Stuart Broad will return when England attempt to keep riding on the crest of a wave at the start of the Test series against New Zealand.

Broad missed a historic 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan to stay at home for the birth of his first child, but Ben Stokes has confirmed the paceman will be back in the team for a first day-night Test that starts at Bay Oval on Thursday.

Olly Stone will miss out as Broad, Anderson and Ollie Robinson have got the nod along with spinner Jack Leach for the pink-ball contest in Mount Maunganui.

Cyclone Gabrielle has affected the preparation for two sides who met in a Test series last year that ended with England celebrating a 3-0 clean sweep. That came at the start of a new era under captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.

England have won nine of their 10 Tests since Stokes and McCullum took charge, while New Zealand have failed to win any of their past five series and also have a recently appointed skipper in Tim Southee.

The Black Caps have not lost a home series in the longest format for almost six years, though, and they will be out for revenge over former New Zealand captain McCullum and Christchurch-born Stokes.

Stokes is determined to carry on getting the best out of his team-mates, with an Ashes series at home to Australia on the horizon.

The all-rounder said: "I'm at a stage now where I would much prefer to leave a mark on other people's careers than look to make mine more established.

"I've played a lot of cricket and done some great things with some great teams over the years. Being captain, I've got a real desire to make the best out of the team I've got here and players who will come in in the future.

"That's one of my goals as England captain: to hopefully let some of these guys in the dressing room here just have an amazing career. If I can influence that in any way shape or form, then I'll be happy."

 

Jamieson blow for Black Caps

New Zealand will have to do without Kyle Jamieson for the two-match series after the paceman suffered a suspected stress fracture of his back.

Left-arm seamer Matt Henry will also be absent for the first Test as he awaits the birth of his first child.

Uncapped duo Jacob Duffy and Scott Kuggeleijn have been called into the squad following the loss of Jamieson and Henry.

Tourists out to end 15-year wait for series win

England have been beaten 1-0 in their past two Test series in New Zealand.

You have to go back to 2008 for the last time they won an away series against the Black Caps in the longest format, when they came from behind to take a 2-1 victory.

Ryan Sidebottom took 7-47 in the first innings of the decider in Napier to set up that win, with McCullum among his victims.

India batter Shreyas Iyer has been passed fit for the second Test against Australia after recovering from a back injury.

Iyer has not played for a month, but is back in contention after completing his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy.

The number one T20 International batter in the world will be hoping to force his way back into the middle order, although he may have to be patient after India hammered the tourists by an innings and 132 runs in Nagpur.

Iyer averages an impressive 56.72 from his seven matches in the longest format.

One player who will not feature in a second Test that starts at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Friday is paceman Jaydev Unadkat, who was released from the squad to play for Saurashtra against Bengal in the Ranji Trophy final.

A resounding victory for India over Pat Cummins side put them 1-0 up in the battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and also enhanced their chance of playing in the World Test Championship final at The Oval in June.

Australia are also on course to secure their place in the showdown in London, leading the race to qualify with India second.

Ben Stokes is prioritising the impact he can have on England's younger players through his captaincy as his in-form side prepare for the first Test against New Zealand.

England have won nine of their first 10 Tests under captain Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, the only blot on the duo's record being a defeat to South Africa, which was swiftly avenged in a 2-1 series success.

As Christchurch-born Stokes returns to the country of his birth in a bid to guide England to their first Test series win in New Zealand since 2008, his focus is on aiding his team-mates' development.

"I'm at a stage now where I would much prefer to leave a mark on other people's careers than look to make mine more established," he told The Guardian.

"I've played a lot of cricket and done some great things with some great teams over the years.

"I think that being captain now, I've got a real desire to make the best out of the team that I've got here and players who will come in in the future.

"That's one of my goals as England captain, to hopefully let some of these guys in the dressing room here just have an amazing career. If I can influence that in any way shape or form, then I'll be happy."

England's aggressive approach has won them plenty of admirers recently, with their last Test series beginning with a record-breaking return of 506 runs on day one of their opener in Pakistan.

While Stokes insists England do not approach matches looking to trouble the record books, he says the freedom given to the team's batsmen has opened new avenues for success. 

