Gaikwad constructed a handy partnership 90 for the second wicket with Aarya Desai as West gradually entered a stabilised phase.
Central Zone advanced to the Duleep Trophy final by virtue of their first innings lead in the drawn match against West Zone.
'Nitish is our premium batting all-rounder at the moment. So I would say it's a very good chance to play this Test.'
India all-rounder Shardul Thakur urged Abhimanyu Easwaran and Kuldeep Yadav to show patience and wait for their chances, after they were benched for the entire five-Test series in England.
India Test skipper and T20 vice-captain Shubman Gill reached the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) for fitness assessment ahead of travelling to Dubai for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Broken foot, unbroken in spirit: Pant gives update
All eyes were on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who participated in the training session, though his availability for the match is a big doubt.
A large group of players, including Mohammed Siraj, the hero of the victory, boarded an Emirates flight early Tuesday morning, heading to Dubai en route to their respective home cities in India.
Tanush Kotian once again showcased his ability to absorb pressure with a fighting fifty to shore up West Zone against Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy semifinals
The duo is followed by a former Sri Lanka icon, Mahela Jayawardene, with 205 outfield catches in 149 appearances.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the fifth Test against England?
Siraj, Krishna, Akash Shine as India's Pace Future Takes Shape
"He is going to be our strike bowler": Sachin Tendulkar on Jasprit Bumrah ahead of Leeds Test against England
India may have made tactical errors, but former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes the bigger culprit was the weather.
From Jasprit Bumrah's much-anticipated return to the all-rounder conundrum, the playing XI could very well hold the key to seizing control of this historic series.
Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna all sweating it out in the nets -- not with the ball, but with the bat.
India stuck to their pre-series decision to field Bumrah in only three Tests and was hence not played in the final Test at the Oval
The 24-year-old pacer, handed his maiden international cap, is being hailed as a 'good replacement' by former India quick Varun Aaron
Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of the series against England due to a knee injury.
India skipper Shubman Gill on Wednesday said that levelling the five-match Test series in England would be a "great achievement" and he would return from his first assignment as captain a lot wiser.
India will ponder whether they want to include Washington Sundar, who is quite handy with the bat or Kuldeep Yadav, who is a much better wicket-taking option.
Calling Kuldeep a world-class spinner, Morkel said India are trying to fit the wily operator into the side. He can now only play the last Test at The Oval from July 31.
India pacer Akash Deep was on Tuesday ruled out of the fourth Test against England due to a groin injury, and captain Shubman Gill said uncapped fast bowler Anshul Kamboj is close to making his debut at Old Trafford.
As India weigh their options ahead of the second innings, all eyes remain on Pant
With India conceding more than 600 runs for the first time since 2014, the case for including a wicket-taking spinner like Kuldeep Yadav is stronger than ever for the must-win fifth and final Test against England.
Despite the ups and downs, The Oval remains a ground of rich memories and monumental moments for Indian cricket.
Rishabh Pant walked out to bat on Day 2 despite fracturing his toe.
India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday
K L Rahul would look to make the most of his first red-ball outing in months ahead of the upcoming Test series against England.
As Team India gear up for the much-anticipated Test series against England starting on Friday, several players in the squad will draw confidence from their county cricket experience.
The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be.
Jasprit Bumrah was rested from the second Test at Edgbaston, as part of his workload management.
India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is up and running in Beckenham, putting in the hard yards before the upcoming five high-stakes Tests against England, slated to kick off on June 20 at Headingley.
Former star spinner Harbhajan Singh picked Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of all-rounder Shardul Thakur for India's upcoming Boxing Day Test clash against South Africa in Centurion.
Barring Jasprit Bumrah, who got five wickets in England's first innings, none of the other bowlers looked penetrative as the hosts chased down a target of 371 with minimum fuss.
This isn't just a Test match - it's a test of Shubman Gill's leadership, temperament, and decision-making.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has offered his thoughts to solve India's selection dilemma ahead of the fourth Test against England in Manchester, scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
Drawing on his own experience, Harbhajan recalled India's bold decision to field two spinners at Headingley in 2002, when he and Anil Kumble bagged 11 wickets between them on a green top.
Shardul also had a grand Sangeet and Haldi ceremony over the weekend, pictures of which went viral.
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