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Afghanistan are closing in on playing their maiden Test, and are in talks with Zimbabwe for a full series later this year. The series is likely to be hosted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). Afghanistan were conferred Test status by the ICC in June earlier this year.ESPNcricinfo understands the series is likely to comprise one Test, five ODIs and between two to three T20Is. With Afghanistan not in a position to host cricket at home, the ACB is looking at hosting the series either in India or the UAE.It is understood that Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) sent an e-mail to the ACB last week giving an in-principle nod. Both boards will take a final decision once ZC finalises the dates of the scheduled tri-series in Bangladesh, which, as per the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), is to be played between January-February next year. Ideally, ZC wants to play Afghanistan in the UAE and then travel to Bangladesh.If the plans materialize, it will give Afghanistan a significant boost, after they have hopped into the top echelons of international cricket since gaining ODI status in 2009.During this period, Afghanistan registered memorable results, including three consecutive limited-overs series victories against Zimbabwe before recently drawing the ODI series in West Indies in June.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Lahore Qalandars came close to overturning their poor start in the tournament, only to falter in a chase of 160 that had been set up by a Powerplay where they blitzed 68 runs. Captain and opening batsman Brendon McCullum made his first score of greater than 40 in the PSL, but a slide engineered by Shahid Afridi, with support from Imad Wasim, ensured that Qalandars’ slim middle order were put under enough pressure to fall short by 27 runs. Left-arm seamer Usman Khan cleaned up the lower order to hand Karachi Kings their third win in as many games.Having elected to bat, Karachi had three successful phases in their innings. However, the phases were separated by two collapses. Opener Joe Denly led a brutal start to the innings. After surviving an lbw decision – on field and then on review – he carted fast bowler Shaheen Afridi for a six over long-on that measured 104 metres.The introduction of Yasir in the Powerplay did pay off for Lahore though when he got Denly to top-edge a pull. Mustafizur Rahman trapped Babar Azam lbw off the next ball, extended that start into a wicket-maiden, and by the time Sunil Narine was halfway through his first over, Karachi Kings had fallen to 36 for 3. A fifty-run stand followed, but another collapse ensued and they fell from 86 for 3 to 117 for 7. However, Ravi Bopara, in the company of Mohammad Irfan Jr. sparked a late surge that lifted them to 159.Lahore lost Narine for a first-ball duck, which offset their decision to push Fakhar Zaman to No. 3 in order to bolster the middle order. The left-hander did make a contribution in the Powerplay as he is wont to do, but when both him and McCullum were dismissed playing reverse sweeps, Karachi Kings latched onto the opening and completed the job. They’ve now taken 28 wickets in three matches.Joe Denly hits down the ground•Pakistan Super League

Where it was wonKarachi had two distinct moments that gave them the victory in a match where they were constantly battling to stay ahead. After collapsing a second time, they were seven down in 18 overs, but Bopara and Irfan Jr. didn’t let that change in momentum cost their team. With three sixes and a four in the last two overs, they stretched the score from 128 to 159. Ten runs fewer could have made a difference to Lahore, whose strategy was to play the spinners out and make up against pace.The strategy might have worked too, had it not been for the second moment. Denesh Ramdin, brought into the side to give the spinners more confidence through his keeping abilities, was also meant to play the finisher’s role in the middle order. Just when he decided to take on Irfan Jr., he ended up slapping a cut forcefully, only for Denly to leap to his right and take the catch of the tournament at backward point. That was the end for Lahore.The men that won itAfridi hit his first ball for six today, but was dismissed next ball with more than three overs to go. With the ball, however, he sychted through Lahore’s middle order. After getting 68 in the Powerplay, they only managed 38 runs in the next six overs, losing four wickets in the process. Three of these were to Afridi, who conceded only 19.Moment of the matchShaheen Afridi was among the most expensive bowlers in the game, but he has reason to remember it. Colin Ingram had been the more adventurous batsman during his partnership with Bopara. Once the pair had stabilised the innings with their fifty-run stand, Ingram looked to lift the scoring rate with a slog sweep. He ended up getting too far under it and lifted it high towards deep midwicket where Shaheen had it covered. In the end though, it seemed like he wasn’t sure of keeping his balance and completing this catch. Instead, he used his height to dab the ball back into play while lifting off the ground like a volleyball player, and found Umar Akmal had come to his aid from long-on. With an exaggerated tumble, Akmal grabbed hold of the lob and completed the catch.Where they standThe result didn’t affect the standings. It was Karachi’s third win in a row and they continue to lead the table. On the flip side, Lahore’s third loss in a row makes their situation even more dire at the bottom of the table.

