He said one of the things the team lacked last season or in the last cycle was some explosiveness at the bottom order.
Later, priests honoured the visitors with the temple's Shesha Vasthram (sacred cloth) and presented them with the deity's portrait and prasadam on behalf of the Devasthanam.
'Emotions run high. You are expected to win pretty much every game. You are expected to win because you have been doing that consistently. You have the strength on your side to achieve those kinds of milestones and secure those kinds of victories. So, accountability and appraisal are always going to be there. So, it goes hand in hand.'
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and South Africa, in Kolkata, on Friday.
Spin great Harbhajan Singh said India don't have a specialist off-spinner for Test cricket.
Kuldeep Yadav has been released from the Indian squad for the last two T20I against Australia.
'He (Pandya) can command a spot in the top five on his batting alone. He could also be one of the top three seamers in any team if he was just a bowler.'
Robin Smith established himself as a belligerent middle-order batter known for his ability against fast bowlers.
India's jersey for 2026 T20 World Cup revealed
Quinton de Kock had retired from ODIs after the 2023 World Cup and had not played T20Is since the loss to India in the 2024 T20 World Cup final until October.
As the battle for semi-final berths intensifies in Group B, top-ranked South Africa will aim to assert their dominance and secure a spot in the final four when they face a struggling England in a high-stakes Champions Trophy clash in Karachi on Saturday.
India came up with a spirited performance to beat two-time champions Egypt 3-0 and make their maiden appearance in the Squash World Cup final, in Chennai on Saturday.
India scripted history, clinching its maiden Squash World Cup title to become the first Asian country to achieve the feat after overwhelming Hong Kong 3-0 in the summit clash in Chennai on Sunday.
Australia pacer Michael Neser found day one of his maiden Boxing Day Test a dream come true.
'Just like we are playing in the T20 series. We don't want to change anything. If we are doing something right, why should we change it?'
The senior duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma went full throttle in India's practice session on the eve of the India vs South Africa first ODI in Ranchi.
Pant boost for Delhi as keeper-batter returns for Vijay Hazare Trophy
It is understood that right after India's abject surrender against South Africa in the two-Test series at home last month, someone who matters in the cricket board had once again informally approached VVS Laxman to check if he would be interested in coaching the red ball team.
Chopra focussing on rehabilitation of his back injury, season opener not known yet: Sumariwalla
Mahendra Singh Dhoni made the players feel comfortable by backing them, while Virat Kohli's aggression and uncompromising standards proved vital in moments of crisis.
Vijay Hazare: Pant's unbeaten half-ton in big Delhi win over Services; Axar hits century for Gujarat
Countering Bumrah before spinners come into play will be key for SA: Graeme Smith
Salman Ali Agha top scored for Pakistan as they snatched a last-over victory over South Africa on Tuesday in an exciting finish to the first of three One Day Internationals at Faisalabad.
Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar on Sunday hailed Virat Kohli as the greatest one-day cricketer of all time, saying the Indian icon's world-record tally of centuries underline his unmatched stature in the format.
South Africa's experienced pacer Kagiso Rabada said their young team are ready for the challenge.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday proposed a G20 initiative aimed at enhancing clean energy transitions by boosting recycling, easing supply chain pressures and advancing joint research on critical minerals, and suggested forging a partnership to make satellite data more accessible and interoperable.
'It (the pitch) wasn't free-flowing. You felt comfortable, but the scoreboard wasn't going anywhere.'
"For anyone questioning him, he lets his bat do the talking": Virat Kohli's childhood coach
Ireland snaps 14-month win drought, defends 181 to beat Bangladesh in T20I opener
Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, may have expressed support for the Kolkata pitch, but it continues to draw criticism from all quarters.
The tears flowed freely for the South African players as they realised the trophy they had fought so hard for was once again out of reach.
Indian multinational conglomerate Reliance Industries and Surrey County Cricket Club on Wednesday announced their partnership in The Hundred and expectedly renamed the franchise MI London.
In its annual report to Congress on Tuesday on 'Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2025', the US Department of War said the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is actively considering and planning for additional military facilities.
Intent does not always translate immediately into numbers, and effort however sincere needs to find expression in runs, especially with a World Cup drawing closer.
Sourav Ganguly believes India's biggest selection dilemma ahead of the upcoming Test series against South Africa could centre around one man - Dhruv Jurel.
At a loss to explain South Africa's capitulation in the series-opener, their batting coach Ashwell Prince said the visitors simply failed to answer the questions posed by India's "formidable" bowlers while being dismissed for their lowest T20I total of 74 Cuttack.
Ravindra Jadeja said the looming series defeat to South Africa will have no bearing on India's next Test assignment in Sri Lanka in August next year.
Mohammed Siraj has expressed his frustration and disappointment over the delay of his Air India Express flight on Wednesday.
South Africa scored 270-2 off 40.1 overs, easily chasing down Pakistan's 269-9 from their 50 overs.
The series promises a fascinating duel between the two modern-day pace greats.
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