Australia's Steve Smith is back on top of the list of batsmen in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings after India captain Virat Kohli could manage only 21 runs in his two innings in the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington, which his side lost by 10 wickets to concede a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. This is the eighth time that Smith is on top of the rankings after first occupying the top position in June 2015.

The early overs used to be all about Smriti Mandhana but India's star opener says she feels relieved of pressure thanks to the emergence of teenage prodigy Shafali Verma. There's been no hesitation from Verma in making a name for herself on the global stage, the 16-year-old having scored 68 runs across two games, including five sixes and seven fours, at an impressive strike rate of 212.

The Indian batsmen will get a liberal dose of chin music in the second Test at the seamer-friendly Hagley Oval, senior New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner declared on Wednesday, harping on the visitors' struggles when faced with pace and bounce. With India troubled by short balls bowled from round the wicket, the 33-year-old Wagner promised that they will employ the same strategy during the second match starting Saturday.

Trent Boult and Tim Southee have exposed the chinks in Prithvi Shaw's armour but India captain Virat Kohli is ready to wait and watch before any corrective analysis as he does not see a pattern in the young opener's dismissals so far. There are a few shortcomings that experts have noticed in Shaw's batting after the 20-year-old right-handed batsman scored just 16 and 14 in the two innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington, which India lost by 10 wickets.

Former ICC and BCCI president Sharad Pawar said politics should not be brought into sports and the administrators' only aim should be to help sportsperson and provide them the best of facilities.

When India lost the Wellington Test by 10 wickets, was it the worst defeat for Virat Kohli's team? Rajneesh Gupta has the answers.

English all-rounder Ben Stokes was given a royal honour at the Buckingham Palace after he guided his side to the ICC World Cup triumph last year. Along with Stokes, Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan, coach Trevor Bayliss, and Joe Root also received the honours as part of the New Year's Honours List.

Former India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who recently drew curtains on his international career, is keen to compete in T20 Leagues abroad and will seek the Board of Control for Cricket in India's permission for exploring the options.

Australia, who host the T20 World Cup from October 18 to November 15, had won eight games in a row before losing to South Africa by 12 runs in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.

Virat Kohli was named in the Asia XI squad to take on a Faf du Plessis-led World XI in next month's Bangabandhu 100-year celebration three-match T20 International series in Dhaka.

Dhoni is expected to practice for a couple of weeks with the likes of Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu among others

Michael Vaughan mocked the President of the United States, Donald Trump over him mispronouncing Sachin Tendulkar's name.

New Zealand's drubbing of India was hailed as one of their best in Black Caps' history by the media.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead, on Tuesday, said he was a bit surprised by India's abject surrender in the first Test but is expecting a strong comeback in Christchurch.

BCCI's general manager of cricket Saba Karim had said the limited use of DRS was always planned for the Ranji Trophy semifinals and not from the knockout stages.

Virat Kohli said India would not go into their shells as they prepared for the series-deciding game at Hagley Oval from Feb. 29.

Jimmy Neesham had a crackling observation to make and said that why someone should be hated just on the basis of mispronunciation when there can be more solid reasons to hate the same person.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead expected India would be more competitive in the second match in Christchurch.

Kyle Jamieson said he believed he was capable of rapid improvement in both speed and general performance.

The Motera stadium in Ahmedabad dominated the headlines as it is set to become the world's largest cricket stadium.

Shafali Verma smashed a 17-ball 39, including four sixes, to steer India to 142 to six

A round-up of Ranji Trophy matches played on Monday.

Trump gave a special mention to Indian cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli

Images from ICC Women's T20 World Cup opener between Australia and India, in Perth, on Monday

Images from ICC Women's T20 World Cup opener between Australia and India, in Perth, on Monday

Sachin Tendulkar achieved the feat against South Africa in Gwalior. He scored runs at a brisk pace and went on to register a double century off just 147 balls.

New Zealand pace spearheads exploited a tricky Basin Reserve wicket to bowl India out for under 200 twice with Jamieson's height and delivery angle providing plenty of problems.

Fit-again India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is attempting to make his comeback by taking part in the D Y Patil T20 tournament, starting in Mumbai, on Monday. Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are also on their road to recovery after sustaining injuries.

Oman's Yousuf Abdulrahim Al Balushi has been banned from cricket for seven years due to match-fixing offences, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Monday. Al Balushi was found guilty of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code on four counts relating to Twenty20 World Cup qualifiers held in the United Arab Emirates last year.

After New Zealand thrashed India by ten wickets in the first Test in Wellington on Monday, former cricketer VVS Laxman said the visitors were outplayed in all departments. This was New Zealand's 100th Test match win, while on the other hand World No 1 India suffered their first defeat in the ICC World Test Championship.

Virat Kohli isn't unduly perturbed by his relatively low run of scores on the ongoing tour of New Zealand. India's premier batsman feels analysing too much can unnecessarily clutter his mind.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said forgetting about results and getting the simple things right helped his side recover from the 3-0 drubbing by Australia to beat India, the world's top ranked Test side, by 10 wickets on Monday.

India's captain Virat Kohli, speaking after the 10-wicket defeat in the first Test, says he is not too concerned with his batsmen, as technically they were all sound and able to deal with New Zealand's attack.

The batsmen's inadequacies in adverse conditions were laid bare as India crashed to an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat against a ruthless New Zealand side that wrapped up the opening Test in just over three days, in Wellington, on Monday. Starting the day on 144 for four, India were all out for 191 in 81 overs in their second innings, a shade better after their dismal 165 in the first innings, which eventually proved decisive.

India's captain Virat Kohli said the toss turned out to be very important in the first Test which New Zealand won by ten wickets on Monday, Day 4, in Wellington.

Tim Southee picked up five wickets as India suffered another batting failure to lose the opening Test against New Zealand by 10 wickets, on Day 4, in Wellington, on Monday. Needing just nine runs for the win, New Zealand eased to victory in just 1.4 overs to finish the game with one full day and a half to spare and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

A round-up of Ranji Trophy matches played on Sunday.

Ishant picked up his 11th five-wicket haul to help India bowl out New Zealand for 348 in their first innings.

Allan Jones is visually challenged since birth but he still turns up to take his designated seat whenever there is a Test match at the Basin Reverse.

Feels wonderful to see Ranveer, Deepika play us: Romi Dev

Trent Boult revealed his gameplan against Kohli after third day's play

Virat Kohli's split second indiscretion became his undoing as he went for a needless pull-shot to a well-disguised short ball.

India ended the third day at 144 for 4 in their second innings and still trail New Zealand's first innings score by 39 runs.

Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav's magical spell helped India beat Australia by 17 runs in the tournament opener on Friday but the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side can't afford to take Bangladesh lightly as their eastern neighbours had beaten them twice in the 2018 T20 Asia Cup.

Mayank Agarwal scored his fourth Test half-century as India inched to 78-2 at tea on the third day of Trent Boult followed up his counter-attacking cameo innings of 38 to take three wickets, including that of Virat Kohli, to put New Zealand on top against India at the end of the third day of the first test on Sunday. Trent Boult followed up his counter-attacking cameo innings of 38 to take three wickets, including that of Virat Kohli, to put New Zealand on top against India at the end of the thi

Colin de Grandhomme, Kyle Jamieson and Trent Boult counter-attacked to help New Zealand post 348 at lunch on the third day of the first Test after India's pace bowlers had grabbed two early wickets. Images from Day 3 of the first Test between New Zealand and India in Wellington, on Sunday.