Ben Stokes has expressed his delight at being able to resume the “honour” of playing for England after he was made available for selection, following a meeting of the ECB Board, despite being charged with affray on Monday in relation to the incident outside a Bristol nightclub on September 25.Stokes, who was charged along with two other men, is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates Court to at a date still to be confirmed. He had been withdrawn from England duty after the incident in September, which followed an ODI against West Indies in the city, and missed the end of that series plus the recent Ashes and the five-match ODI series in Australia.However, he has now been cleared to return to action for the T20 Tri-Series against Australia and New Zealand that gets underway in February.On Wednesday evening, Stokes responded to the development on Twitter saying he “can’t wait” to get back on the field for England although his exact return could yet depend on the date of his initial court appearance.”Representing my country is one of the greatest things that I’ve ever been lucky enough to do, walking out on to the field with the England shirt on is a privilege and a honour,” Stokes tweeted. “I’m extremely delighted to be given this opportunity to do this again. I can’t wait to get back out on a pitch with the 3 Lions on my chest and feeling that pride that we all get and giving everything for the team.”An ECB statement said: “Following a full Board discussion, in which all considerations were taken into account, the ECB Board has agreed that Ben Stokes should now be considered for England selection”Given the CPS decision to charge him and two others with affray, confirmation of his intention to contest the charge and the potential length of time to trial, the Board agreed that it would not be fair, reasonable or proportionate for Ben Stokes to remain unavailable for a further indeterminate period.”To date, Stokes has been unavailable for selection throughout the Police and CPS process around the incident in Bristol in September, a period which has included One-Day Internationals against West Indies, the Ashes tour and the start of the ODI series against Australia.”ECB fully respects the legal process and the player’s intention to defend himself against the charge.”England selectors, management and players have been informed and Ben Stokes is expected to join the squad in New Zealand for February’s T20 matches.”ECB confirmed in December that the independent Cricket Discipline Commission [CDC] would stay the internal disciplinary process for both Alex Hales and Ben Stokes until the conclusion of court proceedings relating to the incident.”Shortly after the charge was confirmed, Stokes issued a statement saying he was keen for the opportunity to clear his name but wanted to focus on cricket.”I want to thank all those who have continued to support me in relation to the Bristol incident, not least my family, friends, fans and teammates,” Stokes said. “I gave a full and detailed account of my actions to the police on day one – the same day as the incident – and have cooperated at each step of the police inquiry.”I am keen to have an opportunity to clear my name but, on advice, the appropriate time to do this is when the case comes to trial. The CPS’ decision to charge me, as well as Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale, at least means that my account of what happened that night can come out in court and be made public. Until then, my focus is very much on cricket.”The incident occurred outside the Mbargo nightclub in the Clifton area of Bristol in the early hours of the morning after England’s one-day international against West Indies on September 24, and resulted in one of those involved suffering a broken eye socket.As well as Stokes’ short-term England position, there is also the impact on his potential IPL involvement. He is expected to be highly sought-after in the auction at the end of the month, although franchise owners have told ESPNcricinfo that they need some clarity on his situation following the laying of charges.

