India

Kumar finished with figures of 4-22, taking two wickets in the 18th over to secure the win for the reigning T20 world champions. 

Having failed to take any wickets from their 92 balls in their 10-wicket defeat on Saturday, Zimbabwe needed just four deliveries to get their first on Sunday as Sikandar Raza bowled Yashasvi Jaiswal out for 12. 

The Chevrons continued their fast start as Abhishek Sharma (14) and Shubman Gill (13) fell early on, which had India at 44-3 by the end of the sixth over. 

Sanju Samson's 58 from 45 deliveries steadied the ship, but Blessing Muzarabani (2-19) starred with the ball in hand as India finished on 167-6 after 20 overs. 

Zimbabwe's chase for a second win of the series got off to the worst possible start, however, losing Wesley Madhevere for a duck after just the third ball. 

Despite Dion Myers (34) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (27) attempting to revive a comeback, Zimbabwe failed to find their rhythm at the crease. 

Faraz Akram's 16 runs from three balls in the 17th over offered slight hope, but Zimbabwe saw three wickets fall in quick succession, finishing 125 all out and confirming a 4-1 series defeat. 

Data Debrief: India continue T20 champion form

India have now won seven of their last eight men's T20Is against Zimbabwe, including each of the last four, giving them their longest winning streak against the Chevrons. 

Shivam Dube took the wicket on Sikandar Raza, India's 11th dismissal via run out in the men's T20Is they have played in 2024, better than any of the full-member sides. 

The tourists bowled out Australia for 195 at the MCG on Boxing Day after the hosts had elected to bat first.

Labuschagne's 86-run stand with Travis Head was the best resistance Australia offered as Jasprit Bumrah (4-56), Ravichandran Ashwin (3-35) and Mohammed Siraj (2-40) laid waste to the top of the order.

Joe Burns and Steve Smith went for ducks and Matthew Wade's promising start of 30 off 39 deliveries was undone after a reckless shot off Ashwin.

It marked the first time since November 1984 that Australia failed to reach 200 in consecutive first innings, after they mustered just 191 in the first Test in Adelaide before India's spectacular collapse.

"We had three innocuous dismissals, that we probably didn't need," Labuschagne, who top scored for the hosts with 48 from 132 balls, said.

"Just three frustrating dismissals, and I think all three of those guys were set and were in.

"It's a big job from our batting group, whoever that is on the day – whether that's myself or anyone else in the top order – that we make sure we get the big scores.

"You just know you're going to have to lock in and bat for periods of time. They're bowling really straight lines, you're not getting many runs through the off side, so this is the art of Test cricket, this is why we all love it. Because it's a continual challenge for the bowlers to come up with new ideas to stop the batters scoring and build pressure and that's what they did today.

"Something that we're realising very quickly is people are coming up with new ways, thinking about the game slightly differently. Obviously today, they came out with a heavy leg-side field and bowled very straight and didn't give us any scoring options to the off side.

"So for all our batters, you've just got to keep rolling with the punches, learning the game, understanding what they're doing and take that innings to innings. I think that's the key. As long as we do that as a batting group and learn from that, we're just going to keep getting better and learning."

Labuschagne (108) helped Australia to 274-5 at stumps on day one at the Gabba, where they are unbeaten in their past 31 Tests, on Friday.

The right-hander was dropped twice and punished India, who continued to fight despite their injury woes.

But Matthew Wade (45) and Tim Paine (38 not out) were Australia's next two top scorers, several poor dismissals costing the hosts after they elected to bat first on a warm day, with the captain and Cameron Green (28 not out) unbeaten at stumps.

Thangarasu Natarajan (2-63) and Washington Sundar (1-63) made their Test debuts for India, who were without Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Hanuma Vihari from the drawn third Test.

Adding to India's worries, Navdeep Saini (0-21) was sent for scans on a suspected groin injury.

After winning the toss, Australia quickly found themselves 17-2 in a poor start in their bid to win a series that is locked at 1-1.

Rohit Sharma took a great low catch diving to his right from first slip to remove David Warner (1) off Mohammed Siraj (1-51), while Marcus Harris (5) handed Shardul Thakur (1-67) his first Test wicket with a flick straight to Sundar at square leg.

