The mega event hosted by Russia will be keenly followed by thousands of fans around the world

FIFA 2018: All you need to know about 21st edition of football World Cup

An emotional Arsene Wenger said farewell to Arsenal and probably England on Sunday after playing down the prospect of managing another club in the Premier League.

Wenger watched his team beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 in their final game of the season and his last match in charge after nearly 22 years at the North London club.

The 68-year-old Frenchman reflected on his "human experiences" in his time at Arsenal on a day of mixed emotions, while he also spoke about his enjoyment of England and its football culture.

Yet when the prospect of managing another Premier League club against Arsenal was raised, Wenger said that scenario was unlikely.

"I am not ready for that at the moment, that would be very difficult. I think on that day I would stay at home. I don’t know, at the moment, I don’t envisage that," he said.

Wenger confirmed that he had already received approaches to manage other clubs but had not yet explored those options.

"Yes I had offers, of course, but at the moment I did not even speak to anybody of the many offers," he said. "You cannot come out of such a long process and the next morning say 'yes, I go somewhere else', it is impossible."

But when the question of whether he will manage in England again was posed, Wenger said: "I don’t know. Maybe it is better I go somewhere else."

Wenger said he had fallen in love with England, which added to the impression that the Frenchman was saying goodbye to his adopted home, as well as his club.

"I feel that I got a lot of respect not only from our fans but from England," he said.

"I would reiterate - I loved English football but as well I learned to love England over 22 years.

"You don’t stay in a country like that if you don’t like it. It is a special country and special even for football, that is why I stayed such a long time," he added.

"It has changed me a lot - it is difficult to understand, when you don’t live in this country, how deep the love is for the game. It was a fantastic experience for me."

Whatever he does next, Wenger said it will be difficult to match the emotions he has experienced with Arsenal.

"Where do I go from here? That is the difficulty, when you have experienced such intensity for such a long time," he said. "It will be difficult. (But) even not managing the club, I will remain a fan of the club."

When asked, Wenger said the prospect of him managing another Premier League club was unlikely

An emotional Arsene Wenger said farewell to Arsenal and probably England on Sunday after playing down the prospect of managing another club in the Premier League. Wenger watched his team beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 in their final game of the season and his last match in charge after nearly 22 years at the North London club. The 68-year-old Frenchman reflected on his "human experiences" in his time at Arsenal on a day of mixed emotions, while he also spoke about his enjoyment of England and its football culture. Yet when the prospect of managing another Premier League club against Arsenal was raised, Wenger said that scenario was unlikely. "I am not ready for that at the moment, that would be very difficult. I think on that day I would stay at home. I don’t know, at the moment, I don’t envisage that," he said. Wenger confirmed that he had already received approaches to manage other clubs but had not yet explored those options. "Yes I had offers, of course, but at the moment I did not even speak to anybody of the many offers," he said. "You cannot come out of such a long process and the next morning say 'yes, I go somewhere else', it is impossible." But when the question of whether he will manage in England again was posed, Wenger said: "I don’t know. Maybe it is better I go somewhere else." Wenger said he had fallen in love with England, which added to the impression that the Frenchman was saying goodbye to his adopted home, as well as his club. "I feel that I got a lot of respect not only from our fans but from England," he said. "I would reiterate - I loved English football but as well I learned to love England over 22 years. "You don’t stay in a country like that if you don’t like it. It is a special country and special even for football, that is why I stayed such a long time," he added. "It has changed me a lot - it is difficult to understand, when you don’t live in this country, how deep the love is for the game. It was a fantastic experience for me." Whatever he does next, Wenger said it will be difficult to match the emotions he has experienced with Arsenal. "Where do I go from here? That is the difficulty, when you have experienced such intensity for such a long time," he said. "It will be difficult. (But) even not managing the club, I will remain a fan of the club."

After 22 years Wenger leaves Arsenal, probably England too

Indian captain Virat Kohli has agreed a deal to play for Surrey in June before India’s Test series in England this summer, according to reports.&nbsp;

The India captain will feature in three County Championship matches and three one-day cup games in a bid to adjust to English conditions before the Test series,&nbsp;reports said.

Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said in March that he was not sure if a deal would be possible as it would mean the captain missing the one-off Test with Afghanistan in Bangalore on 20 June and a Twenty20 series with Ireland. &nbsp;The Guardian reported Stewart as saying “If he does now become available we would look at it again to see if it could potentially work around our current overseas arrangements.”

The 29-year-old’s previous Test tour of England, in 2014, brought a return of 134 runs from 10 innings as India succumbed to a 3-1 defeat. Kohli has said that he was “thankful” for the effect this had on his career.

Speaking about the chance to play county cricket in future during India’s 4-0 home victory over England in 2016 – a series dominated by his batting – Kohli said: “I would love a month to get used to playing in the conditions and understand what the wickets play like in that phase of the year.”

The India captain will feature in three County Championship matches and three one-day cup games in a bid to adjust to English conditions before the Test series, reports said.

Indian captain Virat Kohli has agreed a deal to play for Surrey in June before India’s Test series in England this summer, according to reports. The India captain will feature in three County Championship matches and three one-day cup games in a bid to adjust to English conditions before the Test series, reports said. Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said in March that he was not sure if a deal would be possible as it would mean the captain missing the one-off Test with Afghanistan in Bangalore on 20 June and a Twenty20 series with Ireland. The Guardian reported Stewart as saying “If he does now become available we would look at it again to see if it could potentially work around our current overseas arrangements.” The 29-year-old’s previous Test tour of England, in 2014, brought a return of 134 runs from 10 innings as India succumbed to a 3-1 defeat. Kohli has said that he was “thankful” for the effect this had on his career. Speaking about the chance to play county cricket in future during India’s 4-0 home victory over England in 2016 – a series dominated by his batting – Kohli said: “I would love a month to get used to playing in the conditions and understand what the wickets play like in that phase of the year.”

Virat Kohli signs up with Surrey for county cricket ahead of India series in England

The Indian Cricket team failed to retain its top spot in the ICC ODI rankings after England displaced the Virat Kohli-led side to become the new number 1.&nbsp

This is the first time that England claimed the top position since January 2013.

England arose by eight points to climb up to the No. 1 position, just three points above the Indian Cricket team.&nbsp

Meanwhile, India slipped to number 2 position to be at 122 points, in the latest reshuffling of the cricket governing body’s annual updates.&nbsp

England’s rise came with the omission of their poor record in the 2014-15 season, in which they won only seven out of 25 ODI’s against other Full Members of ICC.

South Africa, which earlier acquired the second position, dropped to the third as they lost four points, going down to 113 points from 117, making them nine points below from India.&nbsp

&nbspThe rest of the positions remain unchanged, thus ensuring that the current top 10 ranked sides will participate in the upcoming ICC World Cup in 2019.

India will travel to England in July for a full series which will feature 3 T20Is, 3 ODIs and 5 Tests.

This is the first time that England claimed the top position since January 2013.

The Indian Cricket team failed to retain its top spot in the ICC ODI rankings after England displaced the Virat Kohli-led side to become the new number 1. This is the first time that England claimed the top position since January 2013. England arose by eight points to climb up to the No. 1 position, just three points above the Indian Cricket team. Meanwhile, India slipped to number 2 position to be at 122 points, in the latest reshuffling of the cricket governing body’s annual updates. England’s rise came with the omission of their poor record in the 2014-15 season, in which they won only seven out of 25 ODI’s against other Full Members of ICC. South Africa, which earlier acquired the second position, dropped to the third as they lost four points, going down to 113 points from 117, making them nine points below from India. &nbspThe rest of the positions remain unchanged, thus ensuring that the current top 10 ranked sides will participate in the upcoming ICC World Cup in 2019. India will travel to England in July for a full series which will feature 3 T20Is, 3 ODIs and 5 Tests.

ICC ODI rankings: England cricket team displace India to be new No. 1

Voters in London are expected to punish Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party at local government elections this week which could embolden critics of her Brexit strategy, but are not expected to trigger her downfall.

London and some other regions will on Thursday elect the local officials in charge of day-to-day public spending - a vote as much about issues like refuse collection and road repairs as it is about the national debate on immigration and May’s plan to take Britain out of the European Union after a 2016 referendum.

The elections which are seen as a public sentiment and polls&nbsp

The elections are seen as a bellwether of public sentiment and polls show voters are ready to deliver a critical verdict on both May’s leadership and her party’s eight years spent pursuing a policy of public spending cuts to shore up Britain’s finances.

“A government that’s been in power for eight years with an austerity programme is naturally going to suffer at elections,” said Robert Hayward, a former Conservative lawmaker who now sits in parliament’s upper house and specialises in polling analysis.

A YouGov survey published on April 26 gave the opposition Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, a 22 percentage point lead over the Conservatives in London, putting it on course for its best performance in the capital for 40 years.

Thursday’s vote will come less than a year after a snap parliamentary election splintered the previously rock-solid foundations of May’s position, stripping her party of its majority in a vote she had expected to win easily.

The result of that general election has been a weakened leadership, open dissent among Conservative lawmakers over exiting the EU and a nagging fear for some investors that her government could fall and be replaced by socialist-led Labour.

Thursday will not directly affect May’s practical ability to govern: the vote does not cause seats in parliament to change hands and the slim working majority she has thanks to a deal with a smaller party will be unaffected.

But a below-par performance will embolden critics in her party and could then complicate the already-difficult task of executing her Brexit plan without making concessions to pro-EU factions, such as agreeing to stay in the EU customs union.

“Politicians always look at the last set of election results and by definition they’re going to look at what happens on May 3 and make a judgement on that,” Hayward said.

“It will have an impact on what has to happen in the budget, ‘Do I take a more militant view in relation to the Customs Union, or Brexit, or nurses, or numbers of policemen?’

The key results in London will be Wandsworth and Westminster, both boroughs with a strong Conservative tradition that are now within reach of Labour.

However, anything short of a total Conservative wipeout is not expected to generate renewed calls for her to quit.

Although her party is deeply divided over Brexit, neither the faction that seeks a clean break from the EU nor those who favour a closer relationship have shown an appetite for a leadership contest before Britain has left the bloc.

Low Expectations

Fortunately for May, expectations are low.

London has in recent decades voted more towards Labour, favouring its more liberal policies on immigration and social issues. The Conservatives currently control only eight of 32 boroughs outright.&nbsp

Labour’s surprise surge in popularity under Corbyn, a crucial factor in May 2017’s election flop, was also strongly felt in London. The party won 54.5 per cent of votes in London last year - more than any other party for at least 70 years.

Factor in deep spending cuts overseen by May and her predecessor David Cameron, and the unpopularity of Brexit in a city that voted 60-40 against it - compared with a 52-48 per cent margin in favour nationally, and some of the remaining Conservative strongholds are expected to be under threat.

But the grim outlook leaves room for May to outperform. Polling suggests her handling of a nerve agent attack against a former Russian double agent in England in March and the decision to take military action in Syria has improved her public image.

Conversely, Labour could gain seats and control of boroughs in London but still fail to live up to the huge expectations generated by last summer’s stronger-than-forecast general election result.

“It’s more difficult for Labour to come out of this doing really well than the Tories given how low the expectations are,” said Tony Travers, a professor at the London School of Economics Department of Government.

While May has gained from recent national and international crises, Corbyn has been criticised by opponents and some in his own party for misjudging the public mood in his responses.

The party has also recently found itself bogged down in a high-profile dispute with the Jewish community over what they say is its failure to stamp out anti-Semitism within the party.

That could affect its ability to get control of winnable boroughs like Barnet, which has the highest proportion of Jewish residents in England at 15.5 per cent according to the latest census data.

Nevertheless, polls show Labour will still make gains.

Labour activists say that is continuing evidence of the potency of “the Corbyn Project”, and even if headline gains from the Conservatives do not materialise, they have their eyes on a bigger prize.

“We’ve been treating the whole thing as a bit of a general election dry run, really... refining campaigning techniques and trying to come up with new ones,” said Joseph Todd, a spokesman for the influential pro-Corbyn grassroots campaign group Momentum. “This is the next step for the Corbyn Project.”

