Virat Kohli

Kohli made his Test debut nine years ago and has gone on to become one of the game's greatest batsmen, as well as taking on the captaincy across all three formats.

There is little love lost on the field between Australia and India but Finch recognises Kohli's class, saying he is part of a group of players such as Steve Smith, Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar who define greatness.

"Every player, regardless of who it is, has a bad series. But very, very rarely do you see Kohli, Smith, even going back Ponting, Sachin, these guys they don't have two bad series in a row," Finch said on the Sony Ten Pit Stop show.

"The pressure of playing for India is one thing but also leading India is another and the way he has done it, so consistently for a long time.

"And taking over from [MS] Dhoni, the leadership, that is huge. The expectations were high and he kept delivering and I think that that is the most impressive thing.

"What has been so impressive for so long is just his consistency across three formats. To be the best player of all-time in ODI cricket is one thing. But then to also be in Test cricket and T20 cricket as a rounded player, that is remarkable."

Australia are scheduled to go head-to-head with India for three T20 matches in October, before beginning a four-Test series in December and rounding out with three ODIs in January next year.

The uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic means no fixtures are particularly set in stone right now, but Finch says the rivalry between Australia and India is hot regardless of the format.

"India and Australia are two very successful teams, two countries that are very passionate about cricket as well. So, it's hard to compare the rivalry [in Tests and ODIs]," Finch told reporters on virtual news conference.

"One is the traditional game of Test cricket and the grind of five days, that mental battle day in day out while one-day cricket is more skill-based obviously, just on that day. If a couple of guys have a great day on the field, it goes a long way in winning the match.

"That said, it's not a case of being less important or being taken lightly because it's ODI or T20 cricket."

The global health pandemic has seen Australia's home ODI series with Zimbabwe, which was scheduled for August, postponed indefinitely.

As things stand, T20 clashes with the West Indies and India in October that precede the T20 World Cup – which could still be rearranged – will be the next assignments for Australia.

But there remains the possibility of limited-overs matches being organised to take place in England, something Finch is preparing for.

"It's a little bit up in the air, just with how quickly everything is changing. In Victoria [where restrictions have been tightened] we are going the other way again," he said.

"We're not exactly sure when our next game is going to be. In our mind we were planning for Zimbabwe, we were planning for England, and all going well, I think that was our next game, that's what we are planning for.

"I am preparing to go to England and play, whether that happens we will wait and see.

"We just have to be really conscious of being ultra flexible. There might be a tour comes up at relatively short notice because we can get there, and that would be brilliant.

"Whatever it takes. The players are all in the same boat. Whatever we have to do to get a game up and going, that is in the best interest of world cricket, we’d be up for that."

India have not been in action since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, but their wait will come to an end at the SCG on Friday.

Australia should be confident after beating world champions 2-1 in the 50-over format in September and both sides will welcome being able to play in front of crowds.

Kohli headed to Australia on the back of being the ninth-highest run-scorer in the Indian Premier League and Australia captain Finch has lavished praise on his opposite number ahead of the three-match series.

"If you look at his record, it's second to none. It really is remarkable," said Finch, who also featured in the IPL. "What we have to keep in mind is that we have to keep looking to get him out.

"When you go away from that and you look to contain players, you can miss a trick. He's probably the best one-day player of all time, so it's about sticking to our plans and being really committed in that regard."

Kohli will be looking not only for a series victory, but also to consolidate his status as the top-ranked ODI batsman in the world in the absence of his injured team-mate Rohit Sharma.

India paceman Jasprit Bumrah, meanwhile, could regain top spot in the bowler rankings, as he only trails New Zealand's Trent Boult by three points.

The two sides, who will wear black armbands in tribute to late Australia great Dean Jones, will be playing for ICC Cricket World Cup Super League points.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS FOR AGARWAL

A hamstring injury sustained during the IPL means there will be no Rohit at the top of the India order, so Mayank Agarwal looks set to partner Shikhar Dhawan.

Agarwal failed to show what he is capable of when India were whitewashed by New Zealand in February.