Steve Smith (36) and Labuschagne steadied the innings with a 70-run partnership before the former departed after lunch, caught by Rohit at short midwicket off Sundar.

Labuschagne was given two lives – on 37 and 48 – and he made India pay alongside Wade as Australia looked set to take control of the Test.

Since Labuschagne made his Test debut in October 2018, only New Zealand star Kane Williamson (six) has made more centuries than his five.

But Wade and Labuschagne skied deliveries from Natarajan with pull shots to give India a way back into the Test as Australia were left at 213-5.

Paine and Green were relatively comfortable before the latter was dropped on 19, Thakur spilling a tough return chance, and they got to stumps ahead of an important day two.

India levelled the four-Test series at 1-1 after completing an eight-wicket victory in Melbourne on Tuesday.

Australia's best score of the series so far came at the MCG, making 200 in the second innings of the loss.

Labuschagne, who is the second leading run-scorer in the series with 129 at 32.25, said India's bowlers deserved credit.

"You don't want to give any excuses or any other reasons for why we're not scoring runs," he told a news conference.

"They've been very good, they've bowled very well and been real consistent so for us it's just making sure we find a way. There's only been four innings so far in this series, some people have only batted three, so for us it's just making sure we keep finding ways to score runs.

"It doesn't have to be pretty, but we've just got to keep grinding and keep finding a way and if we do get in we've got to make sure we get those big scores."

Smith has struggled to begin the series, scoring just 10 runs while being dismissed three times.

But Labuschagne backed the right-hander's quality as Australia prepare for the third Test, which will start in Sydney on Thursday.

"You don't average above 60 after 80-odd games and … he's shown he's so consistent, even from the start of his career to now, he just keeps putting the runs on the board," he said.

"Call it what you want to call it, but not long ago he got two hundreds off 60-odd balls in one-dayers.

"He's not short of runs, maybe he has played a lot of white-ball cricket and he probably hasn't had as much time against the red ball as he would've liked, but that's the reality of cricket and this COVID situation so we've just to keep finding ways, keep hitting lots of balls at training and finding ways to get runs when we get out there."

Number three Labuschagne reached three figures for the first time in the series with a typically diligent 108.

However, he top-edged a pull off debutant seamer Thangarasu Natarajan (2-63) to be pouched by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, shortly after Matthew Wade departed to the same bowler for 45.

Like Wade, Steve Smith was guilty of not capitalising on a start when he became Washington Sundar's maiden Test wicket on 36, although Cameron Green (28 not out) and under-fire captain Tim Paine (38no) got the hosts to 274-5 at stumps with the four-match series all square at 1-1.

"Look, all our batters are going to make their own assessment of the way they got out. They're all international players," Labuschagne said.

"You know everyone gets judged harshly. You're your own harshest critic and everyone will look at their dismissals and say, 'What could I have done better?'

"I'm definitely disappointed about not going on and getting a really big score that would have put us in a better position as a team.

"We'll still take the position we're in, it was really nice to see Greeny and Tim finish it off there when we did lose two wickets in quick succession."

Injuries have laid waste to India's plans over the course of the series and Natarajan and Sundar featured for the first time in the longest format as key men Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah were ruled out.

It meant learning on the fly against unfamiliar opposition, although it was a challenge Labuschagne relished.

"Definitely I had to formulate some plans on the run and keep trying to understand the situation, what they were doing. That's the part of the game that is really enjoyable." he said when considering an India attack that was further compromised by the loss of Navdeep Saini to a groin injury after only 7.5 overs.

"You've got to read the situation out there. You can look at stuff on a screen and see how guys bowl but only you know out there, with a feel of how you can do things and how you can make things easier. "

Not for the first time, Smith was the centre of controversy for alleged gamesmanship on the final day of the drawn third Test, but Labuschagne failed to spot any ill-effects as the pair shared a stand of 70 for the third wicket.

"I don't think when he walks out onto the field that stuff really concerns him. He's focusing on the ball and scoring runs," he added.

"If anything it gives him extra motivation to put big runs on the board. I don't think that stuff comes into play when he's out there at all."

India were humiliatingly bowled out for a pitiful 36 in the first Test at Adelaide Oval, where Australia coasted to an eight-wicket victory.