London and some other regions will on Thursday elect the local officials in charge of day-to-day public spending - a vote as much about issues like refuse collection and road repairs as it is about the national debate on immigration and May’s plan to take Britain out of the European Union after a 2016 referendum

Voters in London are expected to punish Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party at local government elections this week which could embolden critics of her Brexit strategy, but are not expected to trigger her downfall. London and some other regions will on Thursday elect the local officials in charge of day-to-day public spending - a vote as much about issues like refuse collection and road repairs as it is about the national debate on immigration and May’s plan to take Britain out of the European Union after a 2016 referendum. The elections which are seen as a public sentiment and polls The elections are seen as a bellwether of public sentiment and polls show voters are ready to deliver a critical verdict on both May’s leadership and her party’s eight years spent pursuing a policy of public spending cuts to shore up Britain’s finances. “A government that’s been in power for eight years with an austerity programme is naturally going to suffer at elections,” said Robert Hayward, a former Conservative lawmaker who now sits in parliament’s upper house and specialises in polling analysis. A YouGov survey published on April 26 gave the opposition Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, a 22 percentage point lead over the Conservatives in London, putting it on course for its best performance in the capital for 40 years. Thursday’s vote will come less than a year after a snap parliamentary election splintered the previously rock-solid foundations of May’s position, stripping her party of its majority in a vote she had expected to win easily. The result of that general election has been a weakened leadership, open dissent among Conservative lawmakers over exiting the EU and a nagging fear for some investors that her government could fall and be replaced by socialist-led Labour. Thursday will not directly affect May’s practical ability to govern: the vote does not cause seats in parliament to change hands and the slim working majority she has thanks to a deal with a smaller party will be unaffected. But a below-par performance will embolden critics in her party and could then complicate the already-difficult task of executing her Brexit plan without making concessions to pro-EU factions, such as agreeing to stay in the EU customs union. “Politicians always look at the last set of election results and by definition they’re going to look at what happens on May 3 and make a judgement on that,” Hayward said. “It will have an impact on what has to happen in the budget, ‘Do I take a more militant view in relation to the Customs Union, or Brexit, or nurses, or numbers of policemen?’ The key results in London will be Wandsworth and Westminster, both boroughs with a strong Conservative tradition that are now within reach of Labour. However, anything short of a total Conservative wipeout is not expected to generate renewed calls for her to quit. Although her party is deeply divided over Brexit, neither the faction that seeks a clean break from the EU nor those who favour a closer relationship have shown an appetite for a leadership contest before Britain has left the bloc. Low Expectations Fortunately for May, expectations are low. London has in recent decades voted more towards Labour, favouring its more liberal policies on immigration and social issues. The Conservatives currently control only eight of 32 boroughs outright. Labour’s surprise surge in popularity under Corbyn, a crucial factor in May 2017’s election flop, was also strongly felt in London. The party won 54.5 per cent of votes in London last year - more than any other party for at least 70 years. Factor in deep spending cuts overseen by May and her predecessor David Cameron, and the unpopularity of Brexit in a city that voted 60-40 against it - compared with a 52-48 per cent margin in favour nationally, and some of the remaining Conservative strongholds are expected to be under threat. But the grim outlook leaves room for May to outperform. Polling suggests her handling of a nerve agent attack against a former Russian double agent in England in March and the decision to take military action in Syria has improved her public image. Conversely, Labour could gain seats and control of boroughs in London but still fail to live up to the huge expectations generated by last summer’s stronger-than-forecast general election result. “It’s more difficult for Labour to come out of this doing really well than the Tories given how low the expectations are,” said Tony Travers, a professor at the London School of Economics Department of Government. While May has gained from recent national and international crises, Corbyn has been criticised by opponents and some in his own party for misjudging the public mood in his responses. The party has also recently found itself bogged down in a high-profile dispute with the Jewish community over what they say is its failure to stamp out anti-Semitism within the party. That could affect its ability to get control of winnable boroughs like Barnet, which has the highest proportion of Jewish residents in England at 15.5 per cent according to the latest census data. Nevertheless, polls show Labour will still make gains. Labour activists say that is continuing evidence of the potency of “the Corbyn Project”, and even if headline gains from the Conservatives do not materialise, they have their eyes on a bigger prize. “We’ve been treating the whole thing as a bit of a general election dry run, really... refining campaigning techniques and trying to come up with new ones,” said Joseph Todd, a spokesman for the influential pro-Corbyn grassroots campaign group Momentum. “This is the next step for the Corbyn Project.”

London elections set to leave British PM May down, but not out

England's Football Association is in negotiations to sell&nbsp;Wembley&nbsp;Stadium, the home of the national soccer team, to U.S. billionaire Shahid Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

A spokesman for the FA confirmed on Thursday it had received an offer to buy the stadium and British media said the deal could be worth up to 1 billion pounds ($1.40 billion).

Under the plan, the FA would keep&nbsp;Wembley&nbsp;as the main venue for major matches, including England internationals and the FA Cup Final, but the national soccer team could play elsewhere in October and November due to clashes with the U.S. National Football League (NFL) season.

In a statement, Khan said his bid was not a precursor to moving the Jaguars, who have played one home NFL game per season at&nbsp;Wembley&nbsp;since 2013, to London permanently.

"For the Jaguars, it would deliver another - and very significant - asset and local revenue source that would further strengthen our investment in London," Khan who is also the owner of English second tier soccer team Fulham, said.

"Today’s news changes none of what we envision for the long-term promise for the Jaguars here in Jax, and it changes nothing as to the goals we have for your downtown."

British media reported that Khan, who is worth $7.2 billion according to Forbes, is ready to pay more than 500 million pounds.

He would also allow the FA to keep the Club&nbsp;Wembley&nbsp;debenture and hospitality business that is valued at a further 300 million pounds.

The 90,000-seater stadium was rebuilt at a cost of 757 million pounds on the site of the original ground where England won the World Cup in 1966.

The new stadium opened in 2007 and the FA said last January it would repay its debt, which was reported by the Evening Standard to be 142 million pounds, by 2024.

The money from the sale of&nbsp;Wembley&nbsp;would allow the governing body to reinvest in the English game's grassroots, particularly pitches, and stage more England games way from the capital, a plan to which it is already committed.

Alfie Crow, Jaguars fan, and editor of Big Cat Country, a blog covering the Jaguars, downplayed suggestions that the deal could herald a permanent move to London for the NFL team.

"I think the signals of the Jaguars relocating to London are premature and very assumptive at this point," he told Reuters.

"Khan has invested a lot in the areas around the NFL stadium in Jacksonville with plans to develop even more around it, so it would be millions of dollars down the drain if the ultimate plan was simply to rip the team away as all of that comes to fruition. For now, I view it as just a value investment with a lot of potential return for Khan."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Exclusive: FA in advanced talks to sell Wembley Stadium to Fulham owner Shahid Khan in a deal worth more than £500million. Story here: <a href="https://t.co/1jEwjuFHlq">https://t.co/1jEwjuFHlq</a>
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesOlley/status/989470064461144064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

England's Football Association is in negotiations to sell Wembley Stadium, the home of the national soccer team, to U.S. billionaire Shahid Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars

England's Football Association is in negotiations to sell Wembley Stadium, the home of the national soccer team, to U.S. billionaire Shahid Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars. A spokesman for the FA confirmed on Thursday it had received an offer to buy the stadium and British media said the deal could be worth up to 1 billion pounds ($1.40 billion). Under the plan, the FA would keep Wembley as the main venue for major matches, including England internationals and the FA Cup Final, but the national soccer team could play elsewhere in October and November due to clashes with the U.S. National Football League (NFL) season. In a statement, Khan said his bid was not a precursor to moving the Jaguars, who have played one home NFL game per season at Wembley since 2013, to London permanently. "For the Jaguars, it would deliver another - and very significant - asset and local revenue source that would further strengthen our investment in London," Khan who is also the owner of English second tier soccer team Fulham, said. "Today’s news changes none of what we envision for the long-term promise for the Jaguars here in Jax, and it changes nothing as to the goals we have for your downtown." British media reported that Khan, who is worth $7.2 billion according to Forbes, is ready to pay more than 500 million pounds. He would also allow the FA to keep the Club Wembley debenture and hospitality business that is valued at a further 300 million pounds. The 90,000-seater stadium was rebuilt at a cost of 757 million pounds on the site of the original ground where England won the World Cup in 1966. The new stadium opened in 2007 and the FA said last January it would repay its debt, which was reported by the Evening Standard to be 142 million pounds, by 2024. The money from the sale of Wembley would allow the governing body to reinvest in the English game's grassroots, particularly pitches, and stage more England games way from the capital, a plan to which it is already committed. Alfie Crow, Jaguars fan, and editor of Big Cat Country, a blog covering the Jaguars, downplayed suggestions that the deal could herald a permanent move to London for the NFL team. "I think the signals of the Jaguars relocating to London are premature and very assumptive at this point," he told Reuters. "Khan has invested a lot in the areas around the NFL stadium in Jacksonville with plans to develop even more around it, so it would be millions of dollars down the drain if the ultimate plan was simply to rip the team away as all of that comes to fruition. For now, I view it as just a value investment with a lot of potential return for Khan." Exclusive: FA in advanced talks to sell Wembley Stadium to Fulham owner Shahid Khan in a deal worth more than £500million. Story here: https://t.co/1jEwjuFHlq — James Olley (@JamesOlley) April 26, 2018 ×

England's FA in negotiations to sell Wembley Stadium to US billionaire

The Indian men's hockey team scored two goals in the final three minutes to overcome England 4-3 in a thrilling match to top Pool B and enter the semi-finals of the 21st Commonwealth Games here on Wednesday.

Manpreet Singh (32nd), Rupinder Pal Singh (51st), Varun Kumar (58th) and Mandeep Singh (59th) scored for India while England got their goals from David Condon (17th minute), Liam Ansell (52nd) and Sam Ward (56th).

Following the win in their final Pool B game, India has 10 points -- three more than second-placed England.

Manpreet Singh (32nd), Rupinder Pal Singh (51st), Varun Kumar (58th) and Mandeep Singh (59th) scored for India while England got their goals from David Condon (17th minute), Liam Ansell (52nd) and Sam Ward (56th).

The Indian men's hockey team scored two goals in the final three minutes to overcome England 4-3 in a thrilling match to top Pool B and enter the semi-finals of the 21st Commonwealth Games here on Wednesday. Manpreet Singh (32nd), Rupinder Pal Singh (51st), Varun Kumar (58th) and Mandeep Singh (59th) scored for India while England got their goals from David Condon (17th minute), Liam Ansell (52nd) and Sam Ward (56th). Following the win in their final Pool B game, India has 10 points -- three more than second-placed England.

CWG 2018: India shock England 4-3, to play New Zealand in semi-finals

India staged a late comeback to beat England 2-1 in a Pool A match of the women's hockey competition here on Sunday. 
 
England skipper Alexandra Danson (1st minute) scored in the opening minute to put her team ahead right at the start. 
 
India hit back through Rani (42nd minute) and Gurjit (48th minute) in the second half to claim a hard-fought win. 
&nbsp;

India hit back through Rani (42nd minute) and Gurjit (48th minute) in the second half to claim a hard-fought win

India staged a late comeback to beat England 2-1 in a Pool A match of the women's hockey competition here on Sunday. England skipper Alexandra Danson (1st minute) scored in the opening minute to put her team ahead right at the start. India hit back through Rani (42nd minute) and Gurjit (48th minute) in the second half to claim a hard-fought win.

CWG: India beat England in women's hockey

Kevin Pietersen,&nbsp;former English cricketer has written&nbsp;in Hindi to praise India's Rhino Census of Kaziranga National Park as the count&nbsp;of one-horned rhinos have increased to 12 more.

Pietersen took to Twitter to celebrate the news in the best possible way to treat the Indian fans.

In shudh&nbsp;Hindi&nbsp;he said,&nbsp;"Yeh bohut achi Khabar hai, isse Padne ke liye mein bohut Khush hoon, india mein appse bohut pyar karta hoon aur aapke jaanwaro se bhi bohut pyar karta hoon. @sorai2018 aapke sabhi pyaare jaanwaro se pratibrad hai. Hum rhinos se suruwatt kar rahe hai. Mein bohut khush hoon."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Yeh bohut achi Khabar hai, isse Padne ke liye mein bohut Khush hoon, india mein appse bohut pyar karta hoon aur aapke jaanwaro se bhi bohut pyar karta hoon. <a href="https://twitter.com/SORAI2018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sorai2018</a> aapke sabhi pyaare jaanwaro se pratibrad hai. Hum rhinos se suruwatt kar rahe hai. Mein bohut khush hoon. ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/VUDlaJja0s">pic.twitter.com/VUDlaJja0s</a>
— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) <a href="https://twitter.com/KP24/status/980742109786406912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Kevin Pietersen has raised his voice against illegal ivory export and&nbsp;has been working extensively towards saving rhinos from extinction.

The Unesco World Heritage Site of, Kaziranga National Park, is situated in a state of Assam. It is home to two-thirds of the world's population of the species.

Kaziranga National Park has counted 2,413 one-horned rhinos - up 12 from 2015.

Also watch:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SP8En3ANwnU" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

The recent Census in India's Kaziranga National Park has counted 2,413 one-horned rhinos which are 12 more from 2015

Kevin Pietersen, former English cricketer has written in Hindi to praise India's Rhino Census of Kaziranga National Park as the count of one-horned rhinos have increased to 12 more. Pietersen took to Twitter to celebrate the news in the best possible way to treat the Indian fans. In shudh Hindi he said, "Yeh bohut achi Khabar hai, isse Padne ke liye mein bohut Khush hoon, india mein appse bohut pyar karta hoon aur aapke jaanwaro se bhi bohut pyar karta hoon. @sorai2018 aapke sabhi pyaare jaanwaro se pratibrad hai. Hum rhinos se suruwatt kar rahe hai. Mein bohut khush hoon." Yeh bohut achi Khabar hai, isse Padne ke liye mein bohut Khush hoon, india mein appse bohut pyar karta hoon aur aapke jaanwaro se bhi bohut pyar karta hoon. @sorai2018 aapke sabhi pyaare jaanwaro se pratibrad hai. Hum rhinos se suruwatt kar rahe hai. Mein bohut khush hoon. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VUDlaJja0s — Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) April 2, 2018 × Kevin Pietersen has raised his voice against illegal ivory export and has been working extensively towards saving rhinos from extinction. The Unesco World Heritage Site of, Kaziranga National Park, is situated in a state of Assam. It is home to two-thirds of the world's population of the species. Kaziranga National Park has counted 2,413 one-horned rhinos - up 12 from 2015. Also watch: ×

Ex-England star Pietersen writes in Hindi praising India's Rhino population growth

Ish Sodhi and Neil Wagner were hailed as heroes Tuesday after their gritty 188-ball stand secured a second Test draw and series win for New Zealand against England.

Battered and bruised after a torrid time from a desperate England attack, the pair hung on until bad light stopped play with Wagner's dismissal in the penultimate over.

The second Test draw in Christchurch gave New Zealand the series 1-0 after they won the first Test by an innings and 49 runs and it stretched England's winless away record to 13 Tests.

"Neil Wagner and Ish Sodhi were heroic," captain Kane Williamson said.&nbsp;

"If it wasn't for them putting their hand up, weathering the storm bumps and bruises and all, this series result could have been so different."

Any hopes New Zealand had of reaching 382 to win disappeared when they slumped to 42 for two at the start of the final day when England took two wickets with the first two balls.

England had New Zealand six for 182 when the second new ball was taken before tea, but the series-defining final session belonged to New Zealand.

After Colin de Grandhomme (45) was the seventh wicket to fall, Wagner and Sodhi added 37 runs in 31.2 overs, but by that stage only survival mattered for New Zealand who finished on 256 for eight when the close came after Wagner's dismissal.