The 29-year-old was in good touch during the IPL, though, scoring 424 runs at an average of 38.54 and making a century for Kings XI against Rajasthan Royals.

KL Rahul is likely to come in down the order, given he will take up the role of wicketkeeper-batsman.

WARNER TO MAKE HAY AT HAPPY HUNTING GROUND?

Australia have a formidable recent record at the SCG, winning 11 of their previous 13 ODIs at the famous venue.

They have also come out on top in all but two of their previous 16 encounters with India at the Sydney fortress.

India's last ODI victory over Australia at the venue came in January 2016 and dismissing David Warner cheaply may be key to repeating that feat.

The opener has an ODI average of 57.2 at the SCG, higher than any other player in the men's game from 10 innings or more. Warner has scored two hundreds and a half-century in his last five knocks at the venue.

KEY OPTA FACTS

- Kohli is 133 runs away from becoming only the sixth man to record 12,000 in ODIs. 
- India have won 12 of their last 18 ODIs against Australia, including the previous two.
- The tourists have won five of their last seven bilateral ODI series versus Australia, including a 2-1 win in the most recent series on Australian soil early last year.
- Finch is just 17 shy of becoming the 16th Australian to score 5,000 ODI runs. He has not been dismissed for a single-figure total in any of his last 10 ODI knocks.
- Mohammed Shami (50) has taken more ODI wickets since the beginning of 2019 than any other player; Australia duo Adam Zampa and Pat Cummins (43 each) are joint-second.

Kohli has not made an international century since he reached three figures in a Test against Bangladesh in November 2019.

The 33-year-old endured a miserable tour of England, scoring only 31 runs combined in his two innings of the rearranged final Test at Edgbaston before failing to make it to 20 in his four white-ball knocks against Jos Buttler's side.

Kohli has been rested for the white-ball tour of the Caribbean and there have been calls for one of India's greatest batters to be dropped.

India legend Gavaskar would welcome the chance to help the country's former skipper to turn his fortunes around.

"Having been an opening batter, having been troubled by that line, there are certain things that you try and do." Gavaskar told India Today.

"It goes back to the fact that his first mistake turns out to be his last.

"Again, just because he is not amongst the runs, there is this anxiety to play at every delivery because that is what batters feel, they have got to score.

"You look to play at deliveries that you otherwise won't. But he has gotten out to good deliveries as well on this particular tour."

Gavaskar added: "If I had about 20 minutes with him, I would be able to tell him the things he might have to do.

"It might help him, I am not saying it will help him, but it could, particularly with regards to that off-stump line."

Gayle, who has scored a total of 7214 runs in 104 Test matches, with a high score of 333, is no stranger to the format.  The player last set foot in the Test area six years ago but has not lost the affinity for the grueling nature of the longest format.

It is of little surprise that Gayle recently added his voice to the throng of players and former players that have come out strongly against the possibility of reducing five-day Test matches to four-dayers.  The topic is expected to be discussed by the ICC over the next few months.

“I am not a fan of that (four-day Tests). I played 100 Tests, I mean a few finished in three days, a few in four but five days Test cricket is the ultimate and to have a four-day Test…I am not a big fan of that,” Gayle said.

“It has set the trend and it’s been there for ages so why go and mess with that. If they give other players a chance to experience that, it can be a life-changing experience to play five-day cricket. It is a mental state so that you can cope in life as well,” said Gayle.

 Indian captain Virat Kohli, South African skipper Faf du Plessis, English captain Joe Root and Indian great Sachin Tendulkar are among the other players to have spoken out in opposition to the change.

Kings XI have found wins hard to come by in 2020 but have now triumphed in both games with Bangalore, albeit only after surviving a late wobble on Thursday. 

Gayle made 53 from 45 balls but was run out from the penultimate delivery with the scores level. That left Nicholas Pooran to come out and face one ball, which he proceeded to launch down the ground for six. 

The eight-wicket victory gives Kings XI renewed hope for the season, though they remain bottom of the table. 

