India dominated Australia on day three of the second Test to win by six wickets after career-best figures from Ravindra Jadeja contributed to the tourists' rapid collapse in the first session.

Australia had appeared well poised as play resumed in Delhi, having edged the first innings by a run and ended the previous day on 61-1.

But hopes of levelling the series swiftly vanished as Pat Cummins' side were all out for 113 by lunch.

A routine chase of 115 was completed before tea, although Jadeja was the obvious star of the show for India with figures of 7-42.

He had removed Usman Khawaja the previous day, but it was Ravichandran Ashwin (3-59) who set in motion a remarkable stretch by having Travis Head (43) caught behind and then trapping Steve Smith.

Smith's partnership of 20 with Marnus Labuschagne would prove Australia's most productive of the day as the number three batsman was the next to go when Jadeja kept the ball low to bowl him for 35.

Ashwin got Matt Renshaw lbw, then Jadeja had Peter Handscomb caught in the slips to signal a drinks break. From the very next ball, the rampant Jadeja bowled Cummins with another low delivery.

Repeated attempts by Australia to sweep played into Jadeja's hands, and he quickly wrapped up the innings with the dismissals of Alex Carey, Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann.

The final eight wickets fell for just 28 runs, and India's batsmen quickly capitalised despite losing KL Rahul in the second over.

Rohit Sharma scored 31, matched by Cheteshwar Pujara in an unbeaten innings as the hosts reached 118-4 inside 27 overs for a 2-0 series lead.

Day of joy for Jadeja

Jadeja's previous best figures had seen him take 7 for 48 against England back in December 2016, but he managed to improve on that stunning performance.

Indeed, the bowler needed only 12.1 overs this time – versus 25 against England – and required little help from his team-mates, bowling five of the six batsmen he removed on Sunday.

Milestone for Kohli

India did not need any heroes with the bat, but Virat Kohli was still able to pass a milestone in scoring 20 before he was stumped by Carey.

That short 31-ball innings took him past 25,000 runs for India across Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

England secured a 1-0 series lead in their two-game Test series in New Zealand with a 267-run victory as the hosts' day four resistance was futile in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.

The Black Caps resumed at 63-5 with an improbable target of 394 after Stuart Broad took four wickets with the pink ball in the third day's evening session, but lost another three inside the first four overs on day four to scupper any hopes of a rally.

New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 126 with Daryl Mitchell (57*) the lone hand for the hosts, as James Anderson took four day-four wickets to finish with 4-18 from 10.3 overs.

Veteran right-arm fast bowler Anderson led the way after Jack Leach got the first breakthrough with Michael Bracewell lobbing to Harry Brook at midwicket for 25.

Anderson claimed the wickets of Scott Kuggeleijn lbw and Tim Southee caught by Joe Root at first slip in successive balls in the next over, before also having a driving Neil Wagner caught behind by Ben Foakes.

Mitchell brought up his sixth Test half-century during a 35-run 10th-wicket partnership with Blair Tickner which lasted almost an hour but merely delayed the end.

Anderson got the final wicket, hitting the top of Tickner's off-stump to round out an emphatic victory before the lunch break.

The second Test is in Wellington starting on Friday.

Anderson and Broad extend record

Anderson and Broad made history on Saturday, breaking Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath's record for the most wickets playing together, which stood at 1,001.

Broad's four wickets on Saturday took them to 1,005, while 40-year-old Anderson's quartet on Sunday extended that further to 1,009.

Brook named best afield

There was no genuine standout performer for England throughout the match, but Brook was named Player of the Match for his scores of 89 and 54.

The honour came in only Brook's fifth Test for England, with his natural talent on display, managing a strike rate of 117.2 across his two innings.

England captain Ben Stokes has overhauled coach Brendon McCullum's record for the most sixes in Test matches, reaching 109 against New Zealand on Saturday.

The all-rounder lifted back-to-back balls from New Zealand bowler Scott Kuggeleijn over the boundary to reach the figure on day three of the teams' first meeting in Mount Maunganui.