Sodhi, who feared he may have finished with a broken finger, said it was a difficult period to bat through.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Player of the Match Tim Southee and Player of the Series Trent Boult. ?= <a href="https://twitter.com/PhotosportNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PhotosportNZ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/RMlBMWrYOE">pic.twitter.com/RMlBMWrYOE</a>
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS/status/981066299475312640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

'A bit of luck'

"I was trying to figure out which balls to play and which to get under and it started to become a bit difficult through the middle period when the odd one would jump,"he said.&nbsp;

"There was a bit of luck. I had a couple of balls went through the slips and over the gully a couple of times and you could sense their frustration as a bit of fortune went our way."

It ended an arduous and unsuccessful tour for England who lost the Ashes series 4-0 before coming to New Zealand.

"It's been very disappointing in terms of results... we've not performed to our ability and not got the results we wanted," said captain Joe Root.

But, despite England holding the upper hand for two sessions on the final day, Root did not believe they could have done any more to win.

"We tried a number of different things and we couldn't have tried much more," he said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
James Anderson goes past Courtney Walsh's record of most deliveries bowled by a pacer in Test cricket. 
 
READ ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/BHE9PHu1Bq">https://t.co/BHE9PHu1Bq</a> <a href="https://t.co/aPhK2gx0YI">pic.twitter.com/aPhK2gx0YI</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/981063749825060864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

'Very frustrating'

"It's very frustrating. I thought we had a very good opportunity coming into today, we had fantastic start and we threw absolutely everything at them."

After Stuart Broad dismissed Jeet Raval and Kane Williamson with the first two balls, Tom Latham was the first to stand up for New Zealand with a patient 83.

De Grandhomme and Sodhi put on 57 for the seventh wicket and then Sodhi and Wagner saw New Zealand through to stumps.&nbsp;

Sodhi ducked, weaved, slashed and took hits to the body as he produced his third Test 50, facing 168 balls, while Wagner faced 103 balls for his seven.

Joe Root stacked fielders round the bat, and spinner Jack Leach had eight in close catching positions as the number of remaining overs sank below six.

But edges flew just wide of outstretched arms, adding to England's frustration.

After Broad's early breakthrough, which included the first golden duck for Kane Williamson in his 65-Test career, wickets fell at regular intervals.

Ross Taylor avoided the hat-trick, was dropped on six by James Vince and progressed to 13 when he saw Leach place Alastair Cook at short backward leg and promptly chipped the ball straight to him.

Henry Nicholls went for 13 and BJ Watling was out for 19.

Vince, who had dropped Latham on 23, made amends with a diving catch at square leg to end Latham's near five-hour stay in the middle.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
THRILLER IN CHRISTCHURCH! 
 
Ish Sodhi and Neil Wagner keep England at bay to help New Zealand secure a draw and win the series 1-0.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> Report ➡️&nbsp;<a href="https://t.co/pRLRQrF9mS">https://t.co/pRLRQrF9mS</a> <a href="https://t.co/aaOQqg3snk">pic.twitter.com/aaOQqg3snk</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/981054888871215104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Ish Sodhi and Neil Wagner were hailed as heroes Tuesday after their gritty 188-ball stand secured a second Test draw and series win for New Zealand against England

Ish Sodhi and Neil Wagner were hailed as heroes Tuesday after their gritty 188-ball stand secured a second Test draw and series win for New Zealand against England. Battered and bruised after a torrid time from a desperate England attack, the pair hung on until bad light stopped play with Wagner's dismissal in the penultimate over. The second Test draw in Christchurch gave New Zealand the series 1-0 after they won the first Test by an innings and 49 runs and it stretched England's winless away record to 13 Tests. "Neil Wagner and Ish Sodhi were heroic," captain Kane Williamson said. "If it wasn't for them putting their hand up, weathering the storm bumps and bruises and all, this series result could have been so different." Any hopes New Zealand had of reaching 382 to win disappeared when they slumped to 42 for two at the start of the final day when England took two wickets with the first two balls. England had New Zealand six for 182 when the second new ball was taken before tea, but the series-defining final session belonged to New Zealand. After Colin de Grandhomme (45) was the seventh wicket to fall, Wagner and Sodhi added 37 runs in 31.2 overs, but by that stage only survival mattered for New Zealand who finished on 256 for eight when the close came after Wagner's dismissal. Sodhi, who feared he may have finished with a broken finger, said it was a difficult period to bat through. Player of the Match Tim Southee and Player of the Series Trent Boult. ?= @PhotosportNZ #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/RMlBMWrYOE — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) April 3, 2018 × 'A bit of luck' "I was trying to figure out which balls to play and which to get under and it started to become a bit difficult through the middle period when the odd one would jump,"he said. "There was a bit of luck. I had a couple of balls went through the slips and over the gully a couple of times and you could sense their frustration as a bit of fortune went our way." It ended an arduous and unsuccessful tour for England who lost the Ashes series 4-0 before coming to New Zealand. "It's been very disappointing in terms of results... we've not performed to our ability and not got the results we wanted," said captain Joe Root. But, despite England holding the upper hand for two sessions on the final day, Root did not believe they could have done any more to win. "We tried a number of different things and we couldn't have tried much more," he said. James Anderson goes past Courtney Walsh's record of most deliveries bowled by a pacer in Test cricket. READ ➡️ https://t.co/BHE9PHu1Bq pic.twitter.com/aPhK2gx0YI — ICC (@ICC) April 3, 2018 × 'Very frustrating' "It's very frustrating. I thought we had a very good opportunity coming into today, we had fantastic start and we threw absolutely everything at them." After Stuart Broad dismissed Jeet Raval and Kane Williamson with the first two balls, Tom Latham was the first to stand up for New Zealand with a patient 83. De Grandhomme and Sodhi put on 57 for the seventh wicket and then Sodhi and Wagner saw New Zealand through to stumps. Sodhi ducked, weaved, slashed and took hits to the body as he produced his third Test 50, facing 168 balls, while Wagner faced 103 balls for his seven. Joe Root stacked fielders round the bat, and spinner Jack Leach had eight in close catching positions as the number of remaining overs sank below six. But edges flew just wide of outstretched arms, adding to England's frustration. After Broad's early breakthrough, which included the first golden duck for Kane Williamson in his 65-Test career, wickets fell at regular intervals. Ross Taylor avoided the hat-trick, was dropped on six by James Vince and progressed to 13 when he saw Leach place Alastair Cook at short backward leg and promptly chipped the ball straight to him. Henry Nicholls went for 13 and BJ Watling was out for 19. Vince, who had dropped Latham on 23, made amends with a diving catch at square leg to end Latham's near five-hour stay in the middle. THRILLER IN CHRISTCHURCH! Ish Sodhi and Neil Wagner keep England at bay to help New Zealand secure a draw and win the series 1-0.#NZvENG Report ➡️ https://t.co/pRLRQrF9mS pic.twitter.com/aaOQqg3snk — ICC (@ICC) April 3, 2018 ×

NZ vs ENG: Sodhi, Wagner 'heroes' as New Zealand mark series win against England

England on Sunday extended their lead to 231 runs when bad light stopped play three overs early on the third day at Hagley Oval on Sunday.

With this score, the outcome of the match is now firmly in Joe Root's hands with the major decision to be made on how long he wants to bat on the fourth day to give his side enough overs to bowl New Zealand out.

James Vince and Mark Stoneman, who had consolidated England's lead in the middle session, were the only wickets to fall after tea.

Both the players played stupendous knock but missed the opportunity of scoring their first Test centuries.

Alastair Cook was out for 14 and finished the series with just 23 runs in four innings at 5.75 apiece.&nbsp

Stuart Broad had earlier completed his 16th five-wicket haul, finishing with six for 54, while his new ball partner James Anderson had four for 76 as they bowled New Zealand out for 278.

Watling top-scored with 85 before he was bowled by Anderson, while Tim Southee scored his fourth Test half-century before he was bowled by the 35-year-old for 50.

England need a win to deny New Zealand their first series victory against them since 1999. The hosts won the first Test at Eden Park in Auckland by an innings and 49 runs.

The outcome of the match is now firmly in Joe Root's hands

England on Sunday extended their lead to 231 runs when bad light stopped play three overs early on the third day at Hagley Oval on Sunday. With this score, the outcome of the match is now firmly in Joe Root's hands with the major decision to be made on how long he wants to bat on the fourth day to give his side enough overs to bowl New Zealand out. James Vince and Mark Stoneman, who had consolidated England's lead in the middle session, were the only wickets to fall after tea. Both the players played stupendous knock but missed the opportunity of scoring their first Test centuries. Alastair Cook was out for 14 and finished the series with just 23 runs in four innings at 5.75 apiece. Stuart Broad had earlier completed his 16th five-wicket haul, finishing with six for 54, while his new ball partner James Anderson had four for 76 as they bowled New Zealand out for 278. Watling top-scored with 85 before he was bowled by Anderson, while Tim Southee scored his fourth Test half-century before he was bowled by the 35-year-old for 50. England need a win to deny New Zealand their first series victory against them since 1999. The hosts won the first Test at Eden Park in Auckland by an innings and 49 runs.

New Zealand vs England: Visitors strengthen hold on day 3 with 231-run lead

Right-handed opening batsman BJ Watling continued to defy England as he along with Colin de Grandhomme restored New Zealand's innings.

The black caps fought back to put a total of 192 for six as the second day of the second test at Hagley Oval ended about 30 minutes early due to bad light.

Watling was 77 (not out) after he and de Grandhomme had come together at 36 for five and then combined for 142 runs for the sixth wicket to drag the hosts back into the match.

Stuart Broad and James Anderson had blasted the top order of England innings.

Tim Southee was 13 not out after de Grandhomme had been dismissed for 72 about an hour before the scheduled end of play.

England had been dismissed for 307 early on Saturday at Hagley Oval after Jonny Bairstow was the last man out for a well-deserved 101.

Broad and Anderson then followed up Bairstow's fifth test century with four quick wickets to put England in charge as they reduced the hosts to 32 for four at lunch.

The two, however, were less effective after lunch as the ball softened and de Grandhomme and Watling were able to fight back.

"We have to make use of that new ball tomorrow," Broad told reporters. "New Zealand are 100-something behind and with the new ball around the corner, we've seen the damage the new ball can do on this pitch."

"(De Grandhomme and Watling) played exceptionally well, but from our point of view, we held them well enough to still be ahead of this game."

England need a win to stop New Zealand clinching their first series against them since 1999.&nbsp;

The hosts won the first test at Eden Park in Auckland by an innings and 49 runs.

The black caps fought back to put a total of 192 for six at stumps

Right-handed opening batsman BJ Watling continued to defy England as he along with Colin de Grandhomme restored New Zealand's innings. The black caps fought back to put a total of 192 for six as the second day of the second test at Hagley Oval ended about 30 minutes early due to bad light. Watling was 77 (not out) after he and de Grandhomme had come together at 36 for five and then combined for 142 runs for the sixth wicket to drag the hosts back into the match. Stuart Broad and James Anderson had blasted the top order of England innings. Tim Southee was 13 not out after de Grandhomme had been dismissed for 72 about an hour before the scheduled end of play. England had been dismissed for 307 early on Saturday at Hagley Oval after Jonny Bairstow was the last man out for a well-deserved 101. Broad and Anderson then followed up Bairstow's fifth test century with four quick wickets to put England in charge as they reduced the hosts to 32 for four at lunch. The two, however, were less effective after lunch as the ball softened and de Grandhomme and Watling were able to fight back. "We have to make use of that new ball tomorrow," Broad told reporters. "New Zealand are 100-something behind and with the new ball around the corner, we've seen the damage the new ball can do on this pitch." "(De Grandhomme and Watling) played exceptionally well, but from our point of view, we held them well enough to still be ahead of this game." England need a win to stop New Zealand clinching their first series against them since 1999. The hosts won the first test at Eden Park in Auckland by an innings and 49 runs.

Black Caps fight back after England rip off top order

New Zealand on Monday defeated England by an innings and 49 runs in the first Test of the two-match series at the Eden Park in Auckland.&nbsp

England suffered a major blow when it lost its captain Joe Root on the last ball of the fourth day, as it strove to save the Test, trailing New Zealand by 237 runs at the end of the day. &nbsp

With seven wickets in hand heading into the final day, the visitors lost Dawid Malan (23), Jonny Bairstow (26) and Moeen Ali (28) in the first session before Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes battled through the middle session.

Stokes, 66 off 264 balls, and Woakes, 52 off 164 balls, kept England's chances alive of drawing the match.

However, Neil Wagner dismissed them both to take his side to a comfortable victory.

Boult, Wagner, and Astle took three wickets each in the second innings.&nbsp

Boult was declared the Man of the Match for claiming nine wickets in the match.

The second Test will be played from March 30 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.