Rahul – who made 132 not out in the previous meeting of the two franchises – finished up unbeaten on 61, in the process extending his lead at the top of the run-scoring table. 

Opening partner Mayank Agarwal weighed in with 45 as Bangalore's total of 171-6 was not quite enough, despite the unexpected final-over drama. 

Virat Kohli had top-scored with 48 but the Royal Challengers struggled to pick up the run-rate, making the decision to leave AB de Villiers down at six in the order even more surprising. 

The South African made just two but compatriot Chris Morris was far more successful in the closing stages, an eight-ball cameo seeing him make 25 not out. 

DE VILLIERS MADE TO WAIT 

De Villiers was at his explosive best against Kolkata Knight Riders last time out, smashing an unbeaten 73 from 33 balls. 

Despite that explosive display of hitting, Bangalore sent both Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube in ahead of him, before he eventually came out with four overs to go.

THE UNIVERSE BOSS IS BACK!

Gayle's involvement in the tournament was delayed by food poisoning, leading to a spell in hospital. He batted in the unfamiliar position of three for Kings XI, coming in after the opening duo had put on 78. 

After a cautious start, the left-hander cut loose with a solitary four and five sixes. Even his demise added a little drama, but Pooran finished the job in style with a maximum off Yuzvendra Chahal. 

Gill gets the nod at the MCG ahead of Prithvi Shaw, who failed twice at the top of the order in an embarrassing defeat in the first Test at Adelaide Oval.

Seamer Siraj comes into the attack after Mohammed Shami suffered a fractured right arm in the opening match of the series, which Australia won by eight wickets following the tourists' capitulation to their lowest ever Test total of 36 all out in the second innings

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja were also named in the team on the eve of the match.

Pant comes in for Wriddhiman Saha, while spinner Jadeja's selection gives stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane a five-man attack to call upon. 

Rahane steps in to lead India for the remainder of the series after Virat Kohli returned home for the birth of his first child.

Australia are set to be unchanged as they bid to take a 2-0 lead.

India team:

Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

Replying to Australia's 480 all out at the Narendra Modi Stadium, India were trailing by 191 runs at stumps on Saturday after closing on 289-3.

Opening batter Gill dug in for his highest Test score of 128 in Ahmedabad, where Virat Kohli was well set on 59 at stumps and Ravindra Jadeja was still there on 16 as Rohit Sharma's side strive to win a series they lead 2-1.

Spinners Todd Murphy, Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann claimed a wicket apiece as Australia toiled in the heat on a pitch offering little encouragement for the bowlers.

An opening stand of 74 between Rohit (35) and Gill ended when the captain struck a Kuhnemann delivery to Marnus Labuschagne at short cover, but the tourists were unable to make further inroads in the morning session.

The watchful Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara found runs hard to come by after striding out after lunch at 129-1, but they looked untroubled in a partnership of 113 before Murphy trapped the number three lbw for an obdurate 42.

That breakthrough came just before tea, which India took on 188-2 after Gill had swept Murphy for four to reach three figures.

Kohli started with positive intent to get the scoreboard ticking and Gill continued to look comfortable until he was struck on the pad in front by Lyon, leaving India 245-3.

Steve Smith wasted a review for an lbw shout against Jadeja off the bowling of Murphy and Kohli brought up an 107-ball half-century by working Lyon off his hip for two as India chipped away at Australia's lead.

India will look to build an advantage on day four, knowing they have retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but need a win to be guaranteed to face Australia once again in the World Test Championship final in June.

Patience pays off for Gill

Gill laid the foundations with a superbly constructed innings, biding his time as faced 235 balls and wore the Australia bowlers down.

This was his second Test hundred after his first against Bangladesh last year and should cement his spot at the top of the order. 

He struck 12 fours and a six, launching Lyon over the rope in the final over on day two.

Kohli looking ominous

Former captain Kohli was rock solid in defence and aggressive at every opportunity, giving himself a great chance to register a 28th Test century.

Australia will need to see the back of the 34-year-old before too long on Sunday if they are to have a realistic chance of squaring the series at 2-2.