"We don't sit down before a series and go 'these records need to be broken'. Attitude and approach is the best way to describe it, and making it very simple, knowing we are going to have to absorb pressure but jumping at the opportunity when we feel it's the right time," Stokes said.

"The batting group have got a huge understanding of what they can do now because we've let them be free, I guess. 

"It's almost like they get themselves in first and second gear, and then all of a sudden they'll go up to fifth because they see an opportunity to pounce and really put teams under pressure.

"Things are going pretty smoothly at the moment but if it doesn't go well, we won't shy away from it. We showed that against South Africa when we got beat. 

"When you fail, it's an opportunity to bounce back and show you're not worried or scared to go out there and try the same thing."

The first of England's two Tests in New Zealand gets under way at Mount Maunganui on Thursday, before they head to Wellington for the second Test a week later.

New Zealand fast bowlers Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry are out of the first Test against England in Mount Maunganui starting Thursday.

Jamieson has been ruled out of the two-game Test series due to a suspected stress fracture in his back, which is a re-occurrence of the same injury that sidelined him last year. 

Henry is unavailable as he has remained in Christchurch for the birth of his first child. The Black Caps are already without left-arm quick Trent Boult due to franchise commitments.

Jamieson has taken 72 wickets in 16 Tests at an impressive average of 19.45, while 31-year-old Henry has claimed 55 wickets in 18 Tests, including 14 in last year's two-game home Test series against South Africa. Jamieson had taken three wickets from 15 overs in last week's two-day tour game against England.

Uncapped duo Jacob Duffy and Scott Kuggeleijn have replaced the fast-bowling pair in the 14-man squad.

"It's really gutting for Kyle to have this happen after he'd put so much hard work in to getting himself back on the park," Black Caps head coach Gary Stead said.

"Since the injury in June we've certainly taken a cautious approach to managing his return with regular monitoring by our medical staff which has included scans. While Kyle's not feeling any pain, the evidence is pretty clear he has a stress fracture and so he'll return to Christchurch today and have a CT scan on Friday before we decide on the next steps.

"Family is always the priority in our environment and that's informed the decision around Matt and his availability for the Test. We wish him and his wife Holly all the best as they await the birth of their first child in Christchurch."

The New Zealand squad will also be bolstered by the arrivals of Tom Blundell and Henry Nicholls on Tuesday.

Blundell recently welcomed his second child, delaying his arrival, while Nicholls had his original flight from Christchurch cancelled due to Cyclone Gabrielle which had impacted the arrivals into camp of numerous players and support staff.

New Zealand have not lost a home Test series to England since 2008. The Black Caps lost a three-game Test series in England last year 3-0.

New Zealand are struggling to piece their team together ahead of the first Test against England, with Cyclone Gabrielle impacting several players' travel plans.

Five players from New Zealand's 14-man squad, as well as three support staff, are yet to arrive at Mount Maunganui ahead of the start of the first Test on Thursday.

Cyclone Gabrielle's impact on New Zealand's North Island has led some areas to declare a state of emergency, with over 46,000 homes losing power and hundreds of flights being cancelled.

The Black Caps trained indoors at Bay Oval on Monday in a bid to avoid the worst of the weather conditions, with strong winds and heavy rain expected to continue in the build-up to the opener.

Henry Nicholls, Blair Tickner and Will Young are among those yet to meet up with their team-mates ahead of the two-match series, leaving head coach Gary Stead's plans in flux.

"We've got a number of players that are still arriving here at the moment, the cyclone that's happening at the top of the North Island has had a wee bit of an impact on travel for some people," Stead said.

"It's disappointing the weather is the way it is, but there's a lot of people up at the top of the North Island who are a lot worse off than us.

"Originally we were planning to have an evening training session but we managed to get in a touch earlier. 

"We were just worried that the winds might get up to such a point that we wouldn't be able to train later on."

England arrived in New Zealand having won nine of their 10 Tests under head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, and Stead has admiration for their aggressive style.

"I think it's great what Brendon and Ben have done with this English team," he said. "They've managed to take a team that was really struggling and turn it into something now that's probably the talking point of world cricket.