Bangladesh were “nowhere near their best,” said Shakib Al Hasan, as they succumbed to a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of India in the Champions Trophy semi-final at Edgbaston.They were progressing well at 154 for 2 with Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal well set with more than 20 overs left. But the introduction of Kedar Jadhav’s part-time offspin created “panic” in the batsmen who, in Shakib’s words, “played some silly shots” to be knocked over for 264.Shakib dismissed the idea that inexperience was to blame, pointing out that the players Jadhav dismissed were among the most seasoned in the Bangladesh side.”The way we performed today was very disappointing,” Shakib said. “We were in a good position to get 320 or 330. The batsmen were looking good to make individual hundreds and get us to 320.”But India bowled a few dot balls. And because it was a part-time bowler, the batsmen tried to score more runs and in doing that, they lost wickets. Losing two wickets to an occasional bowler obviously didn’t help. And from there on they kept on bowling in good areas and that put us under a lot of pressure.”We have played enough games to know these things happen. We are all experienced people. Bowlers bowl good balls and sometimes you can’t score runs. It doesn’t mean you panic and play big shots and get out. We played some silly shots. And on this wicket, a score of 260 or 270 is not even par.”In that situation, it was important for them to bat another five or 10 overs, like the way I did with Mahmudullah against New Zealand. If they could have batted until the 40th over, both would have scored their hundreds and we might have made 330 or 340.”That was the game-changing period. It is disappointing. Playing in a semi-final is a big thing for us but we were nowhere near our best.”Shakib wasn’t overly impressed with Bangladesh’s performance in the field, either. While he accepted the batsman had made life “very hard” for the bowlers with an inadequate total, he was disappointed by their response.”We have a solid bowling line-up,” he said. “But there isn’t much help for the bowlers on these wickets unless you are a super quality bowler. Most of our bowlers need a little bit of help from the wicket, but we haven’t been getting any. I haven’t taken any wickets in the tournament.”With our total and that wicket, we knew it was very hard for our bowlers. But still I think we were nowhere near our best in our bowling and fielding.”Shakib insisted there were no divisions in the squad, though, and suggested that the team would learn from the experience.”It’s a group,” he said. “It’s nothing individual. We play as a team, we win as a team and we lose as a team.”Now we have time to regroup and come back strongly. We’ve come a long way and from here we can only go forward. We will have a good break and think how we can move forward.”