Hardik will lead India when they begin their tour of New Zealand with the first of three T20Is in Wellington on November 18 – just five days after the T20 World Cup in Australia ends.

One week later, they begin a three-match one-day series at Eden Park in Auckland, in which Dhawan – who led India on a tour of the West Indies earlier this year – will take the captaincy.

Rohit, Kohli and Rahul will all miss the trip to New Zealand, but as many as eight other players currently in Australia for the World Cup will be in attendance.

Hardik, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh have all been selected for the T20I series, with Pant named vice-captain for the entire tour.

There was no place in either squad for Jasprit Bumrah or Ravindra Jadeja, however, after the duo were forced to miss the World Cup through injury.

Defending champions Mumbai collapsed from 94-1 after 11 overs to 159-9 after being put in by Virat Kohli, all-rounder Harshal taking 5-27 in Chennai on Friday and Chris Lynn top-scoring with 49.

Four wickets fell in the final over of the holders' innings at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, with Harshal claiming his maiden five-wicket T20 haul in the first match of his second spell with RCB following his Delhi Capitals exit.

Bangalore were cruising with Kohli (33) and new signing Glenn Maxwell (39) at the crease, but it was game on when they were 122-6 in the 17th over after losing four wickets for 24 runs.

AB de Villiers looked set to see them home, but RCB were left needing two off as many balls for victory when the maverick wicketkeeper-batsman was run out for 48.

Harshal held his nerve to take a single off the final delivery from IPL debutant Marco Jansen (2-28), sealing a dramatic two-wicket win for big-spending RCB.

Five-time champions Mumbai, bidding to become the first team to win the tournament three times in a row, were ultimately made to pay for scoring only 25 runs in the last four overs of their innings.

Late Harshal burst rocks Mumbai

The holders appeared set to post a challenging total with Indians debutant Lynn and Suryakumar Yadav at the crease after Rohit Sharma was run out for 19, but they capitulated in spectacular fashion.

Powerful new recruit Lynn struck three sixes as the Australian and Suryakumar (31) put on 70 for the second wicket before they were removed by Washington Sundar and big-money signing Kyle Jamieson (1-27) respectively.

Paceman Harshal then took centre stage, trapping Ishan Kishan lbw before dismissing Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard and Jansen in an incredible final over that ended with Rahul Chahar being run out. 

De Villiers delivers, Harshal the hero

Maxwell put on a show along with Kohli after Sundar and Rajat Patidar fell cheaply, clearing the rope twice.

The Australia all-rounder was on his way when he ramped Jansen to Lynn at short fine leg and the South African paceman struck for a second time in the 15th over to send Shahbaz Ahmed packing.

De Villiers made it advantage RCB as 15 runs came off the 18th over from Trent Boult and although he was run out by Krunal after hitting a couple of sixes in a brilliant 27-ball knock, Harshal ensured his innings was not in vain.

India hammered England by 68 runs on Thursday to book their place in the T20 World Cup final, in which they will meet South Africa.

Rohit struck 57 to put India on their way to victory, with their bowlers subsequently skittling England all out for 103.

Kohli, however, managed just nine runs, as the former India skipper's struggles continued. He has scored just 75 runs across seven innings at this edition of the tournament, and has been out for a duck twice.

Rohit, though, has few concerns over Kohli's form.

"Virat is a quality player," Rohit said. "Any player can through that. We understand his class.

"When you have played for 15 years, form is never a problem. He's probably saving it for the final."

Indeed, maintaining their composure will be crucial for India heading into Saturday's clash with the Proteas, so says Rohit.

He added: "We've been very calm. We understand the occasion of the final.

"It's important we stay composed, because that helps you make good decisions. We have been very steady, calm, and that has been the key for us.

"We'll try our best. All I can hope is to put in another good show come the final."

Holder gave another demonstration of why he is one of the best all-rounders in the world, starring with bat and ball in the Eliminator at Zayed Cricket Stadium.