Stokes' efforts with the bat saw him pull clear outright of ex-Black Caps batter McCullum, who scored 107 sixes during an illustrious red-ball career.

Stokes achieved the feat in fewer games than his coach, reaching his new total in 90 Tests, compared to 101 for McCullum.

In a further quirk of coincidence, the pair have also scored the exact same number of Test centuries, with a dozen apiece, and have been dismissed for a duck on 14 occasions each.

The duo are also two of only three men's players to reach triple-figures when it comes to sixes in Test match cricket, alongside Australia's Adam Gilchrist, who has 100.

Stokes and McCullum have led a dramatic revival of England's Test fortunes since they took charge last year, leading them to nine wins in 10 Tests ahead of their New Zealand tour.

Ahead of a home Ashes series later this year, the pair have impressed once again in New Zealand, with the tourists holding a 330-run lead at the end of day three at the Bay Oval.

Stuart Broad's riotous 4-21 helped reduce the Black Caps to 63-5 at the close of play, with England having reached 374 all out after half-centuries from Joe Root, Ben Foakes and Harry Brook.

Axar Patel dug India out of trouble with the bat to keep the second Test against Australia finely balanced after two days.

The spinner followed up his 84 from India's innings victory in the first match of the series, this time making 74 in a rearguard action as the hosts fought back from 139-7 to post 262 all out.

That meant Australia held a one-run first-innings lead, with Nathan Lyon taking 5-67, and the tourists reached 61-1 at the close batting for a second time at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

India began the day on 21-0 but soon began to unravel. KL Rahul (17), captain Rohit Sharma (32) and Cheteshwar Pujara (0) departed in the space of three overs, with India sliding from 46-0 to 54-3 as Lyon gobbled up each wicket, bowling Rohit and getting two lbw verdicts.

Shreyas Iyer (4) soon followed, and although Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja added 59 for the fifth wicket, when the latter was dismissed lbw for 26 by Todd Murphy it heralded another collapse. Kohli became the fourth lbw victim of the innings when he fell to Matthew Kuhnemann for 44, and Srikar Bharat (6) did not hang about, leaving Axar and Ravichandran Ashwin with the task of salvaging something.

They proved up to the job, adding 114 for the fourth wicket before Ashwin (37) fell to Pat Cummins with the new ball, a loose delivery down the leg side flicked to Matt Renshaw at square leg. Axar was then caught brilliantly by Cummins off Murphy, ending hopes of a maiden Test century.

Australia, ultimately relieved to avoid a first-innings deficit in this latest instalment of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, then saw Travis Head's 39no help them overcome the early loss of Usman Khawaja (6) before the close.

David Warner will miss the rest of the game due to concussion, and has also suffered a hairline elbow fracture, it was announced earlier in the day.

Lyon closes in

Lyon took his Baggy Green career haul to 496 wickets, putting him on the brink of becoming the sixth Australia bowler to reach 500 at international level. A long-format specialist, some 466 of Lyon's scalps have come in Tests.

With the breakthrough wicket of Rahul, Lyon became the second Australia player to reach 100 wickets in all formats against India, after Brett Lee, who took 111 wickets. This haul also took him to 100 wickets in Border-Gavaskar Trophy matches.

Axar keeps hosts in touch

Axar's innings was a terrific concoction, as he struck three sixes and nine fours before going after another powerful shot and perishing to an exemplary catch from Cummins. He went wicket-less during 12 overs with the ball in Australia's first innings, but this was another reminder he is in the team as a bowling all-rounder.

He made a modest 249 runs in his first 13 Test innings, but has plundered 158 from his last two knocks.

Stuart Broad paid tribute to James Anderson after earning the England pair a place in the record books with a devastating display against New Zealand.

Broad took 4-21 on day three as he bowled four Black Caps top-order batters on Saturday, reducing the home side to 63-5 in their pursuit of 394 for victory in the first Test.