That was the tourists' lowest total in the longest format and the seventh-worst score of all time in Test cricket.

India will be without their captain and best batsman Virat Kohli for the remainder of the four-match series after he returned home for the birth of his first child.

Paceman Mohammed Shami will also play no part in the rest of the series due to a fractured arm, which is another huge blow to India's hopes of reaching the ICC World Test Championship final.

Australia are expected to be unchanged and head coach Langer wants to see them make another statement in such a big event on the sporting calendar, which will be the 100th Test between the two countries.

Langer said: "We were in for a real arm wrestle of a Test match [in Adelaide]. So it was amazing how things turned around. We know how good a team India is, we know we've got to keep improving.

"If we're going to become a great team we have to get better at winning after we win and people didn't quite understand that, but really good teams keep winning and winning, particularly when they're playing good cricket.

"So it's an area we've addressed, we'll have to start well Boxing Day morning and then be consistent, because we know India will fight back as we saw in the first two days of the Test match in Adelaide."

SELECTION POSERS FOR INDIA 

India were always going to make at least one change for the second Test in the absence of Kohli but there may well be several alterations to the side.

KL Rahul could get the nod, while Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini will be hoping to make their Test debut with Shami unavailable.

Prithvi Shaw's place at the top of the order is also under scrutiny after he made just four in his two brief visits to the crease in the opening Test.

Shubman Gill is pushing for selection as India look to avoid a fourth consecutive Test defeat away from home at a famous venue where they won in the longest format two years ago.

MORE OF THE SAME FOR AUSTRALIA

Australia are unsurprisingly set to go with the same line-up that embarrassed India to take a 1-0 lead.

Josh Hazlewood took incredible figures of 5-8 and Pat Cummins claimed 4-21 in an astonishing second-innings capitulation from the tourists.

Joe Burns made a much-needed unbeaten half-century as Australia wrapped up the victory and the opener could do with another significant contribution with the bat.

Langer said when asked about selection: "I'd be a pretty courageous man to change the XI for this Test match after the last one.

"At this stage, unless something happens over the next few days – and things can happen in the world we live in – we'll go in with the same XI, I'd say."

KEY OPTA FACTS

- Australia will be in the hunt for back-to-back Test wins against India for the first time since December 2014.

- India have won their last four Tests on the bounce without Kohli in the side, including an eight-wicket win against Australia in March 2017.

- Steve Smith needs just 69 runs to become the fifth Australian man to reach 1,500 Test runs against India; his batting average of 79.5 from 22 innings is the highest of any Australian to have more than six knocks against them.

- Three of Shaw's last six Test dismissals have seen him bowled, with all of those dismissals coming against pace bowling.

- Nathan Lyon needs just nine more wickets to reach 400 in Test cricket; only Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) have taken more for Australia in the men's game.

Langer's Australia enjoyed a flawless summer Down Under after completing a 3-0 series sweep of trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand on Monday, having previously dispatched Pakistan 2-0.

Australia's batsmen and bowlers flexed their muscles in local conditions and Langer flagged few changes for the team's next Test assignment – away to Bangladesh in June.

"In the spirit of that continuity, it'd be hard to break up that squad," Langer told reporters on Tuesday, a day after Australia wrapped up a thumping 279-run win over New Zealand in the third and final Test at the SCG.

"We might add an all-rounder and another spinner because we're going to get spinning conditions."

Australia's last trip to Bangladesh resulted in a remarkable series draw against the Tigers in 2017.

Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, James Pattinson and Josh Hazlewood – who missed the final two Tests against the Black Caps due to injury – are set to be at the forefront for Australia.

Whether all four quicks will face Bangladesh in June is yet to be decided but Langer said: "I remember when Australia won after many, many years in India – in 2004 – it was on the back of some very, very disciplined fast bowling.

"Adam Gilchrist was the captain, we had very clear plans and we talked about that during the Ashes series. We had very clear plans on that [tour]. So it could happen, it'd be so hard to leave out one of those three or four [fast] bowlers.

"We'll look at that when it comes to Bangladesh, but there's a good combination at the moment. It also helps with Marnus [Labuschagne] bowling leg-spin and also helps with Travis Head being able to bowl a few overs [of off-spin] as well."