The ice-cool West Indies captain took 3-25 as RCB were restricted to 131-7, AB de Villiers top-scoring with 56 and Aaron Finch making 32 after skipper Virat Kohli failed.

RCB, who have never won the tournament, had hope when Sunrisers were reduced to 67-4 in the 12th over of a do-or-die showdown in Abu Dhabi on Friday, Mohammed Siraj (2-28) striking twice.

The vastly experienced Williamson (50 not out from 44 balls) and Holder (24no off 20) got David Warner's side home, though, combining for a fifth-wicket stand of 65.

Sunrisers needed nine to win off the final over from Navdeep Saini and after Williamson, who was dropped on 37, took a single, Holder struck back-to-back boundaries to seal victory with two deliveries to spare.

Sunrisers, the 2016 champions, had to win three games in a row to reach the play-offs.

If they beat Delhi Capitals on Sunday, they will face Mumbai Indians in the final.

KOHLI PROMOTION BACKFIRES

Kohli promoted himself to open, a day after his 32nd birthday, but the India skipper was unable to come to the party, edging Holder behind for only six.

RCB were 15-2 when the excellent Holder got rid of Devdutt Padikkal, and although the experienced pair of Finch and De Villiers steadied the ship, boundaries were proving hard to come by.

De Villiers brought up his 38th IPL half-century from 39 balls, while Finch struck Rashid Khan - who was wicketless but ran out Moeen Ali with a brilliant direct hit - for the only six of the innings as the Sunrisers bowlers kept the squeeze on.

WINDIES SKIPPER HOLDS HIS NERVE, WILLIAMSON MR DEPENDABLE

With Warner gone for a run-a-ball 17 and Manish Pandey dismissed for a brisk 24 by the superb Adam Zampa (1-12), the win-or-bust showdown was in the balance.

Priyam Garg followed cheaply, but Williamson and Holder were unflappable as they kept calm heads to pace the run chase just about perfectly in tough scoring conditions.

Williamson slog-swept Yuzvendra Chahal for six and although he could have been taken by Padikkal at deep square leg, that was only a minor blip for the New Zealand captain.

Both Williamson and Holder were out of the Sunrisers side early in the tournament, but both were still in the middle to send Kohli's RCB packing in a tense final over.

Bangalore posted 120-7 after being asked to make first use of a slow wicket at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, captain Virat Kohli (7) failing to make an impression with the bat. 

The Sunrisers suffered a wobble as they closed in on the total, but a brutal cameo from Holder, off just 10 balls and including three sixes, secured the win with 35 deliveries to spare. 

The victory means the Sunrisers climb up to fourth place on 12 points with just one round of fixtures in the round-robin stage remaining. 

However, they are only ahead of Kings Punjab XI, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders on run-rate with the race to make the play-offs set to go down to the wire.

Josh Philippe had held together RCB's innings with a composed knock, making 32 off 31 balls after Sandeep Sharma (2-20) had removed Devdutt Padikkal (5) and Kohli in quick succession. 

The Bangalore innings continued to splutter, though, and when Philippe was caught off leg-spinner Rashid Khan (1-24), any momentum was lost. 

Experienced duo Wriddhiman Saha (39) and Manish Pandey (26) had the Sunrisers coasting, both eventually falling to Yuzvendra Chahal (2-19). When Kane Williamson softly drove left-arm seamer Isuru Udana into the hands of Kohli with the score on 87-4, the Royal Challengers had a ray of hope. 

Yet Holder took any pressure off his team by clobbering sixes off Udana and Navdeep Saini, then hit the winning runs with another maximum off Chahal.

HOLDER HOLDS HIS NERVE 

Disciplined spells at the start and end of Bangalore's innings from the West Indies Test captain led to good bowling figures of 2-27, but it was the manner in which Holder finished off the game with the bat that was more impressive. 

"I was positive with the bat and just set out to win the game, so it was pleasing," Holder said in the post-match presentation ceremony. "Being a replacement here it is a while since I have played IPL cricket, so I'm just trying to make the most of it." 