His efforts saw Broad and Anderson move to 1,005 Test wickets in matches where they have lined up in the same England team, going four past the record previously held by Australia greats Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

Broad, 36, and 40-year-old Anderson have proven a remarkable pace partnership for England over the years, having first played on the same Test side at Wellington on a 2008 tour of New Zealand.

Fifteen years on, they remain key cogs in Brendon McCullum's England set-up.

Broad was quick to say Warne and McGrath remain a class apart, but he had fond words for Anderson, describing him as "a great leader to follow".

"It's a special country for us, New Zealand," Broad told BT Sport. "Back in 2008 at Wellington we came into the team together and to go past heroes of mine, growing up, in McGrath and Warne, certainly we're not in the category and quality of those two, they're absolutely heroic in what they did for the game.

"But to be up there and to have taken the amount of wickets with Jimmy – I feel very lucky and blessed to have been born in the same era as Jimmy, because certainly without him I wouldn't have been able to be at the other end taking wickets in the partnership that we've had.

"I've learnt so much from him throughout my career and he's probably the reason I'm still going at 36, in the way that he's done it."

England put up 374 in their second innings at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval, with Joe Root top-scoring with 57 amid a slew of useful scores, with eight batters each contributing at least 25 runs.

Broad said he liked the look of the conditions while observing Tim Southee bowling for New Zealand earlier in the day.

"I saw from Timmy bowling this morning when he rolled his fingers across a few, I saw the nip to Rooty," Broad said. "That was quite encouraging, actually.

"Although the pitch has played pretty true in the day, when the evening's come it's just jagged around a little bit, so my game plan was to try to hit the pitch as hard as I possibly can with the wobble seam, and it's almost the perfect dryness of pitch for my kind of bowling.

"I didn't have to chase too full. I could still bowl it hard into the pitch and bring the stumps into play, and it's always nice when you get a few quality batters out, bowled."

Australia's David Warner is at risk of missing the rest of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series after suffering a double blow.

Warner was on Saturday ruled out of the ongoing second Test against India in Delhi with concussion, with Matthew Renshaw taking his place.

The veteran batter was later revealed to have sustained a fractured elbow.

Both issues arose during the first day of play on Friday, when Warner made 15 from a 44-ball knock in which he was struck on the elbow and helmet.

The latter blow left the 36-year-old with concussion, while the first inflicted a hairline fracture to his left elbow.

Warner did not return for fielding duties on day one and was ruled out on day two.

He is a major doubt for the third Test, which begins in Indore on March 1.

Australia made 263 in their first innings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Stuart Broad's devastating bowling put England within sight of victory in the first Test against New Zealand as he snatched a wickets record from Australia greats Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

Set 394 for victory after England posted 374 in their second innings, New Zealand crumbled to 28-5 at one stage before adding 35 runs without further losses by the close.

In the first innings of this contest at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval, Broad and James Anderson matched Warne and McGrath as the most successful bowling partnership in Test history, with 1,001 wickets between them when playing together.

Broad ensured the England pair would hold that record outright when he bowled four of New Zealand's top order second time around, removing Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson and Tom Blundell.

Blundell made a brilliant 138 in the first innings as New Zealand recovered from 83-5 to reach 306 all out, but he could only manage a single in his second knock of the match before Broad sent the pink ball clattering into his middle stump.

England resumed on 79-2 on Saturday, having lost Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley the previous evening, and nightwatchman Broad soon departed, but Ollie Pope lofted Neil Wagner for two sixes in an over as the tourists' 'Bazball' attacking approach resumed.

Wagner later dismissed Pope for a quickfire 49, but the same bowler continued to come in for the heavy treatment as England's assault continued.

Former captain Joe Root top-scored with 57 before he was caught out when reverse-sweeping. Harry Brook made 54 from just 41 balls, and Ben Foakes weighed in with 51, while skipper Ben Stokes (31) and Ollie Robinson (39) kept the runs flowing.

