Kraigg Brathwaite has resigned as captain of the West Indies Test team after four years in charge, Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced on Monday.
Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, may have expressed support for the Kolkata pitch, but it continues to draw criticism from all quarters.
Test skipper Shubman Gill was on Thursday named captain of the North Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, beginning August 28, less than three weeks after he led a young Indian side to a thrilling 2-2 draw against England in a gruelling five-Test series.
Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop believes that Shubman Gill's captaincy will only grow stronger with the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the upcoming ODI series in Australia, calling their presence "a huge support system" for the young leader.
He was seeking a new purpose -- something to reignite his passion and spark a personal resurgence. But under the current team management, Kohli felt that he wasn't getting the environment, autonomy, or energy he needed.
With the scars of last year's home series whitewash against New Zealand still raw, preparing rank turners may invite risk.
Ricky Ponting though added that captaincy will be the "hardest thing" for the premier fast bowler.
Only three England captains have secured the urn in Australia in the last 50 years, with Andrew Strauss the last in 2010/11.
All eyes will be on Captain Shubman Gill and Coach Gautam Gambhir to lead the Indian Test team into a bold new era.
Calling it the formal start of Gill's era, Chopra also wondered what the change means for Rohit Sharma, whose place in India's long-term plans could now depend solely on form and fitness.
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.
Gambhir is reportedly inclined toward appointing a young captain who can serve as a close ally in shaping the team's future, with Gill fitting that profile.
In the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah led India to their most dominant win in Australia, in the series opener in Perth.
As India went into the second Test against England on Wednesday without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, former players and coaches questioned the thinking behind resting the world's best bowler when they trail 0-1 in the series.
Former West Indies all-rounder and two-time T20 World Cup winner Dwayne Bravo lashed out at Cricket West Indies (CWI) for replacing Rovman Powell with Shai Hope as the T20I captain of the side.
'I want to categorically deny any association with these accounts and their content. The statements being circulated are not my views and do not reflect my opinions in any way.'
Ravindra Jadeja's omission from the India ODI squad for Australia tour raised a few eyebrows but the veteran all-rounder was not surprised as the selection committee and team management had "communicated" to him about their inability to pick him.
This isn't just a Test match - it's a test of Shubman Gill's leadership, temperament, and decision-making.
Jasprit Bumrah reflected on missed catching opportunities off his bowling and emphasised the importance of moving on during the game.
Sarfaraz Khan: No frustration at all, I don't think I need to change anything with my batting
Ravichandran Ashwin hails Travis Head after his 69-ball century, the second-fastest in Ashes history, helped Australia easily chase down 205 runs on Day 2 of first Ashes Test.
Shubman Gill marked his home captaincy in style, becoming the first Indian skipper in 47 years to score a half-century on debut.
Hashim Amla said on Wednesday he was stepping aside as South Africa's cricket Test captain with immediate effect, a day after a double century rescued his country from possible defeat in the second Test against England.
Bavuma believes this group, unbeaten in full-strength Test series since coach Shukri Conrad took charge in 2023, has the maturity and belief to mount a serious challenge and win their only second series in India after 25 years.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni warmly hugged Virat Kohli before they shared a brief yet heartfelt conversation.
Rohit Sharma first wore the ODI captaincy armband in 2017 and led India in 56 ODIs, winning a stunning 42, while losing just 12.
AB de Villiers described his appointment as captain of South Africa's Test team as the fulfilment of a life-long dream but it will raise further questions about the burden on the team's outstanding player.
'Will any coach think of keeping out Rohit and Kohli from the ODI team? That means there is something going on within the team against the two players.' Manoj Tiwary, who played 12 ODIs and three T20Is for India, said iconic players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli deserve greater respect.
Ahead of England's five-match Test series against India at home, head coach Brendon McCullum hailed young all-rounder Jacob Bethell
Pakistan's Shan Masood is likely to be retained captain for the upcoming home Test series against England, while Babar Azam is also assured of keeping his white-ball captaincy when the team flies to Australia and South Africa later this year.
'Gaurav Khanna may not have had the most inspiring journey like his predecessors, but he has clearly been one of the most well-behaved contestants and winners in Bigg Boss history. So kudos to that!'
India's awe-inspiring batting depth will face a stern test against South Africa's quality spin attack in the first Test, starting in Kolkata on Friday.
For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
The others to arrive after a delayed flight were K L Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy along with some members of the support staff.
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".
Kuldeep was instrumental to India's success at the Asia Cup, topping the wicket-taking chart with 17 wickets. Chopra explained the rationale behind dropping the left-arm wrist spinner, attributing it to batting depth.
The series in Australia could well be Rohit's last in India Blues. But Kohli, given his high fitness standards, could play on until the 2027 World Cup.
England last won the Ashes in 2015 and have not won a series in Australia since 2011 but Root was optimistic about their chances this time around.
It is his first Test as captain and a tough one at that. No wonder Alastair Cook has mixed feelings. While he is gung ho about leading the English side in the longer version, having done so with considerable success in the shorter versions, there's also an undercurrent of tension considering the magnitude of the assignment.
Pace great James Anderson believes the new-look Indian team will prove to be a strong opposition for England in the upcoming five-Test series.