<div class="bottom-related-block visible-lg bottom-related-block-37175" style="display:none !important">
<div class="support-article-data">
<div class="inside-block-elements-social">
<div class="article-share-data clearfix">
<div class="social-icon-share">
<ul class="clearfix">
	<li>&nbsp</li>
	<li>&nbsp</li>
	<li>&nbsp</li>
	<li>&nbsp</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>

<div class="inside-block-elements">
<div class="row">
<div class="col-sm-4">
<div class="row">
<div class="col-sm-12">
<div class="new-title small">
<h2>Related</h2>
</div>

<div class="new-widget-type-view-5 micro mbl-view clearfix">
<div class="media-holder">
<div class="img-holder">
<div class="img-place-holder"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/day-4-trent-boult-captures-cook-as-england-battle-to-save-test-36996" style="background-image: url("http://s.wionews.com/photos/trent%20boult-20180325063117-270x215.jpg")"><img alt="an image" class="img-responsive" height="215" layout="responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/trent%20boult-20180325063117-270x215.jpg" width="270" /> </a></div>

<div class="new-icon-overlay">
&nbsp
</div>
</div>
</div>

<div class="content-holder ">
<h5><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/day-4-trent-boult-captures-cook-as-england-battle-to-save-test-36996">Eng vs NZ, Day 4: Trent Boult captures Cook as England battle... </a></h5>
</div>
</div>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-12">
<div class="new-widget-type-view-5 micro mbl-view clearfix">
<div class="media-holder">
<div class="img-holder">
<div class="img-place-holder"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-opts-for-county-stint-to-prepare-himself-for-england-tour-36914" style="background-image: url("http://s.wionews.com/photos/virat%20kohli-20180324075418-270x215.jpg")"><img alt="an image" class="img-responsive" height="215" layout="responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/virat%20kohli-20180324075418-270x215.jpg" width="270" /> </a></div>

<div class="new-icon-overlay">
&nbsp
</div>
</div>
</div>

<div class="content-holder ">
<h5><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-opts-for-county-stint-to-prepare-himself-for-england-tour-36914">Virat Kohli opts for county stint to prepare himself for... </a></h5>
</div>
</div>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-12">
<div class="new-widget-type-view-5 micro mbl-view clearfix">
<div class="media-holder">
<div class="img-holder">
<div class="img-place-holder"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/new-zealand-build-171-runs-lead-on-rain-disrupted-second-day-36814" style="background-image: url("http://s.wionews.com/photos/kane%20williamson-20180323061256-270x215.jpg")"><img alt="an image" class="img-responsive" height="215" layout="responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/kane%20williamson-20180323061256-270x215.jpg" width="270" /> </a></div>

<div class="new-icon-overlay">
&nbsp
</div>
</div>
</div>

<div class="content-holder ">
<h5><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/new-zealand-build-171-runs-lead-on-rain-disrupted-second-day-36814">New Zealand build 171 runs lead on rain-disrupted second day </a></h5>
</div>
</div>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-12">
<div class="new-widget-type-view-5 micro mbl-view clearfix">
<div class="media-holder">
<div class="img-holder">
<div class="img-place-holder"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/1st-test-new-zealand-batsman-williamson-shines-as-england-dismissed-for-58-36736" style="background-image: url("http://s.wionews.com/photos/kane%20williamson-20180322105018-270x215.jpg")"><img alt="an image" class="img-responsive" height="215" layout="responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/kane%20williamson-20180322105018-270x215.jpg" width="270" /> </a></div>

<div class="new-icon-overlay">
&nbsp
</div>
</div>
</div>

<div class="content-holder ">
<h5><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/1st-test-new-zealand-batsman-williamson-shines-as-england-dismissed-for-58-36736">1st Test: New Zealand batsman Williamson shines as England... </a></h5>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

England suffered a major blow when it lost its captain Joe Root

New Zealand on Monday defeated England by an innings and 49 runs in the first Test of the two-match series at the Eden Park in Auckland. England suffered a major blow when it lost its captain Joe Root on the last ball of the fourth day, as it strove to save the Test, trailing New Zealand by 237 runs at the end of the day. With seven wickets in hand heading into the final day, the visitors lost Dawid Malan (23), Jonny Bairstow (26) and Moeen Ali (28) in the first session before Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes battled through the middle session. Stokes, 66 off 264 balls, and Woakes, 52 off 164 balls, kept England's chances alive of drawing the match. However, Neil Wagner dismissed them both to take his side to a comfortable victory. Boult, Wagner, and Astle took three wickets each in the second innings. Boult was declared the Man of the Match for claiming nine wickets in the match. The second Test will be played from March 30 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. Related Eng vs NZ, Day 4: Trent Boult captures Cook as England battle... Virat Kohli opts for county stint to prepare himself for... New Zealand build 171 runs lead on rain-disrupted second day 1st Test: New Zealand batsman Williamson shines as England...

1st Test: New Zealand beat England by innings and 49 runs

Trent Boult made an early breakthrough to increase the pressure on England in the first test against New Zealand as the visitors went to the dinner break on the fourth day on 38 for one, still needing 331 runs to make the hosts bat again.

Boult, whose 6-32 in the first innings helped bowl England out for 58, had a woefully out-of-form Alastair Cook caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper BJ Watling for two.

Mark Stoneman (18) and Joe Root (14) managed to take their side through to the break without further loss, despite facing some testing moments from New Zealand`s new-ball attack of Boult and Tim Southee.

Earlier, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson had declared his side`s first innings at 427-8, a lead of 369 runs, about an hour into the middle session of the rain-affected day-night test.

Rain had washed out virtually all of the previous two days, with only 23.1 overs bowled by England on Friday and just 17 deliveries on Saturday.&nbsp;

Finally able to enjoy a period of uninterrupted play, Henry Nicholls advanced from his overnight score of 52 to reach his highest test score of 145 not out as England`s bowlers made scoring difficult for the home side on Sunday.

The 26-year-old left-hander brought up his second test century with two runs punched in front of point off spin bowler Moeen Ali shortly before the tea break.

Watling (31), Colin de Grandhomme, whose 29 included five boundaries and a six, and Todd Astle (18) were all dismissed in the first session, with Stuart Broad taking two wickets.

Southee fell in the middle session for 25 when he was caught and bowled by Root shortly before the declaration. Neil Wagner was nine not out.

The second test, a standard daytime match, is at Hagley Oval in Christchurch from March 30-April 3.

The visitors still need 331 runs to make the hosts bat again

Trent Boult made an early breakthrough to increase the pressure on England in the first test against New Zealand as the visitors went to the dinner break on the fourth day on 38 for one, still needing 331 runs to make the hosts bat again. Boult, whose 6-32 in the first innings helped bowl England out for 58, had a woefully out-of-form Alastair Cook caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper BJ Watling for two. Mark Stoneman (18) and Joe Root (14) managed to take their side through to the break without further loss, despite facing some testing moments from New Zealand`s new-ball attack of Boult and Tim Southee. Earlier, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson had declared his side`s first innings at 427-8, a lead of 369 runs, about an hour into the middle session of the rain-affected day-night test. Rain had washed out virtually all of the previous two days, with only 23.1 overs bowled by England on Friday and just 17 deliveries on Saturday. Finally able to enjoy a period of uninterrupted play, Henry Nicholls advanced from his overnight score of 52 to reach his highest test score of 145 not out as England`s bowlers made scoring difficult for the home side on Sunday. The 26-year-old left-hander brought up his second test century with two runs punched in front of point off spin bowler Moeen Ali shortly before the tea break. Watling (31), Colin de Grandhomme, whose 29 included five boundaries and a six, and Todd Astle (18) were all dismissed in the first session, with Stuart Broad taking two wickets. Southee fell in the middle session for 25 when he was caught and bowled by Root shortly before the declaration. Neil Wagner was nine not out. The second test, a standard daytime match, is at Hagley Oval in Christchurch from March 30-April 3.

Eng vs NZ, Day 4: Trent Boult captures Cook as England battle to save test

A humiliated England faced scathing criticism from &quot;embarrassed&quot; coach Trevor Bayliss while New Zealand celebrated a performance &quot;beyond our wildest dreams&quot; on the opening day of the first Test in Auckland on Thursday.

Bayliss said he was hurt by a scoreboard showing England all out for 58, inside the first session, and New Zealand 175 for three at stumps, ahead by 117 and with Kane Williamson not out 91.

&quot;It was a very poor effort today, it just simply wasn&#39;t good enough,&quot; Bayliss said after England slumped to their sixth worst Test innings ever.

At one stage they threatened New Zealand&#39;s unwanted world Test record low of 26 before an unbeaten 33 by Craig Overton more than doubled their score in a last wicket stand with James Anderson.

&quot;Whenever you don&#39;t do well it does hurt,&quot; said Bayliss, defending his selections as the best available in England.

&quot;Embarrassed? Certainly, and I probably wasn&#39;t the only one in our change room. It&#39;s certainly not good enough.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
STUMPS IN AUCKLAND! 
 
What a day for <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BLACKCAPS</a>! They first bundled England out for 58, and then Kane Williamson struck 91* to take them to 175/3. Can it get any better?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> All the details here ⬇️<a href="https://t.co/gs9XvkvSIF">https://t.co/gs9XvkvSIF</a> <a href="https://t.co/cQjrW5k8oU">pic.twitter.com/cQjrW5k8oU</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/976743387935031296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Tom Latham becomes Stuart Broad&#39;s 400th Test wicket. ???? 
 
2nd Englishman after James Anderson (524) and 15th overall to get to the mark. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/sSz9XFPsZ0">pic.twitter.com/sSz9XFPsZ0</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/976704200787730432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

New Zealand only needed two bowlers, Trent Boult who took six for 32, and Tim Southee, who took four for 25, in an innings that lasted just 20.4 overs.

&quot;It was very enjoyable to get out there to get the ball swinging around,&quot; said Boult who finished with career-best figures.

&quot;Probably not in our wildest dreams did we think we would win the toss and get them out in the first session.

&quot;The main thing was trying to pitch the ball up, trying to get the ball moving as much as we could and giving it the best chance to swing.

&quot;I don&#39;t think it swung that much. The cliche of it just doing enough is pretty much what happened.&quot;

&#39;Footwork mistakes&#39;&nbsp;

Apart from Stuart Broad taking his 400th Test wicket, it was a bleak day for the tourists, with Bayliss blaming their batting woes on &quot;mistakes with our footwork&quot;.

But for New Zealand, Williamson commanded the Test from the moment he won the toss and opted to bowl.

He featured in the field with a superb diving catch in the gully to remove Broad and ended the day closing in on a new record for New Zealand Test centuries.

He currently shares the record of 17 centuries with Ross Taylor and the late Martin Crowe.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s what you grow up dreaming of to one day run out there with a fern on your hat and perform like that&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/wUSHfdcOX4">pic.twitter.com/wUSHfdcOX4</a>
&mdash; BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS/status/976745071302270977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Williamson went to the middle after the early dismissal of Jeet Raval, when New Zealand were one for eight, and put on 84 with Tom Latham for the second wicket.

Latham had made a patient 26 off 112 deliveries but when play entered the difficult daylight-to-twilight zone he was gone in the first over after dinner to give Broad his milestone scalp.

Williamson had a nervous moment on 64 when Chris Woakes claimed a straight drive from Taylor had deflected off his hand to the stumps, with Williamson backing up out of his crease.

Replays proved inconclusive and the third umpire ruled in favour of the batsman, but Bayliss said Woakes was adamant the ball had brushed his hand.

Taylor never looked completely at ease and on 20 he was caught at mid-wicket by Woakes to give England&#39;s most successful Test bowler, James Anderson, his 525th career dismissal.

Henry Nicholls joined Williamson and was unbeaten on 24 at stumps with the pair putting on 52 for the fourth wicket.

Boult started England&#39;s downfall when he had Alastair Cook out for five in the fifth over.

There followed a steady stream of batsmen going to and from the crease, five of them departing with a duck -- including Joe Root and Ben Stokes -- with only Mark Stoneman (11) able to join Overton with double figures.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Trent Boult - &lsquo;It was nice to disturb the woodwork and put the side in a good position&rsquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nzveng?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nzveng</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/findyournight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#findyournight</a> <a href="https://t.co/ItkCvi5VN0">pic.twitter.com/ItkCvi5VN0</a>
&mdash; BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS/status/976740681602408450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Kane Williamson England registered their sixth-lowest total in Tests

A humiliated England faced scathing criticism from "embarrassed" coach Trevor Bayliss while New Zealand celebrated a performance "beyond our wildest dreams" on the opening day of the first Test in Auckland on Thursday. Bayliss said he was hurt by a scoreboard showing England all out for 58, inside the first session, and New Zealand 175 for three at stumps, ahead by 117 and with Kane Williamson not out 91. "It was a very poor effort today, it just simply wasn't good enough," Bayliss said after England slumped to their sixth worst Test innings ever. At one stage they threatened New Zealand's unwanted world Test record low of 26 before an unbeaten 33 by Craig Overton more than doubled their score in a last wicket stand with James Anderson. "Whenever you don't do well it does hurt," said Bayliss, defending his selections as the best available in England. "Embarrassed? Certainly, and I probably wasn't the only one in our change room. It's certainly not good enough." STUMPS IN AUCKLAND! What a day for @BLACKCAPS! They first bundled England out for 58, and then Kane Williamson struck 91* to take them to 175/3. Can it get any better?#NZvENG All the details here ⬇️https://t.co/gs9XvkvSIF pic.twitter.com/cQjrW5k8oU — ICC (@ICC) March 22, 2018 × Tom Latham becomes Stuart Broad's 400th Test wicket. ???? 2nd Englishman after James Anderson (524) and 15th overall to get to the mark. #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/sSz9XFPsZ0 — ICC (@ICC) March 22, 2018 × New Zealand only needed two bowlers, Trent Boult who took six for 32, and Tim Southee, who took four for 25, in an innings that lasted just 20.4 overs. "It was very enjoyable to get out there to get the ball swinging around," said Boult who finished with career-best figures. "Probably not in our wildest dreams did we think we would win the toss and get them out in the first session. "The main thing was trying to pitch the ball up, trying to get the ball moving as much as we could and giving it the best chance to swing. "I don't think it swung that much. The cliche of it just doing enough is pretty much what happened." 'Footwork mistakes' Apart from Stuart Broad taking his 400th Test wicket, it was a bleak day for the tourists, with Bayliss blaming their batting woes on "mistakes with our footwork". But for New Zealand, Williamson commanded the Test from the moment he won the toss and opted to bowl. He featured in the field with a superb diving catch in the gully to remove Broad and ended the day closing in on a new record for New Zealand Test centuries. He currently shares the record of 17 centuries with Ross Taylor and the late Martin Crowe. “It’s what you grow up dreaming of to one day run out there with a fern on your hat and perform like that” #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/wUSHfdcOX4 — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 22, 2018 × Williamson went to the middle after the early dismissal of Jeet Raval, when New Zealand were one for eight, and put on 84 with Tom Latham for the second wicket. Latham had made a patient 26 off 112 deliveries but when play entered the difficult daylight-to-twilight zone he was gone in the first over after dinner to give Broad his milestone scalp. Williamson had a nervous moment on 64 when Chris Woakes claimed a straight drive from Taylor had deflected off his hand to the stumps, with Williamson backing up out of his crease. Replays proved inconclusive and the third umpire ruled in favour of the batsman, but Bayliss said Woakes was adamant the ball had brushed his hand. Taylor never looked completely at ease and on 20 he was caught at mid-wicket by Woakes to give England's most successful Test bowler, James Anderson, his 525th career dismissal. Henry Nicholls joined Williamson and was unbeaten on 24 at stumps with the pair putting on 52 for the fourth wicket. Boult started England's downfall when he had Alastair Cook out for five in the fifth over. There followed a steady stream of batsmen going to and from the crease, five of them departing with a duck -- including Joe Root and Ben Stokes -- with only Mark Stoneman (11) able to join Overton with double figures. Trent Boult - ‘It was nice to disturb the woodwork and put the side in a good position’ #nzveng #findyournight pic.twitter.com/ItkCvi5VN0 — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 22, 2018 ×

1st Test: New Zealand batsman Williamson shines as England dismissed for 58

The first Test match of a two-match series between England and New Zealand will start from March 22 at Eden Park, Auckland.