In the meantime, Australia's attention will turn to the white ball for a three-game ODI series away to India, starting January 14.

Andrew McDonald will lead Australia in India as coach Langer takes a break.

"I said to him this morning, 'we're not reinventing the wheel'. He's got a really good opportunity," Langer said. "I'm so confident in our coaching staff now with the cricket side of things. A lot of the time now I think about the cricket 30 per cent of the time, the rest of the time all the other stuff that goes with it: the bigger picture, the cultural stuff.

"He's an excellent coach, we've got other excellent coaches to back him up. I said to him I won't ring him, I'll let him go. He said 'I might ring you', that's the difference. He'll do a really good job."

Smith was questioned after footage showed him standing at the crease and shaping up as if he was batting, including marking a guard, as India survived for a draw on the final day of the third Test in Sydney.

His actions at the crease forced India's Rishabh Pant to retake his own guard before play resumed, with the moment becoming a hot topic on Twitter.

But Langer hit out at the talk about Smith, who was sacked as Australia captain and banned for 12 months following the ball-tampering scandal during the tour of South Africa in 2018.

"I literally cannot believe some of the rubbish I read about Steve Smith, absolute load of rubbish," he told a news conference on Wednesday.

"If anyone knows Steve Smith, he's a bit quirky. We've all laughed about it for the last couple of years and I've spoken about it privately about how he's a bit quirky. What Steve Smith does at the crease, he does it probably most games, he's just thinking about the game.

"Anyone who suggests for one millisecond he was trying to do something untoward, way out of line, absolutely out of line. On that wicket, it was that flat, and it was like concrete, you need 15-inch spikes to make an indent on the crease and he went nowhere near the crease.

"I thought that was absolutely ludicrous and again in the last couple of years since he's been back, he has been exemplary on and off the field, he has let his bat do the talking, he was abused like I've never seen anything through England and he just kept smiling and letting his bat do the talking, give me a break, give me a break."

Australia captain Tim Paine, meanwhile, apologised on Tuesday for his behaviour during the third Test, including sledging Ravichandran Ashwin.

Langer backed Paine and said the 36-year-old would remain captain for the foreseeable future.

"You have no idea how much faith I've got in Tim Paine. He didn't have his best day, no doubt about that, but after three years, he has hardly put a hair out of place, he has been outstanding as the Australian captain, everything he does," he said.

"He had a frustrating day. We've got to cut him some slack surely. But having said that when you set a standard as high as he does and as we do, we understand we're going to get criticised when we fall below that, it's not what we're about.

"But Tim Paine, outstanding leader and will continue to be for some time to come yet. He has my 100 per cent support."

The series is locked at 1-1 ahead of the fourth Test starting in Brisbane on Friday.

Pucovski, 22, was named in a 17-man Test squad on Thursday, piling the pressure on Burns after scoring 495 runs at an average of 247.5 to begin the Sheffield Shield season.

Burns, meanwhile, has struggled, making just 57 runs in five innings to be in danger of losing his place for the first Test starting in Adelaide on December 17.

While Langer was full of praise for Pucovski, he is prepared to stick with what has helped Australia reach the top of the Test rankings.

Warner and Burns' partnerships have yielded 1,365 runs at an average of 50.55 for Australia in Tests.

"[Pucovski has] been amazing hasn't he? And it's exactly what we are looking for, I've said it for a very long time that we want guys who are outside of the team to bang so hard you can't ignore them," Langer told reporters on Friday.

"The fact is he's been so good we can't ignore him, he's been brilliant.

"That said I've also been consistent with the messaging that last summer we loved the combination of Joe Burns and David Warner, they have a real synergy, so at this point I'd say that will remain the same.

"But what Will's doing, what Cameron Green has done, is making a real statement through sheer weight of runs and that's always been a strong foundation for the strength of Australian cricket."

Langer said he wanted Australia to have consistency in their line-up, and he is prepared to back the players who currently hold their spots.

"We went through a period where there was lots of ins and outs, and in my view, we should back the guys in there," he said.

"That can change, but it's a pretty strong philosophy to stick to."