With New Zealand set a daunting target, Broad made it looked all the more distant when he got to work, bowling Conway in the fourth over to break the Warne-McGrath record.

Bowling to a superb length and with a touch of movement, Broad clattered the stumps of Williamson and Latham in his next two overs, then repeated the trip to dismiss Blundell. Robinson sent Henry Nicholls on his way amid the Broad masterclass, with England having this match in their grasp.

Broad at his best

Broad ended the day with 4-21, taking him to 571 wickets in his 160th Test. He has two six-wicket hauls in New Zealand from past series in 2013 and 2018, and his best bowling figures against the Black Caps remain the 7-44 he took at Lord's, also in 2013. Those hauls could come under threat on Sunday. He and Anderson took their first Test wickets as a pairing on a trip to New Zealand 15 years ago, and they remain the doyens of this England attack. 

England on the front foot thanks to nifty fifties

England's second innings was notable for its lack of an outstanding contribution. Collectively, the score was verging on being ideal, leaving New Zealand with a big run chase. But it was unusual for a team to score so heavily as a unit and Root's 57 to be unsurpassed. Given eight of the team made 25 or more, the absence of a statement individual innings hardly mattered in the end.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad have become the most successful bowling partnership in the history of Test cricket after Broad bowled Devon Conway in England's match against New Zealand on day three.

The late Shane Warne and fellow Australian great Glenn McGrath had previously held the record, having combined for 1,001 wickets during their illustrious careers.

It was a record that looked like potentially standing the test of time, with the two Australia legends retiring 16 years ago.

But the England pair moved level with them on day two of the first Test at Bay Oval on Friday when Anderson took 3-36 and Broad finished with figures of 1-72.

That was their 133rd appearance together – Warne and McGrath reached their total in 104 matches.

The record-breaking wicket came in the fourth over of New Zealand's second innings, with the hosts having been set a target of 394 to chase down for an improbable victory.

Broad left New Zealand at 14-1 after his around-the-wicket delivery snuck through Conway's defence, immediately celebrating with Anderson as the duo were well aware of what they had just accomplished.

Broad went on to bowl Kane Williamson in his next over, making it 14-2 after an Anderson maiden in between.

New Zealand was a fitting location for them to reach the landmark, with the pairing having first teamed up together in Wellington way back in 2008.

Australia were bowled all out by India on the first day of their second Test at Arun Jaitley Stadium, but half-centuries from Usman Khawaja and Peter Handscomb ensured the contest remains in the balance.

The tourists, who trail the four-Test series 1-0 after an innings defeat in Nagpur, managed to reach 263 in Delhi after opener Khawaja made 81 and Handscomb 72 not out.

India skipper Rohit Sharma (13) and KL Rahul (4) guided India to 21-0 at the close of play on Friday to leave them trailing by 242 in the first innings.

Khawaja put on a 50-wicket stand with David Warner (15) for the opening wicket, but Ravichandran Ashwin – who finished with figures of 3-57 – dismissed Marnus Labuschagne (18) and Steve Smith (0) in the space of three balls.

Warner was struck on the helmet and elbow in separate incidents prior to being dismissed cheaply and was later unable to field.

The returning Travis Head could only add 12 runs before Handscomb joined Khawaja to share 59 for the fifth wicket, but the latter was caught by Rahul in the covers, shortly before Alex Carey went for a duck.

Australia were 168-6 at that point, though Handscomb put on another 59 with skipper Pat Cummins, who was sent packing lbw for 33 by Ravindra Jadeja, who also removed Todd Murphy (0) in the same over.

Mohammed Shami returned to remove Nathan Lyon and debutant Matthew Kuhnemann, seeing him finish with figures of 4-60, as Australia were sent packing inside 79 overs.

India managed nine overs in response, with Cummins, Kuhnemann and Lyon unable to remove Rohit and Rahul, who will resume play on Saturday.