"But I think what each team has to do is work out is what becomes really unique to them and natural for the way that they play."

James Anderson hailed the depth of bowling talent available to England ahead of the first Test in New Zealand, saying the presence of Matthew Potts and Olly Stone is keeping him on his toes.

England will attempt to continue their outstanding form under head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes across a two-match series in New Zealand this month, having won nine of their last 10 Tests.

England bolstered their seam attack by recalling Potts, Stone and Stuart Broad for the trip to McCullum's homeland, with Mark Wood and Rehan Ahmed rested after starring in last year's 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan.

With Jofra Archer also impressing on his long-awaited ODI return after an injury-ravaged few years, Anderson is in awe at the options available to England.

"To be able to bring these guys [Potts and Stone] back into the squad after having Mark Wood in Pakistan, and with Jofra getting back fit, it feels like we're building up a real good bank of fast bowlers that will be able to win games in any conditions anywhere in the world," Anderson told The Guardian.

"I think whether they're young or old, guys always keep you on your toes. Broady's keeping me on my toes, we're pushing each other in the nets all the time.

"At the minute, Ollie Robinson is probably one of the best bowlers in the world, for me. 

"He just doesn't miss, can swing it both ways, nips it, gets bounce – he's comfortably the one bowler that the guys don't want to face in the nets here. Everyone keeps you on your toes and it keeps those standards really high."

England have not won a Test series in New Zealand since 2007-08, when a 26-year-old Anderson tore through the hosts' top five in Wellington to kick-start their comeback in a 2-1 triumph.

Anderson was invited to play for Auckland against Wellington in the State Championship ahead of that impressive outing in the second Test, a decision criticised by several members of the New Zealand team – including McCullum – for enabling the England man to find form. 

"It was amazing for me. It turned out to be a very good decision. I bowled a lot of overs. I didn't set the world alight but it got me into a good rhythm to play the next Test," Anderson recalled.

"Baz brought that up the other day. He was fuming at the time! Apparently the whole New Zealand team were fuming with Auckland. It was huge for both of us.

"And not just the way we played, but with [Matthew] Hoggard and [Steve] Harmison having been such a massive part of England's success – the 2005 Ashes and Harmy being number one in the world at one point. 

"Them being the senior bowlers and us taking their places gave us so much confidence to go on and try and emulate them. We never looked back."

The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the third Test in Dharamsala of the four-game India-Australia series has been relocated to Indore due to the ground being fit.

A potential switch had previously been mooted, with reports that the outfield at Dharamsala's Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium was not ready after being re-laid.

The BCCI confirmed the move on Monday for the third Test due to commence on March 1.

"Owing to harsh winter conditions in the region, the outfield lacks sufficient grass density and will need some time to develop fully," the BCCI statement said.

The schedule remains the same, with the Test starting on March 1, but to be played at Holkar Stadium in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, roughly 600 kilometres north-east of Mumbai.

India lead the series 1-0 after a comprehensive first Test triumph in Nagpur, winning by an innings and 132 runs inside three days.

India and Australia face a major change to their series itinerary, with the third Test reportedly set to be moved from Dharamsala owing to pitch concerns.

The penultimate encounter in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy contest is scheduled to take place between March 1 and March 5 at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.

But the fixture looks set to be relocated, with Bengaluru or Visakhapatnam potentially in line to stage the game.

The Times of India quoted an unnamed source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India as saying the outfield in Dharamsala was not ready after being relaid.

Australia's last visit for a Test to Dharamsala came in March 2017, when India clinched a 2-1 series victory with an eight-wicket triumph over the tourists.

The hosts are already one up in the current series, after racing to an innings-and-132-run win inside three days in Nagpur.

Pat Cummins' touring side will hope to level matters when the second Test rolls around, with the game set to start in Delhi on Friday.

India, meanwhile, have announced the departure of Jaydev Unadkat from their squad ahead of the second Test, allowing him to play in Thursday's Ranji Trophy final for Saurashtra.

The West Indies hold a slight advantage against Zimbabwe at stumps on Sunday’s first day of the second Test at Bulawayo.