Netherlands captain Peter Borren, 34, has retired from international cricket with immediate effect. Pieter Seelaar, the 30-year old left-arm spinner, will take over the captaincy. Jeroen Smits, the former Netherlands wicketkeeper, has been appointed the new team manager.The Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB) paid tribute via a press release issued on Wednesday evening. Though Borren is only 34, the KNCB’s press release said a “mutual decision” was reached between Borren and the selectors, with an eye towards building a squad for the 2020 World T20 and 2023 World Cup.Borren had been captain since July 2010, when he took over the role from Smits. Among teams that currently have at least ODI status, the only players with longer ongoing captaincy reigns are Ireland’s William Porterfield, and Nepal’s Paras Khadka.Borren last featured for Netherlands in the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe in March, where he could manage just 52 runs in six innings and passed double-figures just once. Netherlands won just once in the group stage, failing to reach the Super Sixes, before bouncing back with two wins over Hong Kong and Nepal in the playoffs to finish seventh.Born in New Zealand, Borren was the leading wicket-taker for the country at the 2002 Under-19 World Cup, where he played alongside Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder, Neil Broom, Rob Nicol and Michael Bates. Three months after the tournament, he began his first season in the Dutch Hoofdklasse for VRA, eventually settling for good in his adopted homeland.After completing the four-year residency requirement under ICC eligibility guidelines, Borren made his Netherlands debut against Denmark in June 2006, and his ODI debut a month later against Sri Lanka. He ended his career with a total of 58 ODIs and 43 T20Is across 12 years, making him the most capped player in both formats for Netherlands. He is one of just four Dutch batsmen to score 1000 runs in ODIs, and is their third highest wicket-taker in the format, behind Mudassar Bukhari and Ryan ten Doeschate. In T20Is, he in their third-highest scorer with 638 runs at 19.33, just 24 behind current leader Wesley Barresi. Borren’s replacement as captain, Seelaar, debuted in 2006, the same year as Borren, and has represented Netherlands in 37 ODIs and 39 T20Is.Borren played a huge part in Netherlands establishing themselves as a thorn in England’s side at the World T20. His 30 off 25 balls in a 50-run stand alongside Tom de Grooth while chasing 163 propelled Netherlands to a famous win over England on the opening day of the 2009 tournament at Lord’s. Under Borren’s captaincy, Netherlands repeated the feat in Bangladesh in 2014, where they won by 45 runs in Chittagong.But perhaps Borren’s finest hour came earlier in the same tournament, in a stunning chase against Ireland. Needing to get 190 in 14.2 overs to pip Ireland on the net-run-rate tiebreaker for a Super 10 spot, Borren promoted himself to open, and produced an inspired effort, his 15-ball 31 setting the tone for a stirring victory.That win was particularly meaningful as it came just two months after one of the biggest lows in Dutch cricket, when a loss to Kenya at the World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand resulted in the loss of ODI status, and broke their streak of three consecutive World Cup appearances. The sting of that defeat could have crippled Dutch cricket, with a reduction in ICC funding resulting in the downsizing of central contracts. Instead, it chastened them to work harder to climb back up the world rankings.Borren was reduced to tears after Netherlands’ triumph in the 2015-17 World Cricket League Championship in December: the conclusion of three years of hard work to reclaim ODI status, and a spot in the upcoming 13-team ODI league, beginning in 2020. It wound up being the emotional climax for Borren as a captain and player.For all his on-field achievements, Borren was just as well-known for being outspoken in criticising ICC decision-making that resulted in reduced opportunities for Associate teams. It earned him admirers, not just in the Netherlands, but throughout the Associate cricket community.The KNCB said of Borren: “Peter Borren has been of tremendous value to the Dutch team, leading the national side over the last nine years.”He has seen the Netherlands team grow into a much more professional set-up resulting in winning the World Cricket League and qualifying for the ODI Championships in December 2017. With his inspirational leadership, Peter has played a more than important role in this success.”

ScorecardHeather Knight’s 74 from 46 balls took Western Storm close•Getty Images

England wicketkeeper Amy Jones and Australian star Ellyse Perry shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 83 as home side Loughborough Lightning beat Western Storm by five runs in a thriller, despite Heather Knight’s 74, the highest score in the Kia Super League to date.Jones and Perry came together at a perilous 31 for 3 to share the impressive stand, building a solid platform before accelerating to put Lightning in a great position. A flurry of wickets saw Storm slow the rate down, before an Eve Jones cameo saw Loughborough post 158 for 8 off their 20 overs.Western Storm were looking for a fast start but were pegged back by some tight early bowling from Loughborough. Knight’s excellent knock looked to have given Western Storm the platform to chase down the score, but when she was run out, the game went away from the visitors.”It felt really good and it was about trying to get a partnership together with Ellyse,” Amy Jones said. “Luckily I’d had a couple of opportunities in warm-up games so it was nice to push on a bit and get the win.”Knight was undoubtedly disappointed to fall short. “We just wanted to stay in the game as long as possible but a couple of wickets cost us but we can turn things around quickly and we can get back on track.”Nine runs off the first three balls of the match looked to have given Loughborough a great start, but a clever piece of bowling saw Lightning captain Georgia Elwiss lured out of her crease, to be stumped by New Zealand international Rachel Priest.Storm captain Knight then forced a mistake from one off Loughborough’s overseas stars, grabbing the wicket of Sophie Devine before Anya Shrubsole bowled Dane Van Niekerk after runs had begun to dry up.That brought together the partnership of Jones and Perry, who first consolidated for a period before their expansive range of shots began to show. The England wicketkeeper took the lead racing to 46 off 30 balls, departing to a Priest stumping again off Freya Davies.Perry was then involved in a mix-up that saw Paige Scholfield run out, but by then had taken on the momentum, hitting her 44 off 37 balls before holing out in the deep to Lizelle Lee.Eve Jones smacked a quick-fire 25, launching Georgia Hennessey for a six and then the very next ball, hitting another boundary, before departing to Shrubsole as the innings reached its end.The Western Storm chase wobbled early, as an excellent Powerplay saw Loughborough get the prize wickets of overseas stars Priest and Stafanie Taylor before Knight and Fran Wilson started the rebuilding process.Knight was the aggressor in the partnership of 78 with her England colleague but when Wilson departed, the task got harder, though the composure shown by the Storm skipper, suggested otherwise.However, the match turned when Elwiss got the faintest of touches on a Hennessey straight drive, to leave Knight stranded out of her crease and with it the chances of Western Storm. Sonia Odedra’s impressive spell of 2 for 20 was the pick of the Lightning bowlers, whilst Perry’s final over secured the victory.