Ravindra reaches milestone figure

Jadeja took three wickets in 21 overs to become only the fourth Indian, after Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev and Ravichandran Ashwin, to record 2,500 Test runs and 250 wickets in the format.

It leaves India in a good position to push on and record a third straight Test victory over Australia for the first time since 2013, when winning four in a row against their Border–Gavaskar Trophy rivals.

Khawaja keeps things interesting

After his double failure in the first Test, Khawaja was bold at the start of play in Delhi and his 81 runs came off 125 balls, though he looked devastated when Rahul's leaping one-handed snare denied him a century.

It could have been better for Khawaja and Australia, but it may yet be enough in the grand scheme of things.

"We actually don't know what a good score is on this wicket," the left-handed batter told BT Sport. "If we bowl well, then 260 will be a competitive score.

"There is something in the pitch and plates were moving already when we were batting. Tomorrow will tell the tale of where this game is going."

Tom Blundell frustrated England by making a magnificent century before New Zealand took two wickets under the lights on an enthralling day two of the first Test at Bay Oval.

The Black Caps were in trouble on 83-5 in reply to the tourists' 325-9 declared in Mount Maunganui, but Blundell made a Test-best 138 to get them up to 306 all out.

Devon Conway (77) also batted superbly after being dropped by Zak Crawley when he had only nine runs to his name on day one.

Blundell and Blair Tickner put on 59 for the final wicket before England closed on 79-2 in the day-night Test, leading by 98 after losing openers Ben Duckett and Crawley.

Neil Wagner hung around to make 27 after New Zealand resumed on 37-3 on Friday before falling to Stuart Broad, and the excellent Ollie Robinson (4-54) trapped Daryl Mitchell leg before without scoring.

Conway and Blundell combined for a 75-run stand, but the Black Caps were six down when the opener pulled Ben Stokes to Ollie Pope at square leg, and Jack Leach got in the act by removing Michael Bracewell.

Scott Kuggeleijn chipped in with 20 before Robinson cleaned up the debutant and sent Tim Southee on his way, so it was left for Tickner to dig in and enable Blundell to reach three figures.

Blundell's sublime knock was finally ended when he was caught and bowled by James Anderson (3-36), leaving the England batters a tricky period to bat late in the day.

Duckett (25) and Crawley (28) got starts but fell to Tickner and Kuggeleijn respectively. Broad had a life when Kuggeleijn and Blundell looked at each other rather than going for a catch after being sent in as a 'nighthawk', seeing it through to the close along with Ollie Pope. 

Blundell ensures it is game on

England would have had a substantial lead but for an outstanding innings from Blundell.

He made a fourth Test hundred, having also scored a century against England at Trent Bridge last year.

The wicketkeeper-batter struck 19 fours and a six, spending just over three hours at the crease to keep his team in the game.

Anderson and Broad equal record

Anderson and Broad matched the record set by Australia legends Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath for the most successful bowling partnership in Test history.

The England duo have 1,001 wickets between them when playing together after taking one apiece on day two, and they will surely break new ground in this match.

England's players were delighted with the successful execution of their latest 'Bazball' tactic after declaring on day one of the first Test against New Zealand.

Ben Stokes put New Zealand in to bat after England had reached 325-9 by the 59th over of the first innings.

That gave James Anderson and the England attack the opportunity to get at their hosts under the lights at Bay Oval, their early inroads seeing the Black Caps reduced to 37-3 at stumps, still 288 runs behind.

England's run rate of 5.6 in the first innings was the fourth-highest by any team in a men's Test, but the plan was not always to take the ball by the end of play, according to Harry Brook.

"It just happened like that, to be honest. There was no plan at dinner to declare," Brook said in a news conference.

"Me and Foakesy [Ben Foakes] were still batting together, and if I hadn't got out, the plan would've been the same.

"But because I got out, the plan changed, and Stokesy said if there are two bowlers in at the same time, give them a couple of overs and we'll try and utilise the lights."