Ross Taylor, who had been battling a groin injury and a stomach bug is back in the playing squad as New Zealand received a boost on the eve of the first Test with confirmation that Taylor is fit to play.

Recently, Kane Williamson has confirmed that Todd Astle will come into the playing XI for Thursday.

New Zealand&nbsp;playing XI:

Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Todd Astle, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Kane Williamson has confirmed Todd Astle will come into the playing XI for Thursday. Our XI - Latham, Raval, Williamson, Taylor, Nicholls, Watling, de Grandhomme, Astle, Southee, Wagner, Boult. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/N95xkXrai6">pic.twitter.com/N95xkXrai6</a>
&mdash; BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS/status/976271712995098624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Taylor, who has a Test average of 48.04, was also there in the squad of the second practice match.

Skipper Williamson reportedly said Taylor had completed a full training session without a problem.

He stated, &quot;He&#39;s good to go so that&#39;s great news for us.&quot;

&quot;Roscoe has played beautifully every time he&#39;s walked out to the crease, the calmness at the crease, the confidence.

&quot;It&#39;s reflected in how much success he&#39;s had this year. It&#39;s important for us as a team that he&#39;s there.&quot;

He mentioned about the new changes in the squad as Todd Astle would replace Mitchell Santner as the spinner in the side and BJ Watling would return as wicketkeeper.

The return of Ross Taylor in the playing XI means that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/new-zealand-put-martin-guptill-on-standby-for-england-test-36453">Martin Guptill</a>, who was included in&nbsp;the absence of Taylor will be snubbed.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Things looking a little different at <a href="https://twitter.com/edenparknz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@edenparknz</a> for today&rsquo;s training. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FindYourNight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FindYourNight</a> <a href="https://t.co/6bAM8K1YWE">pic.twitter.com/6bAM8K1YWE</a>
&mdash; BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS/status/975987234150100992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Kane Williamson said Ross Taylor had completed a full training session without a problem

The first Test match of a two-match series between England and New Zealand will start from March 22 at Eden Park, Auckland. Ross Taylor, who had been battling a groin injury and a stomach bug is back in the playing squad as New Zealand received a boost on the eve of the first Test with confirmation that Taylor is fit to play. Recently, Kane Williamson has confirmed that Todd Astle will come into the playing XI for Thursday. New Zealand playing XI: Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Todd Astle, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult. Kane Williamson has confirmed Todd Astle will come into the playing XI for Thursday. Our XI - Latham, Raval, Williamson, Taylor, Nicholls, Watling, de Grandhomme, Astle, Southee, Wagner, Boult. #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/N95xkXrai6 — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 21, 2018 × Taylor, who has a Test average of 48.04, was also there in the squad of the second practice match. Skipper Williamson reportedly said Taylor had completed a full training session without a problem. He stated, "He's good to go so that's great news for us." "Roscoe has played beautifully every time he's walked out to the crease, the calmness at the crease, the confidence. "It's reflected in how much success he's had this year. It's important for us as a team that he's there." He mentioned about the new changes in the squad as Todd Astle would replace Mitchell Santner as the spinner in the side and BJ Watling would return as wicketkeeper. The return of Ross Taylor in the playing XI means that Martin Guptill, who was included in the absence of Taylor will be snubbed. Things looking a little different at @edenparknz for today’s training. #NZvENG #FindYourNight pic.twitter.com/6bAM8K1YWE — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 20, 2018 ×

Ross Taylor fit to play in first Test against England: Kane Williamson

New Zealand power hitter Martin Guptill might get another chance to play in the first Test match against England this week if Ross Taylor remains unfit.

Martin Guptill has a remarkable record when it comes limited over format, especially One-Day Internationals (ODIs), averaging 42.99 but his Test records are comparatively poor.

He has yet to prove himself in the longer format, where his figures drop to 29.38.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Martin Guptill has been added to the BLACKCAPS Test side to round out the squad of 13 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> - <a href="https://t.co/fOpCHU3YDV">https://t.co/fOpCHU3YDV</a> <a href="https://t.co/DqyA5d6Bgb">pic.twitter.com/DqyA5d6Bgb</a>
&mdash; BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS/status/975643290912477184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson Radio Sport, &quot;Martin&#39;s made a shift to the middle order.&quot;

&quot;He hasn&#39;t had a lot of opportunity there, but with his ability to cover all positions it&#39;s nice to have him back.&quot;

The opening Test of the two-match series, which starts Thursday, is a day-night fixture at Eden Park, the first pink-ball Test ever staged in New Zealand.

&nbsp;

Martin Guptill might get another chance to play the first Test match against England this week if Ross Taylor remains unfit

New Zealand power hitter Martin Guptill might get another chance to play in the first Test match against England this week if Ross Taylor remains unfit. Martin Guptill has a remarkable record when it comes limited over format, especially One-Day Internationals (ODIs), averaging 42.99 but his Test records are comparatively poor. He has yet to prove himself in the longer format, where his figures drop to 29.38. Martin Guptill has been added to the BLACKCAPS Test side to round out the squad of 13 #NZvENG - https://t.co/fOpCHU3YDV pic.twitter.com/DqyA5d6Bgb — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 19, 2018 × New Zealand coach Mike Hesson Radio Sport, "Martin's made a shift to the middle order." "He hasn't had a lot of opportunity there, but with his ability to cover all positions it's nice to have him back." The opening Test of the two-match series, which starts Thursday, is a day-night fixture at Eden Park, the first pink-ball Test ever staged in New Zealand.

New Zealand put Martin Guptill on standby for England Test

A day after India lifted Nidahas Trophy, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) acting president CK Khanna on Monday called on the Men in Blue to continue the momentum in the upcoming three-match T20I series against England.

India ended the Nidahas Trophy T20I Tri-series, which also featured Sri Lanka, with a four-wicket victory over Bangladesh at the R Premadasa Stadium.&nbsp;

Heaping praise over the Rohit Sharma-led side, Khanna congratulated head coach Ravi Shastri and the entire team for their `great achievement`, while giving special mention to Karthik`s performance.

&quot;What an amazing victory. What a great contribution by all the players. We congratulate Ravi Shastri and the entire team for this great achievement. And the consistency which they are maintaining, I am confident that they will continue the same against England also. One again, I congratulate team and Dinesh Karthik for a brilliant knock under pressure. Great job done,&quot; Khanna told ANI.

Dinesh Karthik played a lifetime memorable knock and remained unbeaten at 29 runs.&nbsp;

He clinched the match on the final delivery, sending a flat six over the covers. His eight-ball knock included two fours and three sixes and he was adjudged Man of the Match.

After electing to field first, the Indian team managed to restrict Bangladesh to 166 for the loss of eight wickets in their stipulated 20 overs.&nbsp;

In reply, opener and stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma provided his side with a good start by scoring 56-run knock off 42 deliveries before wickets start falling in quick succession to reduce the side to 98 for four.

India are now scheduled to play three-match T20I series, three ODIs and five-match Test series against England, beginning July 3 at the Old Trafford.&nbsp;

Acting president CK Khanna called on the Men in Blue to continue the winning momentum

A day after India lifted Nidahas Trophy, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) acting president CK Khanna on Monday called on the Men in Blue to continue the momentum in the upcoming three-match T20I series against England. India ended the Nidahas Trophy T20I Tri-series, which also featured Sri Lanka, with a four-wicket victory over Bangladesh at the R Premadasa Stadium. Heaping praise over the Rohit Sharma-led side, Khanna congratulated head coach Ravi Shastri and the entire team for their `great achievement`, while giving special mention to Karthik`s performance. "What an amazing victory. What a great contribution by all the players. We congratulate Ravi Shastri and the entire team for this great achievement. And the consistency which they are maintaining, I am confident that they will continue the same against England also. One again, I congratulate team and Dinesh Karthik for a brilliant knock under pressure. Great job done," Khanna told ANI. Dinesh Karthik played a lifetime memorable knock and remained unbeaten at 29 runs. He clinched the match on the final delivery, sending a flat six over the covers. His eight-ball knock included two fours and three sixes and he was adjudged Man of the Match. After electing to field first, the Indian team managed to restrict Bangladesh to 166 for the loss of eight wickets in their stipulated 20 overs. In reply, opener and stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma provided his side with a good start by scoring 56-run knock off 42 deliveries before wickets start falling in quick succession to reduce the side to 98 for four. India are now scheduled to play three-match T20I series, three ODIs and five-match Test series against England, beginning July 3 at the Old Trafford.

Continue winning momentum against England: BCCI to team India

Chaos broke out after a man drove into a pub in Gravesend, UK. The incident took place on Saturday night after the man was reportedly not allowed an entry inside the pub.&nbsp;

Locals report of a car being driven right into a nightclub here. Some say that the man was asked to leave the venue after which the accident happened.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
GRAVESEND: Reports of a car having been driven into the outer area of Blake&rsquo;s nightclub by someone after allegedly not being allowed in. Also reports of a fight. <a href="https://t.co/tY2qju9xEU">pic.twitter.com/tY2qju9xEU</a>
&mdash; Kent 999s (@Kent_999s) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kent_999s/status/975170598749040640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Online footage of the accident available on social media shows a car inside a marquee at Blake&rsquo;s nightclub on Queen Street.

Reports suggest a man arrested and few injured in the accident.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
GRAVESEND update: Police say that at least 13 people were injured when a Suzuki Vitara was driven into Blake&rsquo;s nightclub on Queen Street last night. Some people suffered broken bones. Police believe that some injured people left the scene. A man (21) was arrested. <a href="https://t.co/hGXMyhd8Fl">pic.twitter.com/hGXMyhd8Fl</a>
&mdash; Kent 999s (@Kent_999s) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kent_999s/status/975311511198601216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Reports suggest a man arrested and few injured in the accident

Chaos broke out after a man drove into a pub in Gravesend, UK. The incident took place on Saturday night after the man was reportedly not allowed an entry inside the pub. Locals report of a car being driven right into a nightclub here. Some say that the man was asked to leave the venue after which the accident happened. GRAVESEND: Reports of a car having been driven into the outer area of Blake’s nightclub by someone after allegedly not being allowed in. Also reports of a fight. pic.twitter.com/tY2qju9xEU — Kent 999s (@Kent_999s) March 18, 2018 × Online footage of the accident available on social media shows a car inside a marquee at Blake’s nightclub on Queen Street. Reports suggest a man arrested and few injured in the accident. GRAVESEND update: Police say that at least 13 people were injured when a Suzuki Vitara was driven into Blake’s nightclub on Queen Street last night. Some people suffered broken bones. Police believe that some injured people left the scene. A man (21) was arrested. pic.twitter.com/hGXMyhd8Fl — Kent 999s (@Kent_999s) March 18, 2018 ×

UK: Man drives car into nightclub after entry denied

Moscow on Wednesday called Britain&#39;s decision to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/britains-may-says-russia-responsible-for-attack-on-ex-spy-in-uk-35826" target="_blank">expel 23 Russian diplomats</a> over the poisoning of an ex-spy a sign that London was choosing confrontation with Russia, adding that retaliation would follow shortly.

&quot;The British government made a choice for confrontation with Russia,&quot; the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday expelled the diplomats and suspended high-level contacts with Russia after Moscow did not respond to her demand for an explanation on how a Soviet-designed nerve agent came to be used to attack former spy Sergei Skripal on British soil.

May said there was &quot;no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian state was culpable&quot; for the attack on Skripal and his daughter, who fell ill from exposure to a substance called Novichok in the city of Salisbury on March 4 and are currently in hospital.

The Russian ministry said May&#39;s statement was an &quot;unprecedentedly rude provocation which undermines the foundations of normal bilateral dialogue between our countries.&quot;

It accused London of pursuing a political agenda and choosing to &quot;aggravate relations,&quot; calling the announced measures &quot;hostile&quot;.

May also confirmed that neither members of the royal family nor ministers would attend the football World Cup in Russia this year.

&quot;Our response measures will not be tardy,&quot; the Russian foreign ministry said.

'The British government made a choice for confrontation with Russia,' the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement

Moscow on Wednesday called Britain's decision to expel 23 Russian diplomats over the poisoning of an ex-spy a sign that London was choosing confrontation with Russia, adding that retaliation would follow shortly. "The British government made a choice for confrontation with Russia," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday expelled the diplomats and suspended high-level contacts with Russia after Moscow did not respond to her demand for an explanation on how a Soviet-designed nerve agent came to be used to attack former spy Sergei Skripal on British soil. May said there was "no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian state was culpable" for the attack on Skripal and his daughter, who fell ill from exposure to a substance called Novichok in the city of Salisbury on March 4 and are currently in hospital. The Russian ministry said May's statement was an "unprecedentedly rude provocation which undermines the foundations of normal bilateral dialogue between our countries." It accused London of pursuing a political agenda and choosing to "aggravate relations," calling the announced measures "hostile". May also confirmed that neither members of the royal family nor ministers would attend the football World Cup in Russia this year. "Our response measures will not be tardy," the Russian foreign ministry said.