Alyssa Healy smashed 75 from 39 balls and opening partner Beth Mooney top-scored with an unbeaten 78 as Australia posted 184-4 in Melbourne, a total that proved well beyond India's reach as they were all out for 99 in reply.

However, while they triumphed by the huge margin of 85 runs in the final, it had not always been plain sailing for Lanning and her squad during the tournament.

They lost to India in their opening match in the group stage and, already without Tayla Vlaeminck due to a fractured foot, were dealt a further blow when Ellyse Perry suffered a hamstring injury against New Zealand.

The duo were still present for the victory over India on Sunday, taking part in the celebrations after Australia were crowned champions for a fifth time in front of a crowd of 86,174 - a new record for a women's cricket match and a female sporting event in Australia.

"I'm just really proud of this group of players and staff," Lanning said at the presentation ceremony.

"We've had everything thrown at us, ups and downs. It was tough, definitely, especially after we lost that first game. There was a lot of expectation on us, inside and out.

"There were definitely some tough times in there, but we stuck with each other, had each other's backs.

"Coming in they [the injured players] were a big part of our plans, we had to go to plan B and C.

"It's been massive, 86,000 people at the MCG, I've never seen it before and didn't think I'd be part of it in the middle."

India were left to rue missed opportunities in the field - Healy was dropped by Shafali Verma in the first over, while they also put down a chance off Mooney during a pivotal 115-run opening stand.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur hopes her players will learn from the experience after reaching the final of the T20 event for the first time.

"We need to focus, especially in fielding," she said. "But I trust this team. It's part of the game, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. You have to keep learning. 

"If we talk about the last T20 World Cup, we got to the semi-finals, and this time to the final. I think we're on the right path.

"Every year we are improving. We just need to think of how we play with focus in the main games. Sometimes we don't manage that."

“It’s a young group, ably led by Kraigg Brathwaite, of course, but I feel like some of the guys can really come into their own in this series,” Lara, who is with the team as a performance mentor, said in a CWI interview on Saturday.

“It’s a tough opposition but I believe that’s the way we can get the best out of them,” he added.

The West Indian selectors have started to look to the future in the batting department with the selections of 22-year-old Kirk McKenzie and 24-year-old Alick Athanaze.

Jamaica’s McKenzie earned his selection on the back of some good performances in the inaugural Headley Weekes Tri-Series and in a subsequent A-team tour of Bangladesh.

He had scores of 221 and 50 in the Headley Weekes series and followed those up with scores of 91 and 86 against Bangladesh A.

Athanaze captained the Windward Islands Volcanoes in this season’s West Indies Championship and scored 647 runs in five matches at an average of 64.70 with a pair of hundreds and four fifties.

“They’re both young, capable players. Of course, you’d hope they had a little more experience in the first-class arena but, looking at their style of play and their attitude, I believe they do have what it takes to perform at the highest level,” Lara said.

“It may take some time but, obviously, as an international cricketer, if you’re entering this stage it doesn’t matter what age you enter; you’ve got to learn very quickly and I think they have that sort of attitude to want to learn and be willing to listen. I look forward to good things in the future,” he added.

These matches will mark the start of the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship cycle for both teams.

“Obviously, we’ve got two very important Test matches against India that start the two-year cycle for us. We know, whether it’s at home or away from home, they’re one of the top teams in the world,” Lara said.

“I think the guys are moving in the right direction in terms of where we started the camp and where we are at this present moment only a few days out from the first Test match in Dominica,” he added.

The two teams had very different results in the 2021-23 cycle. India, currently the top-ranked Test team in the world, finished the cycle second behind Australia, who they recently lost to in the World Test Championship Final.

On the other hand, the West Indies ended the cycle in eighth, only finishing ahead of Bangladesh.

Gomes, 66, played 60 Tests for the West Indies between June 1976 when he made his debut against England and March 1987 when he played his last Test against New Zealand. He scored 3171 at a decent average of 39.63, amassing nine centuries and 13 half-centuries along the way.

However, his knock of 123 against India, he says, was perhaps his best.

 “The one that stands out for me would be the one in Trinidad. If you remember, we were three wickets down with one run with Gordon, Desmond and Viv back in the pavilion, and then I came in and together with Clive and we put on 200-plus run for the fourth wicket. I think that hundred stands out because we had to build back that innings and we got a respectable total,” said Gomes who now lives in Canada while speaking on Mason and Guest in Barbados on Tuesday night.

