Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders are facing concerns about the pitch conditions at Eden Gardens as they prepare for their first home game of the IPL season. Despite a complete overhaul in coaching staff and squad, the team's think-tank and head coach Abhishek Nayar have expressed unease about the surfaces, which may not suit their spin strengths.
'We obviously want to wheel him in, but we also want to respect where his body's at, and on the basis of that, we just felt that it wasn't worth including him in the squad.'
Anyone who wins the toss will win the final Test is the claim of the curator preparing the pitch at the Rawalpindi cricket ground.
England's Jacob Bethell will bat at number three for the first time in first-class cricket when he makes his Test debut against New Zealand at Christchurch's Hagley Oval on Thursday.
Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls both scored double centuries and shared a partnership of 363 as New Zealand flayed Sri Lanka's bowling to rack up an imposing 580/4 declared on the second day of the second Test.
Unadkat, who led the team to three premier domestic titles across formats in as many years, said 'this decade and era belongs' to Saurashtra.
Matt Henry produced a career-best seven for 23 in a spectacular display of pace bowling as New Zealand skittled out South Africa for 95 in two sessions to take charge of the opening Test in Christchurch on Thursday.
New Zealand ripped through Australia's batting line-up on a lethal wicket to leave the hosts foundering on 81 for seven in their first innings at lunch on the second day of the second Test on Saturday.
Teen pace sensation Pat Cummins' injury-forced absence from the India-Australia Test series has made it an "even" contest and the hosts will need greentops to contain the famed batting line-up of the visiting side, feels former Aussie captain Steve Waugh.
England tightened their grip on the Ashes in Perth on Thursday, restricting Australia to a first innings total of 268 after a feisty rearguard fightback on day one of the third Test.
Stuart Broad bowled particularly well for England, unlucky to pick up only three scalps during a long day in the field for the visitors, who dropped several catches, including two by Jos Buttler at third slip.
Aaron took full advantage of the Eden greentop and delivered a beauty to clean up Gill with a knuckle-ball that sharply cut back in.
Following is a factbox on the first Test match between Australia and England, which starts on Thursday:
The first One-Day International between India and Sri Lanka at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack will be a run-feast predicted curator Pankaj Patnaik but at the same time pointed out that the toss might turn out to be crucial with the dew expected to play in the evening.
The Headlingley triumph marked the start of a new and important chapter in Indian cricket, with the Indians winning consistently away from home from that point onwards.
India would look to continue their ruthless streak
South Africa's success in Australia is often put down to their comfort on the hard local tracks, which can be similar to those at home, but they could face some unfamiliar conditions this year.
Youngster Shreyas Iyer slammed his third ton of the season, a strokeful 137, while senior batsman Rohit Sharma hit an unbeaten 110 as Mumbai made an imposing 407 for four on day one of their Group B Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh, in Mumbai, on Saturday.