KOHLI SINKS TO SANDEEP AGAIN 

With 424 runs at an average of 53.00 in this year's IPL heading into the match, there was an expectancy Kohli would again be the key for Bangalore. 

Instead, he was dismissed cheaply by a familiar face, Sandeep Sharma getting the India captain for the seventh time in the Twenty20 format.

Kohli confirmed in September that he had decided to take a step back from leading India in the shortest format after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup.

However, he had agreed to stay on as India's ODI and Test captain, and remain available for selection in T20Is.

India failed to progress from the Super 12s in the World Cup, with Rohit Sharma named as captain for the subsequent T20 series against New Zealand.

But on December 8, Rohit was named India's new permanent white-ball captain.

The BCCI president, Sourav Ganguly, explained that the selectors felt there would have too much leadership within the white-ball squad had there been two captains for each of the formats.

Ganguly also claimed that Kohli had been asked to stay on as captain. However, the batsman has contradicted this statement.

"When I decided to leave the T20I captaincy and approached the BCCI about my decision, it was received well," Kohli told reporters.

"There was no offence or hesitation, I wasn't told to reconsider it. It was received well; I was told it's progressive and it's a step in the right direction.

"Then I told them I'd like to continue in Tests and ODIs, unless the office bearers and selectors feel otherwise.

"My communication was clear in what I wanted to do. I gave them the option, that if they feel I shouldn't [remain captain in Tests and/or ODIs], the decision is in their hands."

Kohli, who is staying on as Test captain, also revealed he was only told of the BCCI's decision to replace him as ODI skipper an hour-and-a-half prior to the squad announcement for India's upcoming red-ball tour of South Africa.

"I was contacted one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting on December 8 for the Test series," Kohli said.

"There was no prior communication to me at all from when I announced the T20I captaincy decision until December 8, when I got a call before the selection meeting.

"The chief selector [Chetan Sharma] discussed with me the Test team, to which we both agreed, and before ending the call I was told the five selectors have decided I will not be the ODI captain, to which I replied, "okay, fine".

"In the selection call afterwards, we chatted about it briefly. That's what happened. There was no communication prior to that at all."

But Kohli is adamant the captaincy call will not impact his preparation for the South Africa Test series.

He added: "To be prepared for a tour like this and to perform to the best of my abilities, nothing has, and nothing can derail me from that.

"A lot of things that happen on the outside are not ideal and not how one expects them to be, but you have to understand you can only do so much as an individual and we have to keep thing in tight perspective and do things that are in your control.

"I'm focussed, mentally prepared, and excited to do the best I can for the team and make the team win."

Pant did not feature in India's three-match series against Australia last year but has been in supreme form in the longest form of the game.

The 23-year-old has hit half-centuries in each of his last four Tests – two against Australia and two against England – with a high score of 97.

Those performances have seen him return to India's T20 squad and Pant could win his first caps in the short format since January 2020 when Virat Kohli's team take on England over five matches in Ahmedabad, with the series starting on March 12.

Meanwhile, three IPL stars have earned their first call-ups – Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, who hit 173 for Jharkhand on Saturday, and Rahul Tewatia.

Rohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Varun Chakarvarthy are also included, though Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah are not involved in the 19-man selection.

India T20 squad in full:

Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Shardul Thakur, Suryakumar Yadav.

Australia, without David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and captain Aaron Finch, posted 194-5 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The tourists, who won Friday's series opener by 11 runs, initially struggled to chase down their target but Hardik Pandya inspired them to a thrilling victory.

Australia were put in to bat first and Matthew Wade, named skipper in Finch's absence, made steady progress by hitting a swift half-century.

But Wade was sent packing in comical fashion after Virat Kohli dropped a catch before redeeming himself by running out his counterpart for 58.

D'Arcy Short (9) and Glenn Maxwell (22) were caught by Shreyas Iyer and Washington Sundar respectively either side of Wade's exit as Australia looked for some momentum.

Steve Smith fell just short of a half-century, managing 46 runs from 38 balls before being caught by Pandya, while Moises Henriques was caught behind soon after for 26.