“That was more refreshing.”

In the match played from March 11-16, Gomes scored (123) and Captain Clive Lloyd (143) as the pair shared in a stand of 237. Gomes batted for 446 minutes and faced 333 balls in his obdurate knock that included only 12 boundaries.

Jeffrey Dujon (31), Michael Holding 24 and Joel Garner, an unbeaten 21, helped the West Indies to 394 in reply to India’s first innings of 175.

The match ended in a draw as Mohinder Armanath (117) set the stage for strong Indian second innings that saw Kapil Dev smash 100 from just 95 balls with 13 fours and three sixes as India piled up 469 for 7. Yasphal Sharma contributed an even 50 to the mammoth total.

Gomes took 1 for 45 as the West Indies fast bowlers toiled on the docile Queens Park Oval pitch.

Gomes said he will always remember his first Test century. He scored that one against Australia at the Bourda Oval in Guyana in 1978. Jamaica’s Basil ‘Shotgun’ Williams also scored a century in that match.

Batting first the West Indies scored 205. Gomes scored only 4 as Jeff Thompson and Wayne Clark taking four wickets each.

Australia replied with 286, their captain Bobby Simpson top-scoring with 67.

Batting a second time Gomes scored 101, Williams 100 and Sew Shivnarine 63 as the West Indies posted a total of 439.

However, Graeme Wood (126) and Craig Serjeant (124) laid steered Australia to 362 for 7 and a three-wicket victory over the West Indies.

India looked in complete control at 78-1 in the penultimate over of the first day of the third Test in Mumbai, having bowled New Zealand out for 235.

Jadeja, who bowled 22 unchanged overs, was in sensational form with the ball, taking 5-65.

Able support arrived from the excellent Washington Sundar, who finished with figures of 4-81. His haul included the wicket of Daryl Mitchell (82), who was the only New Zealand batter to really make a dent.

Rohit Sharma's dismissal for 18 in the seventh over did not derail a positive start to India's chase, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (30) and Shubman Gill (31 not out) looking steady at the crease.

However, Jaiswal was bowled by Ajaz Patel (2-33) in the 18th over, with Mohammed Siraj pinned lbw from the very next ball.

Patel was unable to complete his hat-trick, but Virat Kohli was run out for four in the next over as New Zealand rallied, and the tourists now have plenty of momentum heading into day two.

Data Debrief: Three of a kind

India have won their last three Tests at Wankhede Stadium, including a 372-run win over New Zealand in their last match at the venue (3 December 2021), after not registering a win in three matches prior to that span (D1 L2).

And they looked well placed to push on and continue that run as they looked to avoid slipping to a third defeat of the series.

They last lost three successive Tests on home soil back in the 1970s, when they faced England, but their late capitulation has left them vulnerable to matching that.

The visitors' decision to take a second new ball proved crucial, and left them requiring just 107 runs for victory.

India resumed at 231-3, and Sarfaraz Khan led their charge as he notched his maiden Test century with an impressive 150 off 195 balls.

The hosts, who were bowled out for just 46 in the opening innings, were looking strong, having overturned their 356-run deficit for the lead at 400-3.

However, the tide turned when New Zealand took the new ball. After Tim Southee claimed Khan, William O'Rourke then denied Rishabh Pant (99) a century, while he also bowled KL Rahul (12) and Ravindra Jadeja (five) soon after.

Matt Henry also took three wickets, claiming Ravichandran Ashwin (15), Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj (both for a duck) as India were bowled out for 462, setting their opponents a target of just 107 when play concludes on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Ton up for Khan as Pant agonisingly misses out

The new ball was certainly the decisive factor on a day interrupted by rain delays. Indeed, India were 62-3 thereon, having previously looked on course to set their opponents a healthy target.

While Khan notched his maiden Test century, Pant was not so fortunate as he was dismissed when needing just one more run for his seventh ton.

In fact, he has now hit more 90s (seven) than centuries (six) in Test cricket.

The tourists began day five of a rain-affected first Test requiring just 107 runs for victory, with their only previous wins in India coming in 1969 and 1988.

