Skipper Shubman Gill, who missed the second Test due to a neck injury, struck a defiant tone of unity and resolve after India's 0-2 series loss to South Africa, saying the team would "rise stronger" despite the setback.
Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel faced spinners while wearing only one pad to counter the turning deliveries, a method that comes with an element of risk, in Kolkata on Monday.
'We've Tested the ball in very rough conditions. But having grass on the wicket is very important for the colour to last longer'
Shaken by the match-fixing scandal, Indian cricket was going through a turbulent time at the start of the 21st century when Sourav Ganguly took charge of the team.
Best remembered for his match-winning 281 against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 2001, former India batsman VVS Laxman revealed he was not fit enough to play that Test against Australia.
The hoopla surrounding Sachin Tendulkar's farewell, says Bikash Mohapatra, has completely camouflaged what could be a mismatch series, as the West Indies team neither has the pedigree nor players to get past M S Dhon's side.
It has been learnt that the Indian team management wants tracks that are hard and bouncy without any major grass covering for all three home Tests -- something they will be getting in South Africa.
The tickets bear a mug-shot of Sachin Tendulkar, sketched by artist Jogen Chowdhury.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith's participation in the second and final Test in Kolkata is in doubt after he injured his finger during training at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, on Friday. Smith was undergoing catching practice in the morning when he hurt his little finger on the left hand. He was immediately rushed to a local hospital.
Discuss the day's play in the third Test between India and England with India Abroad's Bikash Mohapatra on Rediff ZaraBol at 1730 IST.
We had to fight really hard to reverse momentum, says Kane Williamson
According to sources at CAB, the security clearance did not come a day ahead of the historic match between India and Bangladesh in Kolkata.
Ganguly firmly believed that this concept will help Test cricket regain its popularity in the sub-continent
Harbhajan Singh was overcome by a sense of deja vu while watching Kuldeep Yadav's hat-trick. He feels the feat will make the young spinner an indispensable part of the Team India set-up, just like him, after that epic 2001 series.
Rohit Sharma, who scored a century on debut on Day 2 of the first Test against the West Indies in Kolkata on Thursday, said the endless wait to play a Test was annoying and he looked up to other sportspersons for inspiration.
India's marauding cricket team will be aiming to reclaim the No 1 spot in ICC rankings when it takes on an unsettled New Zealand in the second Test starting, in Kolkata, on Friday.