India were set a target of 195 after Marcus Stoinis put 16 more runs on the board and they looked to have given themselves too much to do.

KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan scored 30 and 52 respectively, both men being taken by Mitchell Swepson, before Sanju Samson slapped straight to Smith at long-off.

Pandya's impressive batting got India, who required 72 runs off 36 balls on one point, back on track with his three fours and two sixes, either side of Kohli's departure for 40.

Joined at the crease by Iyer (12 not out) for a gripping conclusion, Pandya finished with an unbeaten 22-ball 42 to get his side over the line for a series victory with two balls to spare.

The final game of the three-match series takes place in Sydney on Tuesday, before a four-Test series starts on 17 December in Adelaide.

The 31-year-old India captain, who is preparing to lead his side in the first of two Test matches against New Zealand on Friday, feels the topic of player workloads at the highest level of cricket is not going to go away.

For Kohli, occasional breaks from India duty, such as when he was rested for the T20I matches against Bangladesh in November, are his best way of coping with what he feels are intense demands.

"I think it's been eight or nine years that I have been playing almost 300 days a year with the travelling and practice sessions," Kohli told reporters before the opening Test in Wellington.

"The intensity is right up there all the time, so it does take a toll on you. 

"We do choose to take a lot more breaks individually even though the schedule might not allow you to. 

"You are going to see a lot of that in the future from many players. Not just myself, especially from the guys who are playing all three formats. It's not that easy.

"Periodic breaks for me seems to work pretty okay. At a time when the body doesn't respond as well, maybe when I am 34 or 35, you might have a different conversation at that stage. 

"But, for the next two to three years, I have no issues at all. So the mindset is on the larger picture, and from that point, I am preparing myself for a rigorous three years from now."

The responsibilities of being captain are an added pressure for Kohli, who is the world's highest ranked batsman in Test and ODI cricket.

The 31-year-old added: "Being captain, having intensity in practice sessions and discussing the game, it does take a toll on you.

"I can keep going on with the same intensity and I also understand that the team wants a lot of my contribution so that we can ease into another transition phase that we faced some five or six years ago."

India have won the last five Test series they have played, though they come into the New Zealand games on the back of a mixed limited-overs slate.

New Zealand triumphed 3-0 in the ODI series after India had stormed to a 5-0 victory in the T20Is between the two nations.

The tourists chased down a fourth innings total of 79 in just 12 overs at Newlands to wrap up the entire game, scheduled to end on Sunday evening, in just 642 balls.

That made it the shortest Test win ever recorded in terms of deliveries bowled, shaving 14 off a record that has stood since 1932, when South Africa were also on the losing side against Australia in Melbourne.

Over the course of little more than four sessions of cricket, a wicket fell less than every 20 balls on average.

The Proteas, who won well in a hard-fought opening Test in Centurion, were dismissed for 55 on the first morning and improved to 176 only because of a solo effort from Aiden Markram, who made a backs-to-the-wall 106.

The opener’s effort was easily the standout knock of a breakneck encounter, as he occupied the crease for 164 minutes and faced 103 balls.

But with no other resistance as Jasprit Bumrah completed a haul of six for 61, it only delayed the inevitable.

India began their pursuit after lunch and wasted no time getting over the line.

They lost three wickets along the way, Yashavi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli all keeping the revolving door to the pavilion moving, but picked up 52 in boundaries as they ensured an unprecedentedly-swift conclusion.

Questions are sure to be asked over the state of the pitch, with the match officials to decide if the freakish brevity of the match was down to batting error or a poor surface.

Australia had appeared well poised as play resumed in Delhi, having edged the first innings by a run and ended the previous day on 61-1.

But hopes of levelling the series swiftly vanished as Pat Cummins' side were all out for 113 by lunch.

A routine chase of 115 was completed before tea, although Jadeja was the obvious star of the show for India with figures of 7-42.

He had removed Usman Khawaja the previous day, but it was Ravichandran Ashwin (3-59) who set in motion a remarkable stretch by having Travis Head (43) caught behind and then trapping Steve Smith.

