish well on the opening day of the first Test of the two-Test series. The 113-run unbeaten partnership helped India post 258/4 before bad light stopped play in the third session.&nbsp;&nbsp;Damage control in third sessionIndia were reduced to 145/4 in the second session with skipper Ajinkya Rahane getting out. Iyer was still trying to play himself in when Jadeja joined him in the middle. The 26-year-old debutant was lucky not to get out in the second session itself to Kiwi off-spinner William Somerville. In the third session, Iyer dominated Kiwi bowlers. The Mumbai batter even stepped out of the crease to hit sixes. At stumps, he was batting on 75 off 136 deliveries. If Iyer goes on to score a hundred, he will become the third batsman from Mumbai to score a hundred on debut after Rohit Sharma and Prithvi Shaw.&nbsp;Iyer’s partner Jadeja was unfazed by BlackCaps bowlers. The all-rounder was beaten by the uneven bounce of the Kanpur pitch on few occasions but went on to score his 17th Test fifty and celebrate it with his iconic sword celebration. At the end of the day’s play, Jadeja is unbeaten on 50 from 100 deliveries including six fours. The two set batters will have their work cut out in first session of Day 2 as the ball is just four overs old.&nbsp;&nbsp;Dreadful second sessionThe Kiwi bowlers had their tails up in the second session. Opener Shubman Gill got out to a jaffa of a delivery from Kyle Jamieson. The in-swinger went through the huge bat and pad gap as Gill’s offstump fell on the ground. The young opener scored 52 runs from 93 deliveries including five fours and one six. After Gill’s wicket, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahane took control of the innings. The third-wicket partnership was going well but then Pujara got out poking at a delivery outside off-stump. The veteran batter got out to Tim Southee after scoring 26 runs off 88 deliveries.&nbsp;Rahane was batting well in the second session but lost his concentration after the DRS call went his way. He was given caught out while trying to play a shot towards fine leg. The review showed that the ball had not hit his bat on the way to wicketkeeper’s gloves. On the next ball, Rahane went for a full-blooded shot outside off and the inside edge hit the stumps. Jamieson turned out to be the only bowler that tested Indian batters as he took three wickets for 47 runs in 15.2 overs. Solid startEarlier Rahane had won the toss and elected to bat first. In the absence of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Gill opened the innings. Agarwal got out early as he edged one to the wicketkeeper trying to play one outside off stump. Agarwal got out for 13 in the eighth over and Pujara joined Gill in the middle. While Pujara took his time in typical fashion trying to play out the new ball, Gill counter-attacked and hit five fours and one six.

On-debut Iyer with swordsman Jadeja save India from Jamieson's wrath in Kanpur 

Less than 24 hours remain as India and New Zealand square off one another in the second and final Test match in Mumbai. The two teams come into the contest on the back end off an entertaining draw in Kanpur. The big news for India comes in the form of Virat Kohli, the Indian captain is back in the fold after missing out on the first Test. “We will have a discussion with Rahul bhai as to what combination we will go with. The conditions will play a major role in deciding the starting 11. The nature of pitch will have a lot to do with the outcome of the result” the returning captain said in a virtual press conference. The 33-year-old further added, “Conditions will decide who what combination we have to pick. Conditions on Day 1 could be different from conditions on Day 5 so lots of factors come into consideration. Wankhede wicket has been challenging but at times favors all kinds of conditions so fast bowlers will have something in it, so we are looking forward to it.” India are expected to make wholesale changes to the playing 11 as captain Kohli returns. There is still uncertainty surrounding who will miss out on the 11 as the team management has a tough task in hand. Ishant Sharma is also expected to keep his place ahead of Siraj, while the latter could still be drafted if India decides to go with three seamers, although this remains an outside option. Shreyas Iyer is also expected to keep his place after scoring a debut hundred. Speaking about Wriddhiman Saha, Kohli has confirmed that the Bengal wicketkeeper is available for selection. The wicketkeeper who didn’t keep gloves but was available for batting had sustained a neck stiffness. Saha’s inclusion in the team could prolong a much-awaited debut for Srikar Bharat who will once again have to sit on the bench.&nbsp;Both India and New Zealand are in good shape going into the contest, but the weather will have a major part to play. It’s been overcast conditions in Mumbai for the past couple of days and it will certainly be a factor while selecting the playing 11. It is still undecided with what combination India entered the decider as conditions will play a major role. &nbsp;

