With the pitch here not assisting the spinners so far a great deal, Rampaul expressed his surprise.
'Sanju was playing because Shubman and Yashasvi were not available at that point (and) so was Abhishek. (But) Abhishek's performances clearly make it hard to leave him out. Plus, his bowling (left arm spin) is handy.'
Pakistan skipper Salman Agha on Wednesday admitted that his team's middle-order remains a concern and said the batters will need to step up in upcoming matches, including the Super 4 clash against India in the Asia Cup.
Australia have tried and tested five openers in the format since David Warner had his last dance after last year's Caribbean World Cup. Marsh remained tight-lipped about the appearance of the rest of the batting unit but confirmed there were discussions about Tim David's place.
While Suryakumar went about his business with his unique style, Rohit put his raw power on exhibition and effortlessly muscled the ball past the boundary ropes.
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur acknowledged that the ICC Women's World Cup opener against Sri Lanka wasn't easy despite the hosts earning a facile 59-run victory in the end, under the DLS method.
"Just being compared, I saw it as a huge privilege": South Africa's Dewald Brevis embraces 'Baby AB' legacy
India overpowered New Zealand by 53 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method to seal their place in the semi-finals of the Women's ODI World Cup.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald hinted at a rejig in the top order after misfiring in the World Test Championship final defence against South Africa at Lord's.
India crushed West Indies by an innings and 140 runs inside three days in the first Test to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, in Ahmedabad, on Saturday.
For too long has Pakistan gotten away with running with the terrorists and hunting with the forces. This duplicity needs to end, asserts Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
'Asia Cup in these conditions, we saw them in the Champions Trophy here 50 over. It would be foolish not to say they are one of the favourites.'
Pakistan women's cricket team captain Fatima Sana draws inspiration from India's World Cup-winning skipper MS Dhoni
Virat Kohli may have stepped away from Test cricket, but he leaves behind a faster, leaner, hungrier Indian team.
Abhishek Sharma's scintillating 75 was beautifully complemented by Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy as India comfortably hammered Bangladesh by 41 runs to enter the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Wednesday.
'But I can't say regret. I can say that if I had made my comeback earlier, 3-4 years ago or two years ago, then I could have played more matches and performed better.'
How well will Shubman Gill fit in the T20 team? Is it a gamble by the selectors in order to unite captaincy across formats? asks Harish Kotian.
There are many Indian fans in Dubai, who, as a mark of protest, have decided to give this match a miss.
Hosts United Arab Emirates will look to shake off the drubbing from India when they face debutants Oman in a Group A Asia Cup match in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Mohammed Siraj's superb match-winning effort on the final day of the Test series against England that helped win The Oval Test match by six runs helped him clinch the award.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India gear up for yet another demolition act of Pakistan in what promises to be an intense and tense Super 4 face-off of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
After eight years, cricket gives another chance to Karun Nair
Abhishek Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav are in contention for the ICC men's Player of the Month award for September, while Smriti Mandhana has been shortlisted for the women's award.
'Pujara, it was always reassuring to see you walk out at No.3. You brought calm, courage, and a deep love for Test cricket every time you played.'
Uma Chetry replaces injured Yastika Bhatia for Australia ODIs, Women's World Cup
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be wary of Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) aggressive batting approach when the two teams face off in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday.
India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate is extremely proud of a young team which didn't lose its mind despite Pakistan players indulged in controversial over-the-top celebrations and uttering not so respectable words during the Asia Cup Super 4s game last Sunday.
Abhishek Sharma's brutal yet beautiful stroke-play was the highlight of India's optional net session on Tuesday
From Rajkot's maidans to cricket's grandest arenas, Cheteshwar Pujara carved a niche as the bedrock of India's Test side. He is one of only 14 Indians to feature in more than 100 Tests, and his innings often defined India's most memorable triumphs.
Star India pacer Mohammed Siraj, who devastated the West Indies batting lineup with a four-wicket haul on the opening day of the first Test on Thursday, said that he was overjoyed to bowl on a green-top wicket after a long break.
England were comfortably placed at 225 for two at stumps after bowling out India for 358 on the second day of the fourth Test in Manchester on Thursday.
Earlier, after incessant rain interrupted the exciting contest, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and opted to field against the hosts India.
Nair will bat at No 5 at The Oval in what many see as his last chance at redemption.
Players from the other teams who could push the Men in Blue to the limit.
Unless a player picks up an injury in training, India's team is expected to wear the same look against a Pakistan squad that are without top stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, lending it a look of youth and experience.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain on Friday said Harmanpreet Kaur boasts of a fantastic World Cup record and it's time the Indian women's team skipper delivered like her Australian counterpart Alyssa Healy.
Aus ODIs: Bumrah, Gill workload to be discussed, battle between Jaiswal and Abhishek
However, the BCCI, in its bid to stay more vigilant in times of brutal power-hitting, has allowed the match officials to check any piece of willow if they deem required, even during a live game.
'For us, and for Indian Test cricket going into the future, this will rank right at the top.'
India captain Rohit Sharma has climbed to second place in the ICC men's ODI batting rankings, closing in on top-ranked Shubman Gill.
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