Smith's partnership of 20 with Marnus Labuschagne would prove Australia's most productive of the day as the number three batsman was the next to go when Jadeja kept the ball low to bowl him for 35.

Ashwin got Matt Renshaw lbw, then Jadeja had Peter Handscomb caught in the slips to signal a drinks break. From the very next ball, the rampant Jadeja bowled Cummins with another low delivery.

Repeated attempts by Australia to sweep played into Jadeja's hands, and he quickly wrapped up the innings with the dismissals of Alex Carey, Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann.

The final eight wickets fell for just 28 runs, and India's batsmen quickly capitalised despite losing KL Rahul in the second over.

Rohit Sharma scored 31, matched by Cheteshwar Pujara in an unbeaten innings as the hosts reached 118-4 inside 27 overs for a 2-0 series lead.

Day of joy for Jadeja

Jadeja's previous best figures had seen him take 7 for 48 against England back in December 2016, but he managed to improve on that stunning performance.

Indeed, the bowler needed only 12.1 overs this time – versus 25 against England – and required little help from his team-mates, bowling five of the six batsmen he removed on Sunday.

Milestone for Kohli

India did not need any heroes with the bat, but Virat Kohli was still able to pass a milestone in scoring 20 before he was stumped by Carey.

That short 31-ball innings took him past 25,000 runs for India across Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

The tourists were four overs short of their target after time allowances were taken into consideration during the Black Caps' second-highest successful run chase in the 50-over format.

India captain Virat Kohli pleaded guilty to a sanction imposed by match referee Chris Broad, so a formal hearing was not required in Hamilton.

Ross Taylor made a magnificent unbeaten 109 not out and stand-in captain Tom Latham smashed a rapid 69 as the Black Caps ended a run of eight consecutive defeats with a four-wicket victory in their first game of the three-match series.

Shreyas Iyer (103) earlier struck a maiden international century and KL Rahul blasted an unbeaten 88 from 64 balls in India's 347-4, but New Zealand reached their target with 11 balls to spare.

Kohli said: "It was an outstanding performance by New Zealand, they batted outstandingly well. We thought 347 was good enough, but Ross is an experienced batsman and Tom's innings was the one that took away the momentum.

"Credit to Taylor and Tom. The opposition played better than us and they deserved to win. I think the debutants [Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal] gave us a good start and hopefully they continue.

"Iyer was outstanding getting his first ODI hundred under pressure, KL again. These are positives for us."

Kohli, 33, announced his resignation as India Test captain on Saturday following a 2-1 series defeat to South Africa.

He had already called time on his reign as Twenty20 captain after the World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in late 2021, with Rohit Sharma taking that role before also replacing his team-mate as ODI skipper.

Kohli was left disappointed by a lack of communication by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) before he was told he would be stood down as ODI captain, though Ganguly explained matters differently.

The BCCI president, by contrast, suggested he did not want Kohli to relinquish the T20 captaincy, while he stated India wanting only one white-ball captain as the reason for Kohli's removal as ODI skipper.

Nevertheless, Ganguly – who scored over 11,000 runs for India in ODIs – was quick to pay tribute to Kohli following his resignation.

"Under Virat's leadership Indian cricket has made rapid strides in all formats of the game," Ganguly wrote on Twitter. 

"His decision is a personal one and BCCI respects it immensely. He will be an important member to take this team to newer heights in the future. A great player, well done."

Kohli led India a record 68 times in the longest format after initially captaining the Test side for the first time in 2014 against Australia before landing the role permanently the following year after MS Dhoni's retirement.

Only Graeme Smith, Allan Border, Stephen Fleming, Ricky Ponting and Clive Lloyd captained their country more often in Test matches.

Kohli is India's most successful Test captain with 40 victories and averaged a mammoth 54.80 during his tenure, scoring 20 centuries and making 18 half-centuries as he managed 5,864 runs from 113 innings.

KL Rahul was recently named vice-captain so is among the favourites to take the captaincy next.