'Weather conditions will play a big role in deciding the starting 11': Virat Kohli

The wounds of the World Test Championship final are yet to heal as India look to extract revenge on New Zealand. After a nail-biting draw in Kanpur, India and New Zealand will once again lock horns at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium for the second and final Test match of the series. A ground that has traditionally been good for the hosts may well dish out a pitch to India's liking once again. The Kiwis too will be eyeing history in a bid to win their first Test series on Indian soil as Test cricket returns to Mumbai after a gap of 5 years.&nbsp;With Mumbai witnessing unseasonal rains for a few days now, the downpours could well affect the outcome of the match. In 25 Test matches at the venue, India have won 11 while they have tasted defeat in seven encounters. In terms of head-to-head record at the venue, both teams have shared the spoils with one win each.&nbsp;&nbsp;History at Wankhede The second Test will only be the third time these two nations battle it out at the iconic venue. India’s 162-run win in 1976 thanks to Sunil Gavaskar’s first innings hundred was enough to overcome a New Zealand team consisting of Richard Hadlee. 12 years later, the Kiwis had their revenge as Dilip Vengsarkar’s side was dismantled by the lethal bowling attack of Hadlee and John Bracewell. Team News Virat Kohli will grab all the headlines as India's Test &amp; ODI captain returns to the national team after a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. Wankhede though has been a happy hunting ground for the Indian skipper as the last time he was here, he smashed a double ton against England in December 2016.&nbsp;The ‘Player of the Match’ from the last game, Shreyas Iyer, is expected to keep his place in the playing XI after becoming the first Indian ever to record a hundred and a fifty on Test debut. It remains to be seen if one of Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara or even vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will make way to accommodate both Kohli and Iyer in the lineup.&nbsp;Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha has overcome a stiff neck and is available for the clash. KS Bharat, who did most of the work behind the stumps due to Saha's injury woes, in all likelihood will sit out.&nbsp;Having picked up 17 out of the 19 wickets to fall, the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel should have been a certainty for this Test. However, Captain Kohli has already hinted that Mumbai weather might end up dictating India's team selection. &nbsp;If India decide to play the extra seamer in the form of Mohammad Siraj, Axar, who picked up a 5-wicket haul in the first innings at Kanpur might have to make way.&nbsp; Not too many changes are expected from the visitors. Off-spinner William Somerville could miss out if the team management decides to go in with three seamers. Left-arm pacer Neil Wagner could get the nod as both Kiwi pacers Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson managed 14 wickets together and trouble the Indian batters. In fact, at one stage in the second innings, they had India reeling at 51/5 before the lower-middle order bailed the hosts out. Although there's not much that separates the two sides, India once again start as favourites. While New Zealand managed to scrape through to a draw in Kanpur, they'd know keeping Virat Kohli's men at bay won't be easy the second time around. Kane Williamson's side though would know that with series still at 0-0, Wankhede presents them with a glorious chance to register their first-ever Test series triumph on Indian soil.Coincidentally, the last time the BlackCaps won a Test in India was at this very venue back in 1988. India though have not lost a Test at Wankhede since England got the better of them in November 2012.&nbsp;&nbsp;A cracking battle awaits us all!&nbsp;Squads India: Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Suryakumar Yadav, Srikar Bharat, Jayant Yadav. &nbsp;New Zealand: Tom Latham, Will Young, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (w), Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William Somerville, Neil Wagner, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra.

Test series on line as captain Virat Kohli returns for Wankhede showdown

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