“As we begin a new cycle, we know how important it is to win our home series and grab every available point. This is a great opportunity to start strong.”
The former Proteas pace ace boldly predicted that India’s upcoming five-Test series in England will be a result-heavy thriller, with the hosts edging it 3-2.
"It's very hard for the average cricket fan to understand who's the best team in the world and how exactly the top two teams make it to the final," said former England captain Michael Vaughan, now a television pundit.
If there were still doubters of Test cricket's enduring magic in the age of T20 fireworks, South Africa’s thrilling five-wicket victory over defending champions Australia offered the most poetic rebuttal.
"If you want to earn respect in world cricket all over, take up Test cricket, give your heart and soul to it, and earn the respect from legends."
“We're not trying to pick this team up any more. It's a matter of taking this team from a good team into being something English people are really proud of,” McCullum told the BBC Radio 5 Live Cricket show.
The hosts were left searching for answers after a dismal batting collapse saw them bowled out for 191 runs in the first innings -- a setback from which they never recovered.
The latest slip-up came courtesy of Zimbabwe, who secured a gripping three-wicket win in fading light -- an outcome that, in truth, should never have been on the cards.
Heavy rain and a storm hit Sylhet last night, leaving the outfield damp and unfit for play at the scheduled start time of 9:45 am.
Having set England 258 to win, New Zealand's hopes had faded as Joe Root (95) and Ben Stokes (33) produced a 121-run stand to cut the deficit to 57 runs with five wickets in hand on a sunny afternoon at the Basin Reserve
It was a first Test victory for England in New Zealand since 2008 and a 10th win in 11 matches since former Black Caps skipper Brendon "Baz" McCullum and Christchurch-born Ben Stokes took over as coach and captain
The tourists raced to their total in just 58.2 overs -- boosted by blistering half-centuries to Ben Duckett and Harry Brook -- as England opened the two-Test series with the sort of attacking approach, dubbed "Bazball", that has carried them to nine wins from their past 10 Tests under coach Brendon McCullum.
Steven Smith passed a Don Bradman landmark to claim his 30th Test century on Thursday as Usman Khawaja and Australia piled on the misery for the beleaguered South Africans in the third Sydney Test.
A depleted Australian attack secured an innings and 182-run victory over South Africa in the second test on Thursday, wrapping up the series with a match to spare after the visitors' batting woes were rudely exposed once more.
Babar Azam knocked a fighting hundred and the recalled Sarfaraz Ahmed hit a half century to guide Pakistan to a healthy 317-5 on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in Karachi on Monday.
New Zealand will tour Pakistan twice from late December, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Monday, more than a year after abandoning a series there over security concerns.
Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope steered England to an impressive nine-wicket victory over South Africa at The Oval on Monday to complete a 2-1 series victory and put the seal on an astonishing turnaround in fortunes for the home team this year.
England were set a target of 130 to win the third Test against South Africa, and with it the series, at The Oval on Sunday.
South Africa captain Dean Elgar is treating the Test series decider against England at the Oval "like a World Cup final" as the Proteas seek to recover from a heavy defeat.