ScorecardImran Tahir tied Yorkshire in knots [file picture]•AFP

Derbyshire Falcons celebrated a second win in 24 hours when they beat Yorkshire Vikings by three runs in a thrilling NatWest Blast T20 match at Chesterfield.The Vikings were chasing 166 but came up short at 162 for 7 needing 18 from the final over despite an excellent 68 from Adam Lyth.Wayne Madsen made 42 from 28 balls and Daryn Smit an unbeaten 30 from 20 to carry the Falcons to 165 for 8 and they bowled and fielded superbly with Imran Tahir taking 3 for 18.The Falcons had won chasing at Northampton the previous day but they elected to bat in front of a sell-out 4,500 crowd at Queen’s Park and were soon in trouble.David Willey squared up Billy Godleman who was caught at point in the third over and after Ben Slater pulled and drove Tim Bresnan for consecutive fours, he was bowled by Steven Patterson for 14.Azeem Rafiq kept up the pressure by striking twice in successive overs from the pavilion end with Luis Reece top edging a reverse sweep before Gary Wilson sliced a drive to point.At 48 for 4, the Vikings were in control but Matt Henry and Madsen revived the Falcons by launching an attack on the spinners that brought 33 from two overs.Henry lifted Rafiq deep into the crowd at midwicket and then drove him into the pavilion while Madsen cut England leg spinner Adil Rashid for consecutive fours.Henry pulled Matthew Waite for another six but next ball sliced a drive to cover and in the following over, Madsen fell to an excellent running catch by Tom Kohler-Cadmore at wide mid-off.Alex Hughes pulled Rashid for six but then failed to clear deep midwicket and it was left to Smit to take the Falcons beyond 150 by sweeping and pulling Willey for two sixes as 19 came from the penultimate over.The Vikings chase started dramatically with Kohler-Cadmore bowled second ball driving at Madsen who delivered a wicket-maiden before Willey pulled Henry for four and six to take 20 from the fourth over.Lyth was dropped on five at cover by Wilson off Madsen who was dispatched for a huge six by Willey in his final over but Tahir struck in the eighth over when Willey skied to cover.Hardus Viljoen claimed a big wicket in his first over when Shaun Marsh miscued a pull to mid on and after 10 overs, the Vikings needed another 101.Lyth injected some momentum by pulling Hughes over a leaping deep midwicket fielder for six and swept Matt Critchley for another before driving the leg spinner for four.The opener was moving through the gears and reached a 42 ball 50 with a four off Viljoen to third man but Tahir defeated Peter Handscomb’s big swing and then trapped Jack Leaning lbw to swing the game towards the Falcons.With 35 needed off three, the Vikings needed a big over and although 12 came off the 18th from Henry with Lyth driving the New Zealander for six, when he failed to clear long off 18 were needed off six balls.Tim Bresnan set up a thrilling finish but only found the hands of Reece at cover trying to hit Henry for what would have been a winning boundary off the last ball.