Brook, who top-scored with 89, added to talkSPORT: "I think it was a great declaration. To get three wickets there is vital and hopefully we can force a few more early tomorrow."

Ben Duckett finished with 84 runs from just 68 balls and said: "We knew the conditions under lights tonight were going to suit us with the ball, and that was the reason for the declaration.

"We could have easily had five or six [wickets] tonight. Stick two on that in the morning and suddenly they're a long way behind the game and we're in a very good position."

Neil Wagner, who bowled Brook as one of four wickets and was at the crease at the close of play, suggested New Zealand "sort of expected" the declaration.

"We knew they are going to play a positive brand of cricket, and they did," Wagner said. "It's quite exciting for Test cricket."

Wagner added: "After that dinner break, we thought they might come out a little harder, get to the point where they were really trying to up the ante, score as quick as they can and just get us in there."

Pat Cummins does not believe Australia opener David Warner's place at the top of the order is under threat for the second Test against India.

Warner failed twice as the tourists were hammered by an innings and 132 runs in the first match of the Border-Gavaskar series in Nagpur.

The 36-year-old had eased the pressure on himself by scoring a magnificent double century in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at the MCG, and Australia captain Cummins has given his backing to the left-hander.

He said on the eve of the second Test at Arun Jaitley Stadium: "I'm not a selector. I don't think they've had a meeting but I'm sure Davey will be there.

"You saw at the Boxing Day Test when he puts pressure back on the opposition, he's pretty hard to bowl to. You don't get as many bad balls, so he knows that. I'm sure that'd be part of his plan.

"He has been batting really well here. Even in the lead-up, I thought he was fantastic. I know there's a lot of talk about spin bowling through the middle but with that new ball it's sometimes the hardest time to bat as well."

There remains uncertainty over whether paceman Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Cameron Green will be fit to take their place in the side in Delhi on Friday.

The duo have been out with finger injuries and Cummins says the tourists are mulling over their options, with Starc potentially overlooked in favour of a third spinner as Matthew Kuhnemann stands by to make his debut and Ashton Agar awaits his chance.

Asked about playing three spinners, Cummins said: "I think there's a conversation. We'll work that out by the end of today, I hope.

"[Starc] is one of the world's premier bowlers in these types of conditions. We'll see. The wicket looks like it might turn a little bit. I thought last week with two pacers, that attack functioned quite well, but I think whether it's Starcy, another spinner, Scott [Boland], variety in the attack does help."

Cummins said of Green: "Having a right-hander helps and him providing our fifth bowling option also helps. He's a big player. It certainly helps the team function well from batting and bowling.

"You have got to be able to perform as well. He's still coming back from that injury. He's only had [one] session where he's catching with a hard ball. He had a really good session yesterday. We will see how he pulls up."

James Anderson struck twice under the lights to put England on top in the first Test against New Zealand after Ben Stokes declared on day one.

Ben Duckett struck a rapid 84 off only 68 balls and Harry Brook made a majestic 89 from 81 deliveries as the tourists put 325 runs on the board from 58.2 overs before Stokes ended the innings at Bay Oval.

The Black Caps were in trouble on 37-3 at stumps in the day-night match in Mount Maunganui, the outstanding Anderson taking 2-10 after Ollie Robinson got rid of Tom Latham.

Tim Southee asked England to bat first at the start of a two-match series that got under way following great work from the ground staff so soon after Cyclone Gabrielle had passed through.

Southee got rid of Zak Crawley early on with the pink ball, but the aggressive Duckett and Ollie Pope put on 99 for the second wicket.

Duckett fell before lunch when he struck debutant Blair Tickner to Michael Bracewell and Pope was dismissed by Southee (2-71) for 42 before Neil Wagner removed Joe Root (14).

England were 209-5 when Scott Kuggeleijn (2-80) claimed the scalp of Stokes on debut, but Brook raced to a 43-ball half-century as he put on 89 with Ben Foakes in quick time.