Gudakesh Motie took career-best Test figures on Sunday to help the West Indies dismiss Zimbabwe for 115 after lunch on the first day of the second Test at Bulawayo.

England seamer Ollie Robinson says Test cricket is entertaining enough without "gimmicky" day-night matches.

A two-match series between England and New Zealand is scheduled start at Bay Oval on Thursday, although the pink-ball match could be under threat due to Cyclone Gabrielle.

Robinson has enjoyed success under the lights in day-night encounters, but the 29-year-old would clearly rather be starting earlier in Mount Maunganui.

"It's a bit gimmicky," he said. "They're trying to get crowds and change the game a little bit. But the way England are playing Test cricket at the moment, I don't think that needs to happen.

"We could stick to how we're going and we're entertaining people as we are so I'm not sure if it's necessary really.

"Just traditional Test cricket – there's nothing wrong with it to start with. I don't think we need to play these pink-ball games."

Heavy rain and high winds is set to hamper England's preparation for the first Test, but Robinson says they will be ready to go regardless. 

"We are well aware it could be tricky to get out there [to practice[," he said/

"If we don't train before Thursday I feel we've had good preparation and we're ready to go."

Robinson is relishing the challenges to come in a year that will see Ben Stokes' in-form side attempt to regain the Ashes by beating Australia on home soil.

"I think it's probably the biggest year of my career now," he said. "It's an exciting year and I think with the group and the environment we've got it's going to be amazing.

"The memories that we're going to create and hopefully the Test match wins we're going to do. I'm really looking forward to it."

Uncapped spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has been called up to the Australia squad ahead of the second Test against India in the absence of Mitchell Swepson.

Swepson, who did not feature in a crushing innings-and-132-run defeat in the first Test in Nagpur, has decided to fly home as his wife is due to give birth.

Left-arm tweaker Kuhnemann could make his Test debut at the age of 26 when the tourists set about trying to level the four-match series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday.

The 26-year-old, who made his ODI bow against Sri Lanka last June, has only played 13 first-class matches for Queensland but may get the nod in Delhi.

He said after playing for Queensland against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield: "I was just lucky enough that my passport was in my bag.

"I watched every day [of the first Test] just being such a fan. These series are so good to watch. Todd Murphy was exceptional and sort of watched how [Ravindra] Jadeja bowled. So just really excited to get over there.

"I was fortunate enough to stay with the Test guys and bowl to them in the nets in Sri Lanka so that's still pretty fresh in my memory. I learned heaps just being over there for a couple of months. If I got the opportunity I'd like to think I'd be okay."

India all-rounder Jadeja was named player of the match after taking 5-47 in the first innings and 2-34 as Australia were skittled out for only 91 on day three of a one-sided first Test, while he also made 70 with the bat.

The performance of spinner Murphy, who claimed 7-124 on debut, was one huge positive in a dismal start to the tourists' bid to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Pat Cummins defended Australia's team selection and sees no reason to "reinvent the wheel" after they suffered a humiliating defeat in the first Test against India.

The tourists were hammered by an innings and 132 runs on day three at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, where they were bowled out for only 91 in their second innings.

That was their lowest Test total in India, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin doing the bulk of the damage in Nagpur on Saturday with figures of 5-37.

Eyebrows were raised when batter Travis Head was omitted from the side for the opening Test, with Peter Handscomb and Matt Renshaw preferred to a left-hander who is the number-four ranked Test batter in the world.

Renshaw and Handscomb failed to make their mark in the middle order, but Australia captain Cummins has no regrets over the team that was picked.

The fast bowler said: "We were confident it was our best 11 this week. We know the quality Trav is. He's a huge part of this team but we were confident in the 11 guys out there.

"He's been really good around the group. He's been out the back working really hard on his game like he always does."

Mitchell Starc is set to return for the second Test in Delhi after recovering from a finger injury, but doubts remain over fellow quick Josh Hazlewood (Achilles) and all-rounder Cameron Green (broken finger).

"Starcy lands today or tomorrow into Delhi," Cummins said. "I think Joshy might not quite be ready for Delhi. He's getting up and running now, he's pretty close, but I don't think he'll be quite ready for Delhi.