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Rachel Priest will turn out for the Sydney Thunder in the third season of the Women’s Big Bash League, after two seasons with the Melbourne Renegades.”I’ve really enjoyed my time in the WBBL so far,” Priest told .”I enjoyed my time at the Melbourne Renegades but I felt it was time for a change and to move to such a professional and competitive team really excites me. I’ve played a lot against Alex Blackwell, Rachael Haynes and Rene Farrell. It’s a very exciting squad that also has a lot of young talented players.”Known for an explosive batting style, Priest scored 512 runs for the Renegades while captaining the side, and also effected 22 dismissals. She was the leading run-scorer in the 2017 edition of the Kia Super League in England with 261 runs in seven innings for Western Storm, including a century and two fifties. Her 36-ball 72 against Southern Vipers in the final helped Western Storm clinch the title by seven wickets.Her run in the Super League marked a return to form after a disappointing World Cup in June-July, where she scored 125 runs in six matches. She missed New Zealand’s tour of UAE for the series against Pakistan, with the team management asking her to work on improving her physical conditioning.Thunder, who won the inaugural edition of the WBBL, had failed to make it to the semi-finals last season. They will get their 2017-18 campaign underway against the Renegades on December 9 at North Sydney Oval.

ScorecardJoe Burns plays a shot•Getty Images

Test opener Matt Renshaw spent some valuable time in the middle and Joe Burns provided a reminder of his ability as Queensland wrapped up a seven-wicket Sheffield Shield victory over Tasmania inside three days at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.Set 156 to win, the Bulls were well-served by their opening batsmen, who were not parted until the 36th over of the innings when the visitors were more than halfway to their target. Renshaw, who will be expected to soak up plenty of deliveries against England’s new-ball bowlers to smooth a path for stroke-makers at the other end, lasted 109 deliveries for his 19.Burns played the most recent of his Test matches on the same ground a year ago, and was the more expansive of the pair in striking eight boundaries and a six to ensure the captain Usman Khawaja and Sam Truloff were able to complete the win without much trouble after the loss of Marnus Labuschagne.

Match facts

October 8-12, 2016
Start time 0930 local (0400 GMT)1:17

Injuries plague India-New Zealand series

Big Picture

As we move from Kanpur’s correct Hindi to Kolkata’s formal and slightly archaic English to the delightful informal mix of Hindi and Urdu in Indore, one thing has not changed. Kanpur’s Green Park is a 10-minute walk from the district court. One of Kolkata’s Eden Garden’s ends is called the High Court End. And now Indore’s Holkar Stadium turns out to be located under a kilometre from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. It is fitting considering a larger court’s shadow has loomed while the series has gone on.The Kanpur press box was used by Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri to further the BCCI’s old guard’s view; president Anurag Takur himself made a visit to the Eden Gardens press box. None of it could make you look away from some high-quality Test cricket watched by encouraging crowds barring the second day of Kolkata. Indore, making its Test debut, has thrown up thousands to just watch the nets; this Test should be a spectacle too.The scoreboard reads 2-0 India, which is obviously a fair indicator, but the margins of defeats – 197 runs and 178 runs – don’t do New Zealand justice. R Aswhin, the series’ leading bowler, was gracious enough to acknowledge the fight New Zealand have shown despite injuries and limited experience in such challenging conditions. “The best thing about this New Zealand team is they don’t give anything easily,” Ashwin told . “They have come with a gameplan, and it is really showing. They are making us work very hard for every single wicket and run.”As New Zealand try to avoid a whitewash against the No. 1-ranked Test side in the world, they will be buoyed by the return of their captain Kane Williamson, who missed the Kolkata Test because of illness. Williamson said he was “certainly very hopeful” of playing as he worked to get his energy levels back up after a virus attack. It’s not just New Zealand who have had to fight injuries and illnesses. India have lost Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar from their bowling department. The loss of two openers – KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan – will result in uncertainty at the top as Gautam Gambhir looks to come back once again, at a week short of 35.India have kept finding ways to win crucial moments and sessions in this series. With uncertainty around their board, they will need to keep finding ways if they are to realise their unstated – for obvious reasons of not putting too much pressure on themselves – dream of going unbeaten through the whole home season.

