NZ

Big picture: All to play forAnd so it comes down to this. After a month of non-stop cricket - 40 matches leading up to this one, to be precise - there's a very good chance that it will be the weather in Bengaluru which might end up deciding…

Big picture - Not a must-win, but a win-for-momentumIt started with a World Cup quarter-final that turned into a proper scrap in Mirpur in 2011. It marked the arrival of a cricket rivalry that isn't talked about a lot, but often gives us…

Big picture - Sri Lanka are headed for the WC qualifiersRealistically, Sri Lanka's chances of automatic qualification for this year's ODI World Cup are remote. If South Africa win their two ODIs against Netherlands, they will have 98 Super…

Big picture: Test thrills augur wellDespite the eventual 2-0 scoreline in favour of the hosts, it's safe to say Sri Lanka might have surprised a fair few folks that tuned into the Tests in Christchurch and Wellington - okay, maybe not so…

Big picture: Last Test of New Zealand summerAt a venue they had previously been decked in, in Christchurch, this Sri Lanka team pushed New Zealand close. Heading into the Wellington Test, there is likely to be some confidence in Sri Lanka's…

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouf." - Mike Tyson (quote reproduced here in the original Tysonian)Sri Lanka's preparation for this Test series has very nearly been ideal. Before the squad even assembled, most were…

Big picture: Santner and Hardik impress India and New Zealand have travelled the length and breadth of the country for six games in 14 days and we are finally at the end, with the T20I series tied at 1-1. It's time for one last push, and…

New Zealand finally have a win on this tour. After being whitewashed in the ODI series, their new stand-in captain Mitchell Santner led from the front with the ball to give his side hope of taking home the T20I series. Things that were not…

Big picture: Gaikwad injured, Shaw set to wait his turn Rohit Sharma has no plans of giving up on T20Is yet. Rahul Dravid is "not aware" if India have any plans of split captaincy; asked about this during a press conference before the third…

Big picture: Will New Zealand's top five please stand up? Six-eighty-six runs in the series opener and just 219 in the second game. Even if the total runs scored in the match reduced by nearly 70% from the first ODI to the second, the…