Moscow says will retaliate soon to Britain's expulsion of diplomats

England&#39;s Matt Wallace carded a four-under 68 to win the Indian Open golf Sunday after local favourite Shubhankar Sharma floundered in the final round to squander his joint overnight lead.

Wallace pipped compatriot Andrew Johnston in a playoff after tying on 11-under 277 at the end of the regulation 72 holes at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon.

&quot;I feel amazing. It was a hard week and a hard golf course but you can&#39;t be off your game,&quot; said Wallace after bagging his second European Tour title.

&quot;I think I played great, I didn&#39;t miss too many shots. It&#39;s satisfying to master the course.&quot;

Sharma, riding high after winning two European Tour titles in the last three months, slipped down the leaderboard to finish joint seventh after a three-over 75 in the last round.

&quot;I am disappointed obviously... these things happen and it&#39;s not an easy course,&quot; said the 21-year-old Sharma.

&quot;I was just trying to keep up with Matt (Wallace). He was playing so well. I made a bad swing on the fifth hole which put me out of contention.

&quot;I was trying to come back but I made another bad swing on the seventh. You can&#39;t really drop too many shots on this course and I dropped nine.&quot;

Despite his lacklustre show, Sharma continues to lead the European Tour Race to Dubai and the Asian Order of Merit.

Sharma&#39;s next big-ticket event will be the US Masters in April where he will be rubbing shoulders with the game&#39;s elite.

Sharma was invited for the Masters earlier this month, becoming just the fourth Indian ever to make it to the top-flight tournament.

&nbsp;

Matt Wallace carded a four-under 68 to win the Indian Open golf Sunday after local favourite Shubhankar Sharma floundered in the final round to squander his joint overnight lead

England's Matt Wallace carded a four-under 68 to win the Indian Open golf Sunday after local favourite Shubhankar Sharma floundered in the final round to squander his joint overnight lead. Wallace pipped compatriot Andrew Johnston in a playoff after tying on 11-under 277 at the end of the regulation 72 holes at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon. "I feel amazing. It was a hard week and a hard golf course but you can't be off your game," said Wallace after bagging his second European Tour title. "I think I played great, I didn't miss too many shots. It's satisfying to master the course." Sharma, riding high after winning two European Tour titles in the last three months, slipped down the leaderboard to finish joint seventh after a three-over 75 in the last round. "I am disappointed obviously... these things happen and it's not an easy course," said the 21-year-old Sharma. "I was just trying to keep up with Matt (Wallace). He was playing so well. I made a bad swing on the fifth hole which put me out of contention. "I was trying to come back but I made another bad swing on the seventh. You can't really drop too many shots on this course and I dropped nine." Despite his lacklustre show, Sharma continues to lead the European Tour Race to Dubai and the Asian Order of Merit. Sharma's next big-ticket event will be the US Masters in April where he will be rubbing shoulders with the game's elite. Sharma was invited for the Masters earlier this month, becoming just the fourth Indian ever to make it to the top-flight tournament.

Golf: England's Matt Wallace claims Indian Open title

England defeated New Zealand by 7 wickets in the 5th and final ODI match to clinch the five-match series by 3-2 &nbsp;at Hagley Oval, Christchurch on Saturday. Earlier, England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and opted to bowl.

Jonny Bairstow slammed his second successive century that included eight boundaries and six sixes to inspire his team to win the decider match.

&quot;It&#39;s different from batting in the middle order but my job now is to score big hundreds and contribute match-winning scores,&quot; said the innings opener Bairstow.

For his magnificent innings, he was awarded man of the match.

Playing first, New Zeland had been dismissed for 223 after England never allowed the hosts to develop any momentum with the bat and kept taking regular wickets to put pressure.

For New Zealand, Martin Guptill scored 47 runs for the team but lost his wicket as immense pressure was building up on him because New Zealand kept losing wickets from the other end.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
In the end, Bairstow made it look too easy for England. Stokes finishes it off with a six, and that&#39;s the series wrapped up 3-2! ????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> SCORECARD ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/2Pnu6S7T6Z">https://t.co/2Pnu6S7T6Z</a> <a href="https://t.co/xW9ZLdwB9n">pic.twitter.com/xW9ZLdwB9n</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/972328809830764545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Henry Nicholls tried to salvage the Blackcaps and found a determined ally in Mitchell Santner but lost his wicket after scoring 55 crucial runs. Santner, who rescued New Zealand in the first match, hit a personal best 67.

Mark Wood bowled Kane Williamson for 14 before spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali stepped up to decimate the middle of the New Zealand innings.

Rashid, who finished with three for 42, accounted for Tom Latham (10), Martin Guptill (47) and Colin de Grandhomme (six).

Chris Woakes emerged as the most economical of the England bowlers finished with three for 32 off his 10 overs.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Smiles all around!<a href="https://twitter.com/chriswoakes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chriswoakes</a> wins Player of the Series award for his brilliance with the ball. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/hEQrusqXAY">pic.twitter.com/hEQrusqXAY</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/972332059120324608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

New Zealand suffered a major blow before the start of final ODI as their star batsman Ross Taylor has been ruled out due to a thigh injury.

Taylor scored an unbeaten 181 to inspire his side to a five-wicket win in the fourth game in Dunedin that levelled the series at 2-2 on Wednesday.

Taylor has been replaced by Mark Chapman and England has made another change by bringing opening batsman Alex Hales in for the injured Jason Roy.

Jonny Bairstow slammed his second successive century that included eight boundaries and six sixes to inspire his team to win the decider match

England defeated New Zealand by 7 wickets in the 5th and final ODI match to clinch the five-match series by 3-2 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch on Saturday. Earlier, England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and opted to bowl. Jonny Bairstow slammed his second successive century that included eight boundaries and six sixes to inspire his team to win the decider match. "It's different from batting in the middle order but my job now is to score big hundreds and contribute match-winning scores," said the innings opener Bairstow. For his magnificent innings, he was awarded man of the match. Playing first, New Zeland had been dismissed for 223 after England never allowed the hosts to develop any momentum with the bat and kept taking regular wickets to put pressure. For New Zealand, Martin Guptill scored 47 runs for the team but lost his wicket as immense pressure was building up on him because New Zealand kept losing wickets from the other end. In the end, Bairstow made it look too easy for England. Stokes finishes it off with a six, and that's the series wrapped up 3-2! ????#NZvENG SCORECARD ➡️ https://t.co/2Pnu6S7T6Z pic.twitter.com/xW9ZLdwB9n — ICC (@ICC) March 10, 2018 × Henry Nicholls tried to salvage the Blackcaps and found a determined ally in Mitchell Santner but lost his wicket after scoring 55 crucial runs. Santner, who rescued New Zealand in the first match, hit a personal best 67. Mark Wood bowled Kane Williamson for 14 before spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali stepped up to decimate the middle of the New Zealand innings. Rashid, who finished with three for 42, accounted for Tom Latham (10), Martin Guptill (47) and Colin de Grandhomme (six). Chris Woakes emerged as the most economical of the England bowlers finished with three for 32 off his 10 overs. Smiles all around!@chriswoakes wins Player of the Series award for his brilliance with the ball. #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/hEQrusqXAY — ICC (@ICC) March 10, 2018 × New Zealand suffered a major blow before the start of final ODI as their star batsman Ross Taylor has been ruled out due to a thigh injury. Taylor scored an unbeaten 181 to inspire his side to a five-wicket win in the fourth game in Dunedin that levelled the series at 2-2 on Wednesday. Taylor has been replaced by Mark Chapman and England has made another change by bringing opening batsman Alex Hales in for the injured Jason Roy.

England registers easy win against New Zealand, clinches series

New Zealand set a target of 223 against England&nbsp;in the 5th and decider match of the 5-match ODI series at Hagley Oval, Christchurch on Saturday. Earlier, England captain Eoin Morgan&nbsp;won the toss and opted to bowl. New Zealand started off very poorly as the opener Colin Munro lost his wicket to Chris Woakes in the first over itself.

Martin Guptill scored 47 runs for the team but lost his wicket as immense pressure was building up on him because New Zealand kept losing wickets from the other end.

Henry Nicholls tries to salvage the Blackcaps and found a determined ally in Mitchell Santner but lost his wicket after scoring 55 crucial runs.

Santner, who rescued New Zealand in the first match, hit a personal best 67.

Mark Wood bowled Kane Williamson for 14 before spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali stepped up to decimate the middle of the New Zealand innings.

Rashid, who finished with three for 42, accounted for Tom Latham (10), Martin Guptill (47) and Colin de Grandhomme (six).

Chris&nbsp;Woakes emerged as&nbsp;the most economical of the England bowlers finished with three for 32 off his 10 overs.

New Zealand suffered a major blow before the start of final ODI as their star batsman Ross Taylor has been ruled out due to a thigh injury.

Taylor scored an unbeaten 181 to inspire his side to a five-wicket win in the fourth game in Dunedin that levelled the series at 2-2 on Wednesday.

Taylor has been replaced by Mark Chapman and England has made another change by bringing opening batsman Alex Hales in for the injured Jason Roy.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
4 down the ground takes Santner to 50! 190/7 now in the 46th over. Southee with him. Live scoring | <a href="https://t.co/72J7YqoUGZ">https://t.co/72J7YqoUGZ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/HlNpG5RDaq">pic.twitter.com/HlNpG5RDaq</a>
&mdash; BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS/status/972277235196477440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Playing XI:

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult

England: Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood

New Zealand suffered a major blow before the start of final ODI as their star batsman Ross Taylor has been ruled out due to a thigh injury

New Zealand set a target of 223 against England in the 5th and decider match of the 5-match ODI series at Hagley Oval, Christchurch on Saturday. Earlier, England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and opted to bowl. New Zealand started off very poorly as the opener Colin Munro lost his wicket to Chris Woakes in the first over itself. Martin Guptill scored 47 runs for the team but lost his wicket as immense pressure was building up on him because New Zealand kept losing wickets from the other end. Henry Nicholls tries to salvage the Blackcaps and found a determined ally in Mitchell Santner but lost his wicket after scoring 55 crucial runs. Santner, who rescued New Zealand in the first match, hit a personal best 67. Mark Wood bowled Kane Williamson for 14 before spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali stepped up to decimate the middle of the New Zealand innings. Rashid, who finished with three for 42, accounted for Tom Latham (10), Martin Guptill (47) and Colin de Grandhomme (six). Chris Woakes emerged as the most economical of the England bowlers finished with three for 32 off his 10 overs. New Zealand suffered a major blow before the start of final ODI as their star batsman Ross Taylor has been ruled out due to a thigh injury. Taylor scored an unbeaten 181 to inspire his side to a five-wicket win in the fourth game in Dunedin that levelled the series at 2-2 on Wednesday. Taylor has been replaced by Mark Chapman and England has made another change by bringing opening batsman Alex Hales in for the injured Jason Roy. 4 down the ground takes Santner to 50! 190/7 now in the 46th over. Southee with him. Live scoring | https://t.co/72J7YqoUGZ #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/HlNpG5RDaq — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 10, 2018 × Playing XI: New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult England: Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood

ENG vs NZ 5th ODI: England bowlers restrict New Zealand to 223

India&rsquo;s hopes of making it to the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup were crushed when they were beaten 4-2 by Australia in Ipoh on Tuesday.

Having lost to Argentina 2-3 in their campaign opener and drawn 1-1 against England in the next match, the loss leaves India with just one point from three games.

India were trailing 0-4 after the third quarter but scored two quick goals through Ramandeep Singh in the fourth quarter to avoid a whitewash.

Mark Knowles, Aran Zalewski, Daniel Beale and Blake Govers scored for Australia.

Still looking for their first win, India will now face Malaysia next on Wednesday.

India were trailing 0-4 after the third quarter but scored two quick goals

India’s hopes of making it to the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup were crushed when they were beaten 4-2 by Australia in Ipoh on Tuesday. Having lost to Argentina 2-3 in their campaign opener and drawn 1-1 against England in the next match, the loss leaves India with just one point from three games. India were trailing 0-4 after the third quarter but scored two quick goals through Ramandeep Singh in the fourth quarter to avoid a whitewash. Mark Knowles, Aran Zalewski, Daniel Beale and Blake Govers scored for Australia. Still looking for their first win, India will now face Malaysia next on Wednesday.

Australia outplay India 4-2 in Azlan Shah hockey

Britain threatened on Tuesday to pull out of the soccer World Cup in Russia if Moscow was shown to be behind the mysterious illness that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-russian-spy-sergei-skripal-daughter-ill-after-exposure-to-unidentified-substance-in-britain-34897" target="_blank">struck down</a> a Russian former double agent convicted of betraying dozens of spies to British intelligence.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson named Sergei Skripal, once a colonel in Russia&#39;s GRU military intelligence service, and his daughter, Yulia, as the two people who were found unconscious on Sunday on a bench outside a shopping centre in southern England.

Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter were exposed to what police said was an unknown substance in the English city of Salisbury. Both are still critically ill in intensive care.

&quot;We don&#39;t know exactly what has taken place in Salisbury, but if it&#39;s as bad as it looks, it is another crime in the litany of crimes that we can lay at Russia&#39;s door,&quot; Johnson told the British parliament.

&quot;It is clear that Russia, I&#39;m afraid, is now in many respects a malign and disruptive force, and the UK is in the lead across the world in trying to counteract that activity.&quot;

If Moscow was shown to be behind Skripal&#39;s illness, Johnson said, it would be difficult to see how Britain could attend the World Cup in Russia in June and July.

England is the only British national team to have qualified for the tournament, which is held every four years.

A previous British inquiry said President Vladimir Putin probably approved the 2006 murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium-210 in London. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in Litvinenko&#39;s killing.

Litvinenko, 43, an outspoken critic of Putin who fled Russia for Britain six years before he was poisoned, died after drinking green tea laced with the rare and very potent radioactive isotope at London&rsquo;s Millennium Hotel.

It took some time for British doctors to discern the cause of Litvinenko&#39;s illness.

His murder sent Britain&#39;s relations with Russia to what was then a post-Cold War low. Relations suffered further from Russia&#39;s annexation of Crimea and military backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against rebels trying to topple him.