Latham was removed early on by Jasprit Bumrah as India desperately attempted to force a draw, but Will Young (49 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (39 not out) got New Zealand over the line with eight wickets to spare.

Speaking after the win, which was New Zealand's seventh in a row in red-ball matches, Latham said: "There have been a lot of teams that have come here over that long period of time, so obviously it's a special feeling.

"The work we did in that first and second innings with the ball and with the bat set up the game for us."

India, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat since going down to England in Hyderabad in January, though they recovered to win that five-match series 4-1.

With two more Tests to come in the current series, captain Rohit Sharma called on his team-mates to show similar levels of resilience. 

"There are guys who have been in this place before, where we've lost a game," Rohit said. 

"We lost a game against England in the first Test, and we won four games after that. These things happen. 

"There's still two Test matches to go, and we know exactly what is required from each one of us. So, we'll try and put our best game forward." 

Dravid has been given time off ahead of the Asia Cup, which starts on August 27, so fellow India legend Laxman will step up in his absence.

Laxman, the head of the National Cricket Academy, also took on head coach duties for the tour of Ireland.

India batting coach Vikram Rathourthe and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey have also been given time off, so Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Sairaj Bahutule will fill in for them in Zimbabwe.

Kanitkar was in charge of India's Under-19 Cricket World Cup winning team this year, and this will be his first assignment at senior level.

KL Rahul has been passed fit to captain India after recovering from injury and COVID-19.

The first of three ODIs at the Harare Sports Club will take place next Thursday.

Sixteen wickets fell on a captivating second day at Holkar Cricket Stadium, where the tourists collapsed to 197 all in reply to India's 109.

Ravichandran Ashwin (3-44) and Umesh Yadav (3-12) took Australia's last six wickets for only 11 runs to seemingly leave the game in the balance.

With sharp turn and variable bounce to contend with, Cheteshwar Pujara made 59 but India were skittled out for 163 in their second innings in Indore, Lyon claiming a magnificent 8-64 to leave Australia facing only a small run chase to make it 2-1.

Ashwin ended a stand of 40 by removing Peter Handscomb (19) after Australia resumed on 156-4 and Umesh trapped Cameron Green leg before in the next over.

Umesh cleaned up Mitchell Starc and Todd Murphy as the tourists folded after the drinks break, with Ashwin on the money as he struck Alex Carey in front, before bowling Lyon to end the innings in a flash.

Starting their second innings with a deficit of 88, India lost openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma bowled and lbw respectively to the excellent Lyon.

Virat Kohli followed for only 13 after being struck on the pad in front of middle stump attempting to pull a Matthew Kuhnemann delivery that kept low and India were 78-4 when Lyon sent Ravindra Jadeja trudging off.

Shreyas Iyer made a brisk 25 before falling to Mitchell Starc and Lyon continued to apply the pressure, seeing the back of Srikar Bharat and Ashwin.

Pujara stood firm for a battling half-century but his knock was ended when Steve Smith produced a brilliant diving catch at leg slip for the relentless Lyon, who dismissed Umesh and Mohammed Siraj without scoring to clean up the India innings.

Ashwin into the top three

The 36-year-old Ashwin took his incredible tally of international wickets to 689 in his 269th match to become India's third-highest wicket-taker across all formats.

He surpassed the great Kapil Dev's haul of 687 in all formats for India, making the most of the conditions after Jadeja (4-78) had taken all four wickets for India on day one.

Only Anil Kumble (953) and Harbhajan Singh (707) have claimed more scalps for India in all formats combined.

Lyon Australia's spin king

It was Kuhnemann who starred for the tourists by claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in only his second Test on day one, but fellow spinner Lyon was the main man on Thursday.

He bowled with great guile and control, helping himself taking his 23rd haul in the longest format after picking up three wickets on day one.

Lyon now has more wickets against India across all formats than any other Australia bowler after moving past Brett Lee's total of 111, having claimed his second eight-wicket haul in India.

England set an improbable victory target of 420, one that will set a new record in Tests if India are somehow able to knock off the runs from a position of 39-1 at stumps.

It is a match situation that underlines the tourists' unexpected domination of the contest, although they were criticised in some quarters for letting the game drift after tea on Monday.