Form guide

India WWDWD (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LLLDWKane Williamson said he was “certainly very hopeful” of playing in Indore•BCCI

In the spotlight

Tom Latham, who doesn’t play too much limited-overs cricket at the international level, has never played in such heat and humidity. He has fought awfully hard for 455 minutes in the middle, but has still been able to get only 135 runs in four innings. He has been playing a game that doesn’t come naturally to him, which has brought him the respect of the opposition, but he will want to play that big innings that defines a match.Rohit Sharma paid back the first instalment for the faith shown in him by the team management when he scored 82 runs coming in at 43 for 4 in India’s second innings in Kolkata. His critics worry this might just be a one-off. Now the second-highest run-scorer in the series, Rohit himself said he has not been under any pressure; even if he was, this innings should have eased it, but he will also know the next instalment should not take too long.New Zealand spinners are rarely asked to win Tests on their own. They are usually asked to do the containing role to support their quicks. As in Kanpur, they will again be asked to win New Zealand the Test. Right now they average 35 (Micthell Santner), 50 (Ish Sodhi) and 58 (Jeetan Patel). They will need to cut out the loose balls for starters, and then give the ball enough opportunity to assume the natural variation off a pitch that looks dry.

Team news

India have lost Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shikhar Dhawan from the last Test. Gambhir should replace Dhawan, and depending on the nature of the pitch either Umesh Yadav or Amit Mishra should come in. A left-field selection could mean a debut for either paceman Shardul Thakur or offspinner Jayant Yadav.India (probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt.), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 9 Ravindra Jadeja, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Amit Mishra/ Umesh YadavWilliamson’s return will mean Henry Nicholls misses out with Martin Guptill expected to be given another chance. Matt Henry’s impressive performance in Kolkata could mean he stays in and Neil Wagner makes way for the third spinner Ish Sodhi.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Luke Ronchi, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Matt Henry/Neil Wagner, 9 Jeetan Patel, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions

The Indore pitch is known to provide assistance for quicks and value for shots, but don’t expect it at the cost of home advantage. The word is that the pitch is expected to behave similarly to Kanpur. Virat Kohli said it was a hard surface, which should have some carry. Williamson, though, said the pitch was soft and bare at both ends. He expected turn, but also felt that the softness of the pitch with the weather around was a factor. There has been some rain around in the lead-up to the Test, but the forecast is for an uninterrupted match.

Stats and trivia

• Virat Kohli has won all his six tosses at home
• India have been unbeaten in their last 13 home Tests. They have won 11 and drawn two
• Samandar Singh Chauhan, the curator at Holkar Stadium, is the man responsible for the pitches that gave ODI cricket its first two double-hundreds. Sachin Tendulkar did it in Gwalior, and Virender Sehwag here
• Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor and BJ Watling have averaged under 20 in this series

Quotes

“One thing that stands out for me as a learning is how to control a session that’s not going your way. The session when the other team is batting well, you should know how to control runs and at the same time not go negative.”
“We know we are up against a stiff challenge in India but at the same time we are yet to have played our best cricket. Although we’ve come off the back of a couple of losses we do feel if we can put out our best performance we can get a result in this part of the world. But we certainly need to improve on our last couple.”