&nbsp;

RUSSIAN DOUBLE AGENT

While the British authorities said there was no known risk to the public from the unidentified substance, they sealed off the area where Skripal was found, a pizza restaurant called Zizzi and the Bishop&#39;s Mill pub in the centre of Salisbury.

Some investigators at one point wore yellow chemical suits, though most police at the scene did not.

Skripal, who passed the identity of dozens of spies to the MI6 foreign intelligence agency, was given refuge in Britain after he was exchanged in 2010 for Russian spies caught in the West as part of a Cold War-style spy swap at Vienna airport.

The Kremlin said it was ready to cooperate if Britain asked it for help investigating the incident with Skripal.

Calling it a &quot;tragic situation,&quot; Putin&#39;s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had no information about the incident.

Asked to respond to British media speculation that Russia had poisoned Skripal, Peskov said: &quot;It didn&#39;t take them long.&quot;

Russia&#39;s embassy in London said the incident was being used to demonise Russia and that it was seriously concerned by British media reporting of the Skripal incident.

Russia&rsquo;s foreign spy service, known as the SVR, said it had no comment to make. Russia&rsquo;s foreign ministry, and the Russian counter-intelligence service, the FSB, did not immediately respond to questions submitted by Reuters about the case.

&nbsp;

FROM MOSCOW TO SALISBURY

Skripal was arrested in 2004 by Russia&#39;s Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of betraying dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006 after a secret trial.

Skripal, who was shown wearing a track suit in a cage in court during the sentencing, had admitted betraying agents to MI6 in return for money, some of it paid into a Spanish bank account, Russian media said at the time.

But he was pardoned in 2010 by then-President Dmitry Medvedev as part of a swap to bring 10 Russian agents held in the United States back to Moscow.

The swap, one of the biggest since the Cold War ended in 1991, took place on the tarmac of Vienna airport where a Russian and a U.S. jet parked side by side before the agents were exchanged.

One of the Russian spies exchanged for Skripal was Anna Chapman. She was one of 10 who tried to blend into American society in an apparent bid to get close to power brokers and learn secrets. They were arrested by the FBI in 2010.

The returning spies were greeted as heroes in Moscow. Putin, himself a former KGB officer, sang patriotic songs with them.

Skripal, though, was cast as a traitor by Moscow. He is thought to have done serious damage to Russian spy networks in Britain and Europe.

The GRU spy service, created in 1918 under revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky, is controlled by the military general staff and reports directly to the president. It has spies spread across the world.

Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday at 1615 GMT.

Wiltshire police said a small number of emergency services personnel were examined immediately after the incident and all but one had been released from hospital.

Skripal&#39;s wife died shortly after her arrival in Britain from &quot;disseminated endometrial carcinoma,&quot; the Guardian newspaper reported. His son died on a recent visit to Russia.

A white and yellow police forensics tent covered the bench where Skripal was taken ill.

The World Cup this year is being held in Russia

Britain threatened on Tuesday to pull out of the soccer World Cup in Russia if Moscow was shown to be behind the mysterious illness that struck down a Russian former double agent convicted of betraying dozens of spies to British intelligence. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson named Sergei Skripal, once a colonel in Russia's GRU military intelligence service, and his daughter, Yulia, as the two people who were found unconscious on Sunday on a bench outside a shopping centre in southern England. Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter were exposed to what police said was an unknown substance in the English city of Salisbury. Both are still critically ill in intensive care. "We don't know exactly what has taken place in Salisbury, but if it's as bad as it looks, it is another crime in the litany of crimes that we can lay at Russia's door," Johnson told the British parliament. "It is clear that Russia, I'm afraid, is now in many respects a malign and disruptive force, and the UK is in the lead across the world in trying to counteract that activity." If Moscow was shown to be behind Skripal's illness, Johnson said, it would be difficult to see how Britain could attend the World Cup in Russia in June and July. England is the only British national team to have qualified for the tournament, which is held every four years. A previous British inquiry said President Vladimir Putin probably approved the 2006 murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium-210 in London. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in Litvinenko's killing. Litvinenko, 43, an outspoken critic of Putin who fled Russia for Britain six years before he was poisoned, died after drinking green tea laced with the rare and very potent radioactive isotope at London’s Millennium Hotel. It took some time for British doctors to discern the cause of Litvinenko's illness. His murder sent Britain's relations with Russia to what was then a post-Cold War low. Relations suffered further from Russia's annexation of Crimea and military backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against rebels trying to topple him. RUSSIAN DOUBLE AGENT While the British authorities said there was no known risk to the public from the unidentified substance, they sealed off the area where Skripal was found, a pizza restaurant called Zizzi and the Bishop's Mill pub in the centre of Salisbury. Some investigators at one point wore yellow chemical suits, though most police at the scene did not. Skripal, who passed the identity of dozens of spies to the MI6 foreign intelligence agency, was given refuge in Britain after he was exchanged in 2010 for Russian spies caught in the West as part of a Cold War-style spy swap at Vienna airport. The Kremlin said it was ready to cooperate if Britain asked it for help investigating the incident with Skripal. Calling it a "tragic situation," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had no information about the incident. Asked to respond to British media speculation that Russia had poisoned Skripal, Peskov said: "It didn't take them long." Russia's embassy in London said the incident was being used to demonise Russia and that it was seriously concerned by British media reporting of the Skripal incident. Russia’s foreign spy service, known as the SVR, said it had no comment to make. Russia’s foreign ministry, and the Russian counter-intelligence service, the FSB, did not immediately respond to questions submitted by Reuters about the case. FROM MOSCOW TO SALISBURY Skripal was arrested in 2004 by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of betraying dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006 after a secret trial. Skripal, who was shown wearing a track suit in a cage in court during the sentencing, had admitted betraying agents to MI6 in return for money, some of it paid into a Spanish bank account, Russian media said at the time. But he was pardoned in 2010 by then-President Dmitry Medvedev as part of a swap to bring 10 Russian agents held in the United States back to Moscow. The swap, one of the biggest since the Cold War ended in 1991, took place on the tarmac of Vienna airport where a Russian and a U.S. jet parked side by side before the agents were exchanged. One of the Russian spies exchanged for Skripal was Anna Chapman. She was one of 10 who tried to blend into American society in an apparent bid to get close to power brokers and learn secrets. They were arrested by the FBI in 2010. The returning spies were greeted as heroes in Moscow. Putin, himself a former KGB officer, sang patriotic songs with them. Skripal, though, was cast as a traitor by Moscow. He is thought to have done serious damage to Russian spy networks in Britain and Europe. The GRU spy service, created in 1918 under revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky, is controlled by the military general staff and reports directly to the president. It has spies spread across the world. Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday at 1615 GMT. Wiltshire police said a small number of emergency services personnel were examined immediately after the incident and all but one had been released from hospital. Skripal's wife died shortly after her arrival in Britain from "disseminated endometrial carcinoma," the Guardian newspaper reported. His son died on a recent visit to Russia. A white and yellow police forensics tent covered the bench where Skripal was taken ill.

England threatens to pull out of Football World Cup if Russia behind spy's mysterious illness

India wasted chances galore to settle for a 1-1 draw against England in the their second match at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament here today.

It was India&#39;s first point in the tournament after having lost 2-3 to Olympic champions Argentina in their tournament opener yesterday at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium.

Young Shilanand Larka (14th minute) scored his first international goal in the dying minutes of the first quarter to give India the lead, which the men in blue maintained till the 53rd minute, when Mark Gleghorne converted a penalty stroke.

By virtue of this draw, last year&#39;s bronze medallist India are now placed fourth in the table in the six-team tournament.

The Indians, who have fielded a young and inexperienced team in the tournament under Sardar Singh&#39;s leadership, only had themselves to blame as they wasted as many as nine penalty corners besides a few great scoring chances from the field.

India were slow to get off the blocks as England put pressure on the rival citadel with continuous raids upfront.

But India took the lead against the run of play a minute before the first quarter when Shilanand pounced on a rebound after Talwinder Singh&#39;s initial shot was saved by England goalkeeper Harry Gibson.

The Indians, however, were on top in the second quarter and earned as many as eight penalty corners with close succession, but the dragflcik battery of Varun Kumar and Amit Rohidas failed to breach the England defense led by goalkeeper George Pinner, who replaced Gibson.

The third quarter witnessed a midfield slugfest between both the sides as England pressed hard for the equaliser and in the process secured a penalty corner, which was wasted.

The Indians secured their ninth and final penalty corner in the 48th minute but as has been the story in the match, they failed to utilise the opportunity and it eventually proved costly for Sjoerd Marijne and his team.

Seven minutes from the final hooter, England were awarded a penalty stroke for a stick infringement inside the Indian circle and Gleghorne stepped up to convert the chance with ease past goalie Krishan B Pathak.

Thereafter, both the teams tried hard to find a winner but failed in their efforts.

After a rest day tomorrow, India will next play world no.1 Australia on Tuesday, while England will be up against Ireland.

It was India's first point in the tournament

India wasted chances galore to settle for a 1-1 draw against England in the their second match at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament here today. It was India's first point in the tournament after having lost 2-3 to Olympic champions Argentina in their tournament opener yesterday at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium. Young Shilanand Larka (14th minute) scored his first international goal in the dying minutes of the first quarter to give India the lead, which the men in blue maintained till the 53rd minute, when Mark Gleghorne converted a penalty stroke. By virtue of this draw, last year's bronze medallist India are now placed fourth in the table in the six-team tournament. The Indians, who have fielded a young and inexperienced team in the tournament under Sardar Singh's leadership, only had themselves to blame as they wasted as many as nine penalty corners besides a few great scoring chances from the field. India were slow to get off the blocks as England put pressure on the rival citadel with continuous raids upfront. But India took the lead against the run of play a minute before the first quarter when Shilanand pounced on a rebound after Talwinder Singh's initial shot was saved by England goalkeeper Harry Gibson. The Indians, however, were on top in the second quarter and earned as many as eight penalty corners with close succession, but the dragflcik battery of Varun Kumar and Amit Rohidas failed to breach the England defense led by goalkeeper George Pinner, who replaced Gibson. The third quarter witnessed a midfield slugfest between both the sides as England pressed hard for the equaliser and in the process secured a penalty corner, which was wasted. The Indians secured their ninth and final penalty corner in the 48th minute but as has been the story in the match, they failed to utilise the opportunity and it eventually proved costly for Sjoerd Marijne and his team. Seven minutes from the final hooter, England were awarded a penalty stroke for a stick infringement inside the Indian circle and Gleghorne stepped up to convert the chance with ease past goalie Krishan B Pathak. Thereafter, both the teams tried hard to find a winner but failed in their efforts. After a rest day tomorrow, India will next play world no.1 Australia on Tuesday, while England will be up against Ireland.

Misfiring India draw 1-1 against England in Azlan Shah Cup

England broke the jinx of not winning at Wellington soil by defeating New Zealand in a low scoring match in the 3rd One-Day-Internationals and took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

Playing first, England set a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-34533">modest total of 234 </a>runs. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-34533">For England</a>, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow opened the innings. Roy lost his wicket by edging the ball into the safe hands of Martin Guptill.

At number two Joe Root came in but lost his wicket too after scoring 20 odd runs for the team. A lot was expected from Ben Stokes but even he failed to perform and got outbowled by Ish Sodhi.

Batting at number four,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-34533">Eoin Morgan</a> tried to salvage England and pushed the run rate but returned to the pavilion in the 36th over after scoring 48 runs.

All credit&nbsp;goes to England&#39;s spin-twins, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid as together they took 5 crucial wickets and salvaged English side to recover after scoring a low total.

&quot;My plan was just to try and bowl tight, it doesn&#39;t really change game to game, and the wickets just came,&quot; said the man of the match Ali, who finished with three for 36 while Rashid took two for 34.

&quot;They weren&#39;t great balls, but the balls in between were building pressure.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-england-vs-new-zealand-wellington-score-updates-34545">For New Zealand</a>, Martin Guptill and Colin Munro started off the innings to achieve the target of 234 runs set by England.

Chris Woakes outbowled star opener Martin Guptill in the 3rd over itself to send the first warning to the New Zealand&#39;s batsmen.

A <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-england-vs-new-zealand-wellington-score-updates-34545">chaotic inning from Colin Munro</a> ended after scoring 49 runs. He got three lifelines in the 3rd over, a run out was missed and also a catch was dropped as the ball landed in no man&#39;s area but close to three English fielders.

Kane Williamson&nbsp;contributed well to the team, he found a determined ally in Mitchell Santner but under pressure, Santner threw his wicket after scoring 41 crucial runs and fell short in running between the wickets. Despite Williamson&#39;s magnificent ton, New Zealand could not stand in front of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-england-vs-new-zealand-wellington-score-updates-34545"> English bowlers</a>.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Kane Williamson&#39;s 11th ODI century goes in vain as Chris Woakes keeps it tight to give England four-run win. 
 
3rd ODI report ⏩<a href="https://t.co/EBbMQDEPHA">https://t.co/EBbMQDEPHA</a> <a href="https://t.co/FnBGVdWAHF">pic.twitter.com/FnBGVdWAHF</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/969871978013298690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Fall of wickets:

England: 25-1 (Jason Roy, 7.6), 53-2 (Joe Root, 13.5), 68-3 (Jonny Bairstow, 16.4), 139-4 (Eoin Morgan, 35.6), 168-5 (Ben Stokes, 40.3), 184-6 (Jos Buttler, 42.5), 215-7 (Chris Woakes, 47.1), 222-8 (Moeen Ali, 48.4), 231-9 (Adil Rashid, 49.2), 234-10 (Mark Wood, 50).

 
New Zealand: 12-1 (Martin Guptill, 2.1), 80-2 (Colin Munro, 17.3), 97-3 (Mark Chapman, 20.5), 97-4 (Tom Latham, 20.6), 98-5 (Henry Nicholls, 21.6), 103-6 (Colin de Grandhomme, 24.2), 199-7 (Mitchell Santner, 45.2), 210-8 (Tim Southee, 47.2)

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-34533">Click here</a>&nbsp;to know what happened in the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-34533">first innings</a>.

