Juhi Chawla added star power to the stands at Eden Gardens on May 4, passionately cheering for her team
India, South Africa pretty close on bowling, batters will face big test in getting runs: Amla
Cheteshwar Pujara refuses to believe India's recent poor record at home is because of transition.
India have long curated home tracks that accentuate turn, but the assumption their own batters would master such conditions no longer appears safe following their defeat in the opening Test against South Africa.
Daryl Mitchell becomes only the second player from New Zealand to hold the top the ICC ranking for ODI batters.
The second and final Test starts in Guwahati from Saturday with India trailing 0-1 after the defeat on a challenging Eden Gardens pitch in Kolkata.
Andre Russell added another feather to his illustrious cap, becoming only the third batter to score 1000 IPL runs at Eden Gardens.
K L Rahul takes over the captaincy after regular skipper Shubman Gill missed the series because of a neck injury.
'Here the wicket is hard and the outfield really fast. If you are desperate, if you try to bowl those magic balls, you'd end up bleeding runs.'
Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, Mukund, who represented India in seven Tests from 2011-17, said: "I think Shubman has it in him to become an all-format captain, but I do not think India should have an all-format captain anymore."
Rishabh Pant back in full flow as India step up nets ahead of SA opening Test
India will look to reprise their home template of big first-innings totals and sustained spin in the short two-Test series against South Africa beginning in Kolkata on Friday.
Application required in Test cricket was missing, says Kumble after India's batting collapse
India vice-captain Rishabh Pant is understandably delighted to have made a difficult comeback from the latest injury setback.
The former CSK stalwart also noted that Axar Patel's consistency over recent years positions him as a natural leader within the DC core. But the trickier decision, according to Raina, concerns veteran opener Faf du Plessis, who endured a lean run with just 202 runs from nine games.
South African pacer Kagiso Rabada, who missed the first Test against India in Kolkata due to a rib injury, is in awe of his team's ability to rebound from setbacks.
Jurel's consistent batting has made him a strong contender for a place in the playing XI as a specialist batter.
Skipper Shubman Gill acknowledged that the choice between a spinner and an extra seamer for the first Test against South Africa is nothing short of a "conflict".
Shami puts Bengal on top of points table with easy win vs Services
South Africa's stunning three-day win over India at Eden Gardens has drawn reactions from some of cricket's biggest names, with AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Dale Steyn celebrating the historic result while Kevin Pietersen used the collapse-filled Test to launch a scathing critique of modern batting.
Assam's largest city Guwahati is set to make its debut as the newest Test centre on Saturday when India take on South Africa in the second and final game of the two-match series.
Sourav Ganguly believes India's biggest selection dilemma ahead of the upcoming Test series against South Africa could centre around one man - Dhruv Jurel.
Saurashtra registered their narrowest T20 victory in terms of runs, edging Karnataka by one run in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 Elite Group D match.
Shubman Gill's return to his former IPL home was the stage for a batting masterclass. His near-flawless 90 off 55 balls, brimming with elegance, control, and quiet authority.
This was India's fourth defeat in the last six Tests at home and in all four Tests -- including three against New Zealand -- their batters have flopped against spin.
Not handing the ball to lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah to start the third day's play on a challenging Eden Gardens surface was "questionable", said the legendary Anil Kumble.
Ganguly lauded Gill's leadership during India's tour of England, noting the challenge of captaining at a young age in such conditions
When I'm batting, I think only as a batter: Captain Gill on dual responsibility
South Africa are the World Test champions and skipper Temba Bavuma wants them to play like it and prove their credentials in the two-Test series against India beginning on Friday.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
Ravichandran Ashwin exposed India batters' lack of quality to battle ball tweakers by claiming that if legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar or past domestic heroes Amol Muzumdar, the India women's team head coach and Mithun Manhas had played against spinners on such a track, the Test would have gone to four days, unlike India's harrowing 30-run defeat against South Africa at Eden Gardens.
'My motivation is to stay fit and be available for Indian team.'
In India's title-winning ICC Women's World Cup, Richa scored 235 runs in eight innings at an average of 39.16 and a strike rate of over 133, with a brilliant, innings-saving 94 against South Africa as her best knock.
The senior Indian seamer had previously returned seven wickets in their previous match against Uttarakhand, and he now has 15 wickets in just two matches.
Vice-captain Rishabh Pant said India's batters should have adapted to the challenge of playing on a tricky pitch at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes said that Team India does not need to prepare turning wickets as they can bowl out their opponents with their pace line-up and having another spin-friendly wicket for the second Test against South Africa will be a "big test of their ability".
'We would like to believe and back ourselves to know these conditions or adapt to these conditions a lot faster even if we find them slightly different, as compared to, say, somebody who is brought up in Johannesburg and has played all his cricket at the Wanderers ground.'
Messi's last visit with the Argentina team to India was back in 2011, when they faced Venezuela in a friendly match at Kolkata's iconic Salt Lake Stadium.
'But I would say given the importance of this series and given the conditions we think we are going to face, he (Nitish Kumar Reddy) might miss out in this Test this week.'
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Chandrakant Pandit has said that his team is focused on the game and not the frenzy surrounding MS Dhoni's possible farewell at Eden Gardens.
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