Brook missed out on making it four hundreds in as many Tests when he dragged on to a delivery from Wagner, who also saw the back of Foakes (38) and Jack Leach before Stokes declared.

Robinson then had Latham caught at short leg, with Anderson generating movement off the seam and through the air as he trapped Kane Williamson leg before and had Henry Nicholls caught by Crawley in the slips.

Devon Conway was still there at the close after being dropped by Crawley on nine and nightwatchman Wagner did his job, but it was England's day.

 

Duckett and Brook stay in one-day mode

Opener Duckett and Brook have grabbed their chance with both hands after coming into the Test side last year, piling on the runs in a historic 3-0 series win in Pakistan.

Duckett set the tempo at the top of the order, putting the bowlers under pressure as he crashed 14 boundaries in a swashbuckling knock.

Brook then took centre stage once again, showing his class as he found the rope 15 times and struck Tim Southee for a glorious six down the ground.

Anderson puts deadly duo on verge of history

England's legendary duo of Anderson and Stuart Broad came into this match closing in on become the most successful bowling partnership in Test history.

Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath combined to claim 1,001 when they were in the same Australia team.

Two scalps for Anderson moved the evergreen seamer and Broad on to 999, within touching distance of setting a new record.

Mitchell Starc would like to be "further down the road" with his recovery from a finger injury but the Australia quick feels he has a "good chance" of being fit for the second Test against India.

Starc has been out since suffering an injury blow during the victory over South Africa in the Boxing Day Test.

The left-armer joined up with his team-mates in Delhi as they prepare for a second Test that starts at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday following a hammering by an innings and 132 runs in the opener in Nagpur.

Starc's injury has not healed as quickly as he had hoped, but the paceman thinks he could still make his return when the tourists attempt to hit back in the battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

He said: "There's still a fair bit of restriction there. Still lacking a bit of strength having been in a splint for six weeks.

"But it's progressing - not as fast as I would have liked, but it's as planned in terms of the medical stuff. There's a few boxes to tick, but it's on track.

"I'd like to be a little further down the road.

"Still a good chance. It'll come down to how it reacts by the end of the day, how the medical staff see it, how the selectors and Pat [Cummins] and Ronnie [Andrew McDonald] feel about it as well.

"I'll do everything I can to be fully available for selection. Then it's a discussion for the rest of the group involved."

All-rounder Cameron Green is also hoping to make his comeback in the second Test after being sidelined by a broken finger.

Batter Shreyas Iyer is back in the India squad after recovering from a back injury.

England Test captain Ben Stokes hailed his "exciting" bowling options ahead of the first Test of the tour of New Zealand.

Experienced duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been named along with Ollie Robinson for the Bay Oval Test, with Jack Leach providing the option of spin.

After struggling to find enough seam bowlers to field last year when several were out injured, including Jofra Archer, Robinson, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Sam Curran among others, Stokes now has a number to choose from.

And the 31-year-old said at a pre-Test press conference that it bodes well ahead of a busy summer that includes a home Ashes series.

"We've got a great crop of fast bowlers coming through England at the moment and it's exciting," he said. "It's a great place to be in now, considering the first game we had last summer when we probably had only three or four seamers to pick from. I'd rather be in a position where I'm scratching my head about who to pick.

"The one thing I did say to the medical team is just give me eight fast bowlers to choose from. We always want variety in our bowling line-up. We've got Jimmy and Broady with experience and you want some kind of X-factor in there.

"I feel heading into this summer we're in a position where we feel we've got that."

Stone and Matthew Potts were recalled as part of the touring squad, though both missed out on being named in the side for the first Test.

"With Stoney, I think it's great to have him back around the group after a potentially career-ending injury [stress fractures in his back]," Stokes added. "To see him back, bowling quick and bowling aggressively, which is what we want him to do, is great signs for us.

"Pottsy is just going from strength to strength for someone who's not played that much cricket really. I think he proved last summer what a great find he was."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.