"Greeny's a bit of a wait-and-see. We're still hoping. He's had a couple of good hits out here. His bowling is pretty good, so over the next couple of days we'll assess it."

Australia remain on course to play in the World Test Championship final, with India potentially their opponents at The Oval in June, so Cummins is not reaching for the panic button after a crushing loss.

He said: "I think sometimes it's almost easier to put those kind of losses behind you. You are looking at small margins. You have to have a hard look at your game and the big strides you need to change to give yourself the best chance next week.

"We've had a really good run in the last 12 months. There hasn't been many losses in that changing room. I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel. It's just tweaking different approaches to how we play and maybe particular methods."

Meanwhile, India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja – the player of the match in Nagpur – has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee by the International Cricket Council and given one demerit point for applying soothing cream to his finger without permission from the umpires on day one.

Rohit Sharma explained it takes an "unorthodox" approach to bat well on Indian pitches after he led his team to a big victory against Australia.

India won the first Test on Saturday after establishing a healthy first innings lead before bowling the tourists out for just 91 to win by an innings and 132 runs.

Australia could not handle the bowling of Ravichandran Ashwin in particular, with the spinner taking 5-37 in the second innings on a Nagpur surface that favoured spinners throughout.

In total, 24 of the 30 wickets to fall came via spin, but Rohit – who scored 120 in India's innings – detailed his approach to dealing with the conditions in his home country.

"The last few years the kind of pitches we have been playing in India, you've got to have application, a clear mindset and some sort of plan about how you want to go about and get those runs," he said at the post-match presentation.

"Since I started opening the batting, I have tried to figure out what can threaten me when I'm batting and working out my methods of scoring runs. I have grown up playing a lot in Mumbai on surfaces which turn a lot.

"I feel you need to be unorthodox as well, you need to use your feet, you need to get to the pitch of the ball, and at the same time try and put pressure on the bowler as well.

"You can't let the bowler bowl six balls on the spot, you've got to try and do something different, and that something different can be your way of doing it, whether it's stepping down the ground, sweeping, reverse sweeping, going over the top.

"There are so many things that you can do, and it's important when you play on pitches like that, you need to understand what is your strength, what are the things you can do and not look at anyone else. I tried to figure out what are things I can do, and I just try and go and apply myself out in the middle."

The win cements India's place in second place in the ICC World Test Championship, with it looking increasingly likely they will face Australia again in the final in June.

India now have a points percentage of 61.67, behind Australia in first (70.83 per cent) but ahead of third-placed Sri Lanka (53.33 per cent), and they will seal their place in the final with two more wins from the remaining three Tests in this series.

Rohit was pleased with the manner of the victory, saying: "It was the start of the series, very important [for] where we stand in the championship table, it was important for us to start well.

"We know when you're playing a series like this it's important to start well, and I was happy that I could put up a performance which could help the team."

Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee and given one demerit point for applying soothing cream to his finger during India's hammering of Australia in the first Test.

Jadeja was named player of the match on his return following knee surgery after taking 5-47 on day one before making 70 with the bat and claiming 2-34 as the tourists folded to 91 all out in their second innings.

Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers with 5-37 on day three, securing a crushing victory for India by an innings and 32 runs at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced after India took a 1-0 lead in the four-match series that Jadeja has been sanctioned for an incident on day one in Nagpur.

An ICC statement said: "India spin bowler Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the first Test against Australia in Nagpur on Thursday.

"Jadeja was found to have breached Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to displaying conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.

"In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Jadeja's disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.

"The incident occurred in the 46th over of Australia’s first innings, when Jadeja applied a soothing cream to a swelling on the index finger of his bowling hand without asking for permission to do so from the on-field umpires.

"Jadeja admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

"In reaching his decision to sanction the player along with the Level 1 sanction he imposed, the Match Referee was satisfied that the cream was applied to the finger purely for medical purposes. The cream was not applied as an artificial substance to the ball and consequently it did not change the condition of the ball, which would have been in breach of clause 41.3 of the ICC playing conditions – Unfair Play – The Match Ball – Changing its Condition.

"On-field umpires Nitin Menon and Richard Illingworth, third umpire Michael Gough and fourth umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan levelled the charge."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.