Ollie Pope was the sixth man out with the score 130 in their second innings, from which point there was a wait for a declaration that never came as all of England's tailenders emerged and they took a further 18 overs to reach 178 all out.

Jack Leach then bowled Rohit Sharma with a beauty, but there were no further breakthroughs before the close.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Lewis insisted England were comfortable with their tactics, pointing towards the potential importance of the second new ball during the last session of the match.

James Anderson and Jofra Archer will also be fresh for a second chance to make inroads with a ball only 13 overs old on the final morning.

"The guys were positive in the way they played and I don't think it's a straightforward pitch to just go and be reckless when trying to score runs," Lewis said of England's dwindling scoring rate following Pope's departure for 28.

"We were very comfortable with the amount of overs we wanted to bowl tonight. That obviously gives us a bit of a bite with the second new ball tomorrow, if required - 20 overs or so.

"In terms of the position of the game, we're really comfortable with where we're at.

"It's the first game of the series. While you want to get off to a really strong start, you don't really want to give India a chance to win.

"Saying that, they've got some fine players. You also want to be able to have attacking fielders the whole day, especially to our spin bowlers, around the bat.

"To get as many runs as we can and keep the rate high for them feels like our best chance to win the game."

Joe Root had the option to enforce the follow-on after England wrapped up India's first-innings for 337 - a deficit of 241.

However, India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who scored 31 with the bat before claiming 6-61, suggested Root's desire to give his attack recovery time was understandable.

"They had two options in front of them. They could have asked us to follow-on," he said.

"The only reasoning I could see is they wanted to give a bit of a rest to their bowlers, which is a part of the game that is sometimes not very well understood on the outside

"Sometimes fresh bowlers can do the trick more than tiring bowlers."

Whether or not England's refreshed bowlers are able to do the trick on day five will ultimately determine how their Monday approach comes to be viewed.

The defending champions almost succumbed to a humiliating group-stage exit, with only old rivals Australia keeping them in with a dramatic victory over Scotland.

Having finished second in Group B, Jos Buttler's team did likewise in Group 2 at the Super-8 stage, a resounding victory over the United States sending them through at West Indies' expense. 

England now have a chance to reach their fourth T20 World Cup final and their third in the last four editions, while a third triumph at the tournament would take them clear of the Windies for the outright record. 

All-rounder Livingstone says England have a chance to prove tournaments are not about how you start, but how you finish. 

"In tournament cricket, sometimes it is better to sneak up and nick it at the end," said Livingstone. "Hopefully that is the way we will go. 

"A lot of lads have been contributing in the last few games which should stand us in good stead going forward. We've hopefully got two more massive games."

Livingstone sustained a torso injury while batting against Namibia in the group stage but has shrugged that problem off to play all of England's matches.

He has yet to truly hit top form, taking two wickets and scoring 13 and 33 in his two innings with the bat in the middle order, but he is confident a big finish is coming.

"As a kid I always wanted to be involved, that's the reason I started bowling a few years back," he said.

"So batting at seven and maybe bowling one over, that's where the hard bit comes as you want to be involved.

"Thankfully the last two games I struck the ball well against South Africa and bowled pretty well [against the USA], so I feel I'm in a good place."

Since the advent of lucrative global T20 leagues, the team has on many occasions struggled to have its top players available, as they opt to take part in the competitions over scheduled international fixtures.

At the moment, the problem is less of an issue for some of the sport’s bigger for team who hold a much tighter rein on when and where their players play.  India for instance does not allow their player to take part in any other T20 league except the IPL, as Sammy points out, the issue comes down to money.

“India is strong because they can tell their players that you don’t play anywhere else. You have to understand that they have the money to back it up,” Sammy said in an interview with the Press Trust of India (PTI).

“An India A list contracted player could probably make a million dollars a year (match fees plus TV rights money) compared to a Windies A-lister, who would earn USD 150,000,” he added.

Successive West Indies administrations have tackled the issue with various approaches that have yielded little success, the former captain does not see things changing anytime soon.

“Gone are those days when you played for love. Love doesn’t buy you groceries from a supermarket,” he added.

The player believed the region could possibly think of adopting a similar model to the one used by New Zealand.