Mohammed Siraj has bowled an impressive 155-plus overs across nine England innings and not once did the thought of physical breakdown during a marathon series cross his mind.
South Africa coach Shukri Conrad was overwhelmed to see his spinners rule the roost in the first Test against India at the Eden Gardens, signalling to him that the Rainbow Nation is no longer an exclusive "fast bowling country" and hoped that a lot more slow bowlers will emerge.
India A skipper Rishabh Pant will look to build on the gains from the first match, while the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav will aim for crucial red-ball game time in the second four-day match against a Temba Bavuma-led South Africa A in Bengaluru from Thursday.
With WI Tests starting next week, 25 overs in Asia Cup is good build-up for Bumrah: Doeschate
This was no Ranji clash, but a marquee Test opener-an international match that deserved a full house-yet Ahmedabad's 132,000-capacity stadium looked eerily empty.
Spin great Anil Kumble said the Indian bowlers could have done more to maintain pressure on the West Indian batters on Day 4 of the second Test.
'The whole country is behind him and watching his performances. You can't ignore a guy who's done so much for India.'
Former Australian captain Allan Border harshly criticised compatriot and rising batter Sam Konstas for his poor shot selection in red-ball format, advising him to "shelve" his signature ramp shot.
Indian Test skipper Shubman Gill spoke on the team dinner hosted by head coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday
India remained on course for a 2-0 series sweep after enforcing the follow-on but West Indies produced a much better batting display in their second innings to reach 173-2 on day three of the second and final Test in New Delhi on Sunday.
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".
Fresh from a hard-fought 2-2 draw in England, Shubman Gill's men will be eager to translate their overseas resilience into home dominance.
Washington Sundar enhanced his reputation as a T20 hitter with India batting in top gear through the innings to comfortably chase down a target of 187 for a series levelling five-wicket win over Australia.
'Rishabh Pant is not fit for West Indies series, hopefully he will be available for home Tests against South Africa.'
"He needs to rotate strike, keep the scoreboard moving": Pathan on Virat ahead of 3rd Sydney ODI
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has laid bare its blueprint for Jasprit Bumrah's workload management, making it clear that India's pace spearhead will be preserved for the biggest stages
As India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's workload management has become a topic of debate, former Team India opener Akash Chopra defended the pacer's selective participation in the longest format.
Defending champions India had a full-fledged practice session at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Friday as they put the finishing touches to their Asia Cup preparations.
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.
At The Oval, it was Siraj who delivered a comeback spell, reducing England from a dominant position of 301/4 to 367 all out while chasing 374, bowling brilliantly and relentlessly in tandem with Prasidh Krishna.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir hinted pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah could play in the must-win fifth and final Test against England.
Mohammed Siraj's commitment to a team-first approach sets him apart from the others and the pacer has demonstrated strong leadership qualities, said former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.
'...the guys who are just part of Test cricket, I think for them to prepare and play domestic cricket is very, very important.'
South Africa will aim for their first Test victory in India in more than 15 years.
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
India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah achieved a personal milestone during Day 4 of the fourth Test against England in Manchester on Saturday as he equalled Ishant Sharma's record of most wickets for India in Tests in England.
Spinners of both sides will have a significant role to play considering that Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the only specialist pacers who will be seen in action in Sunday's match.
Former South African batter AB de Villiers hoped that Team India seamer Jasprit Bumrah will carry his red-ball form into the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE, but felt the pace spearhead might not feature in all games in the continental tournment.
Since he took over, head coach Gautam Gambhir has stressed on multi-skilled players across formats, especially those who can add batting depth.
The Bellerive Oval is one ground where the side boundaries are smaller in size, hence hitting the right lengths would be paramount considering anything short would be flying over cover, point, square leg or mid-wicket on either side of the fence.
As Farhan reached his fifty, lofting Axar Patel for a massive six over mid-wicket, he pulled off a gun-firing celebration with his bat, adding another layer of intrigue to an already electric rivalry.
No major injury for Rishabh, he should be fine for Manchester Test: Gill
India Test captain Shubman Gill indicated that the team is moving away from its preference for rank turners in home Test matches.
Massive chance for series win in India, SA better-placed with spin resources: Bavuma
Gambhir didn't name him 'most stylish'. Instead, he chose Shubman Gill for that tag
India will be keen to get the job done against Bangladesh and seal their place in Sunday's final before considering resting their players.
Against Bangladesh, Samson wasn't even considered good enough to come inside the top seven of the line-up and that begs a question as to what is he doing in the team if he isn't good enough to come ahead of Axar Patel.
Skipper Shubman Gill had a long batting stint while the troika of Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel returned to action for India's final training session here on Wednesday before the first Test against the West Indies.
Abhishek Sharma reached 931 ratings point, which is 12 more than the previous best rating of 919 attained by England's Dawid Malan in 2020.
Bumrah has been at the heart of India's success in recent years. He spearheaded India's title-winning run in the T20 World Cup last year, finishing with 15 wickets, and overall has 89 scalps in 70 matches at a remarkable average of 17.74.