England's spin-twins, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid shine as together they took 5 crucial wickets and salvaged English side to recover after scoring a low total

England broke the jinx of not winning at Wellington soil by defeating New Zealand in a low scoring match in the 3rd One-Day-Internationals and took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Playing first, England set a modest total of 234 runs. For England, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow opened the innings. Roy lost his wicket by edging the ball into the safe hands of Martin Guptill. At number two Joe Root came in but lost his wicket too after scoring 20 odd runs for the team. A lot was expected from Ben Stokes but even he failed to perform and got outbowled by Ish Sodhi. Batting at number four, Eoin Morgan tried to salvage England and pushed the run rate but returned to the pavilion in the 36th over after scoring 48 runs. All credit goes to England's spin-twins, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid as together they took 5 crucial wickets and salvaged English side to recover after scoring a low total. "My plan was just to try and bowl tight, it doesn't really change game to game, and the wickets just came," said the man of the match Ali, who finished with three for 36 while Rashid took two for 34. "They weren't great balls, but the balls in between were building pressure." For New Zealand, Martin Guptill and Colin Munro started off the innings to achieve the target of 234 runs set by England. Chris Woakes outbowled star opener Martin Guptill in the 3rd over itself to send the first warning to the New Zealand's batsmen. A chaotic inning from Colin Munro ended after scoring 49 runs. He got three lifelines in the 3rd over, a run out was missed and also a catch was dropped as the ball landed in no man's area but close to three English fielders. Kane Williamson contributed well to the team, he found a determined ally in Mitchell Santner but under pressure, Santner threw his wicket after scoring 41 crucial runs and fell short in running between the wickets. Despite Williamson's magnificent ton, New Zealand could not stand in front of English bowlers. Kane Williamson's 11th ODI century goes in vain as Chris Woakes keeps it tight to give England four-run win. 3rd ODI report ⏩https://t.co/EBbMQDEPHA pic.twitter.com/FnBGVdWAHF — ICC (@ICC) March 3, 2018 × Fall of wickets: England: 25-1 (Jason Roy, 7.6), 53-2 (Joe Root, 13.5), 68-3 (Jonny Bairstow, 16.4), 139-4 (Eoin Morgan, 35.6), 168-5 (Ben Stokes, 40.3), 184-6 (Jos Buttler, 42.5), 215-7 (Chris Woakes, 47.1), 222-8 (Moeen Ali, 48.4), 231-9 (Adil Rashid, 49.2), 234-10 (Mark Wood, 50). New Zealand: 12-1 (Martin Guptill, 2.1), 80-2 (Colin Munro, 17.3), 97-3 (Mark Chapman, 20.5), 97-4 (Tom Latham, 20.6), 98-5 (Henry Nicholls, 21.6), 103-6 (Colin de Grandhomme, 24.2), 199-7 (Mitchell Santner, 45.2), 210-8 (Tim Southee, 47.2) Click here to know what happened in the first innings.

NZ vs ENG 3rd ODI: England breaks Wellington jinx, lead series by 2-1

England is looking forward to ending their Wellington woe as they have never won a game at Westpac soil. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-34533">In the 3rd ODI</a>, the Black&nbsp;Caps won the toss and opted to bowl&nbsp;against England on Saturday.

For New Zealand, Martin Guptill and Colin Munro started off the innings to achieve the target of 234 runs set by England.

Chris Woakes outbowled star opener Martin Guptill in the 3rd over itself to send the first warning to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-34533">New Zealand</a>&#39;s batsmen.

A chaotic inning from Colin Munro ended after&nbsp;scoring 49 runs. He got three lifelines in the 3rd over,&nbsp;a run out was missed and also a catch was dropped as the ball landed in no man&#39;s area but close to three English fielders.

Spin twins of England, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid outshined Mark Chapman, wicketkeeper Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls. The latter two went back on a duck.

Playing first, England set a modest <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-34533">total of 234 runs</a>.&nbsp;For England, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow opened the innings. Roy lost his wicket by edging the ball into the safe hands of Martin Guptill.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Eoin Morgan (48) and Ben Stokes (39) shore up England, but with Trent Boult (2/47) and Ish Sodhi (3/53) among the wickets, New Zealand set themselves 235-run chase to go 2-1 up. 
 
Follow the match live ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/LEUgWJBG1o">https://t.co/LEUgWJBG1o</a> <a href="https://t.co/6Fma0jVRyP">pic.twitter.com/6Fma0jVRyP</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/969798683238674432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Playing XI:

New Zealand:&nbsp;Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.

England:&nbsp;Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-34533">Click here</a> to know what happened in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-vs-new-zealand-3rd-odi-nz-vs-eng-3rd-odi-34533">first innings</a>.

Spin twins of England, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid salvage the England's side by taking quick wickets

England is looking forward to ending their Wellington woe as they have never won a game at Westpac soil. In the 3rd ODI, the Black Caps won the toss and opted to bowl against England on Saturday. For New Zealand, Martin Guptill and Colin Munro started off the innings to achieve the target of 234 runs set by England. Chris Woakes outbowled star opener Martin Guptill in the 3rd over itself to send the first warning to the New Zealand's batsmen. A chaotic inning from Colin Munro ended after scoring 49 runs. He got three lifelines in the 3rd over, a run out was missed and also a catch was dropped as the ball landed in no man's area but close to three English fielders. Spin twins of England, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid outshined Mark Chapman, wicketkeeper Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls. The latter two went back on a duck. Playing first, England set a modest total of 234 runs. For England, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow opened the innings. Roy lost his wicket by edging the ball into the safe hands of Martin Guptill. Eoin Morgan (48) and Ben Stokes (39) shore up England, but with Trent Boult (2/47) and Ish Sodhi (3/53) among the wickets, New Zealand set themselves 235-run chase to go 2-1 up. Follow the match live ➡️ https://t.co/LEUgWJBG1o pic.twitter.com/6Fma0jVRyP — ICC (@ICC) March 3, 2018 × Playing XI: New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult. England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood. Click here to know what happened in the first innings.

NZ vs ENG 3rd ODI: England close to ending Wellington woe

New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl at Westpac Stadium, Wellington in the 3rd one-day international against England on Saturday.

Playing first, England set a modest total of 234 runs.&nbsp;For England, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow opened the innings. Roy lost his wicket by edging the ball into the safe hands of Martin Guptill.

At number two Joe Root came in but lost his wicket after scoring 20 odd runs for the team. A lot was expected from Ben Stokes but even he failed to perform and got outbowled by Ish Sodhi after scoring 39 runs.

Eoin Morgan tried to salvage England and pushed the run rate but returned to the pavilion in the 36th over after scoring 48 runs. Rest of the team got thrashed by New Zealand pacers as they took wickets on a regular interval to build a pressure on England and restrict them at a low total.

Fall of wickets:

25-1 (Jason Roy, 7.6), 53-2 (Joe Root, 13.5), 68-3 (Jonny Bairstow, 16.4), 139-4 (Eoin Morgan, 35.6), 168-5 (Ben Stokes, 40.3), 184-6 (Jos Buttler, 42.5), 215-7 (Chris Woakes, 47.1), 222-8 (Moeen Ali, 48.4), 231-9 (Adil Rashid, 49.2), 234-10 (Mark Wood, 50).

New Zealand won the first match of&nbsp;the five-match ODI series and England took the second match by 6 wickets. England has never won at&nbsp;Westpac Stadium.

Before the match, the wicket has been described as &quot;ugly&quot; by both sides and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said he wanted first use of it.

&quot;It looks like an interesting surface but hard to read,&quot; added Williamson.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
New Zealand win the toss and ask England to bat. There&#39;s an injury-enforced change for New Zealand, but their captain is back! Can he take them to a 2-1 lead against England?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> LIVE ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/LEUgWJThpY">https://t.co/LEUgWJThpY</a> <a href="https://t.co/zjLmIk4hMx">pic.twitter.com/zjLmIk4hMx</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/969736267914186752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The good news for New Zealand is the return of a fit-again Williamson but they have lost senior batsman Ross Taylor with a quad strain.

England, meanwhile, has gone for added pace with Mark Wood into the side for David Willey.

Playing XI:

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.

England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood.

&nbsp;

The good news for New Zealand is the return of a fit-again Williamson but they have lost senior batsman Ross Taylor

New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl at Westpac Stadium, Wellington in the 3rd one-day international against England on Saturday. Playing first, England set a modest total of 234 runs. For England, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow opened the innings. Roy lost his wicket by edging the ball into the safe hands of Martin Guptill. At number two Joe Root came in but lost his wicket after scoring 20 odd runs for the team. A lot was expected from Ben Stokes but even he failed to perform and got outbowled by Ish Sodhi after scoring 39 runs. Eoin Morgan tried to salvage England and pushed the run rate but returned to the pavilion in the 36th over after scoring 48 runs. Rest of the team got thrashed by New Zealand pacers as they took wickets on a regular interval to build a pressure on England and restrict them at a low total. Fall of wickets: 25-1 (Jason Roy, 7.6), 53-2 (Joe Root, 13.5), 68-3 (Jonny Bairstow, 16.4), 139-4 (Eoin Morgan, 35.6), 168-5 (Ben Stokes, 40.3), 184-6 (Jos Buttler, 42.5), 215-7 (Chris Woakes, 47.1), 222-8 (Moeen Ali, 48.4), 231-9 (Adil Rashid, 49.2), 234-10 (Mark Wood, 50). New Zealand won the first match of the five-match ODI series and England took the second match by 6 wickets. England has never won at Westpac Stadium. Before the match, the wicket has been described as "ugly" by both sides and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said he wanted first use of it. "It looks like an interesting surface but hard to read," added Williamson. New Zealand win the toss and ask England to bat. There's an injury-enforced change for New Zealand, but their captain is back! Can he take them to a 2-1 lead against England?#NZvENG LIVE ➡️ https://t.co/LEUgWJThpY pic.twitter.com/zjLmIk4hMx — ICC (@ICC) March 3, 2018 × The good news for New Zealand is the return of a fit-again Williamson but they have lost senior batsman Ross Taylor with a quad strain. England, meanwhile, has gone for added pace with Mark Wood into the side for David Willey. Playing XI: New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult. England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood.

NZ vs ENG 3rd ODI: New Zealand bowlers shine as England 234 all-out

Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is prepared to go back on his decision to retire from international football if he is picked for the friendlies against England and Argentina next month.

The 40-year-old had called it a day in November immediately after Italy&rsquo;s astonishing failure to qualify for this year&rsquo;s World Cup, ending a 20-year international career in which he made 175 appearances.

However, on Monday Italy&rsquo;s interim coach Luigi Di Biagio said that it was not right that Buffon&rsquo;s international career should end with the infamous 0-0 draw against Sweden which condemned them to a first World Cup absence for 60 years.

&ldquo;I had thought about going on holiday for a few days with my family, but when the national team needs you, you must be present and not desert them,&rdquo; replied Buffon during the programme Tiki Taka broadcast on the Mediaset network.

&ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing to add to Di Biagio&rsquo;s words other than I feel a sense of responsibility and loyalty which I must give to the national team in this transitional moment,&rdquo; added the 2006 World Cup winner.

&ldquo;I repeat, it&rsquo;s a way of showing loyalty and a sense of responsibility towards Italy. A new national team is being born and the first games are not comfortable ones because we will face Argentina and England. &ldquo;I think that any experienced player can be useful at the start, even if it&rsquo;s just to give advice to the young ones.&rdquo;

He might be picked for the friendlies against England and Argentina next month

Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is prepared to go back on his decision to retire from international football if he is picked for the friendlies against England and Argentina next month. The 40-year-old had called it a day in November immediately after Italy’s astonishing failure to qualify for this year’s World Cup, ending a 20-year international career in which he made 175 appearances. However, on Monday Italy’s interim coach Luigi Di Biagio said that it was not right that Buffon’s international career should end with the infamous 0-0 draw against Sweden which condemned them to a first World Cup absence for 60 years. “I had thought about going on holiday for a few days with my family, but when the national team needs you, you must be present and not desert them,” replied Buffon during the programme Tiki Taka broadcast on the Mediaset network. “There’s nothing to add to Di Biagio’s words other than I feel a sense of responsibility and loyalty which I must give to the national team in this transitional moment,” added the 2006 World Cup winner. “I repeat, it’s a way of showing loyalty and a sense of responsibility towards Italy. A new national team is being born and the first games are not comfortable ones because we will face Argentina and England. “I think that any experienced player can be useful at the start, even if it’s just to give advice to the young ones.”

Goalkeeping legend Buffon ready to play again for Italy

The much-hyped return to international cricket for England all-rounder Ben Stokes was a short-lived affair with the bat in the first one-day international against New Zealand on Sunday.

The 26-year-old, who has been sidelined by England since a nightclub incident five months ago, lasted only 22 balls and made 12 runs before he was dismissed.

He was undone by a flighted delivery from spinner Mitch Santner which the left-hander attempted to slog-sweep but instead top-edged it to Ross Taylor.

Stokes&#39;s dismissal left England at 139 for four in the 29th over with Joe Root, not out 61.

New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl in the first game of a five-match series.

&nbsp;

Stokes's dismissal left England at 139 for four in the 29th over with Joe Root, not out 61

The much-hyped return to international cricket for England all-rounder Ben Stokes was a short-lived affair with the bat in the first one-day international against New Zealand on Sunday. The 26-year-old, who has been sidelined by England since a nightclub incident five months ago, lasted only 22 balls and made 12 runs before he was dismissed. He was undone by a flighted delivery from spinner Mitch Santner which the left-hander attempted to slog-sweep but instead top-edged it to Ross Taylor. Stokes's dismissal left England at 139 for four in the 29th over with Joe Root, not out 61. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl in the first game of a five-match series.

Stokes suffers short-lived return for England

england

England, News on England, stories on England, articles on England, England stories at Wion, England news, England latest news