South Africa captain Faf du Plessis walked for the toss along with Temba Bavuma as the proxy captain, who was given the responsibility of calling the toss.
Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun had a close look at the pitch which wore a dry look, indicating that it would have something for the spinners.
Shubman Gill's run-a-ball 83 was the only high point for India 'A' as New Zealand 'A' grabbed the opening day honours in their first unofficial Test, in Christchurch, on Thursday. The Indians were all out for 216 in their first innings before the hosts responded strongly as they reached 105 for two at the close of play.
The two sides experienced contrasting fortunes in their respective tournament opener.
India A, after a forgettable day with the bat yesterday when they were bundled out for 133, had the West Indies A at an uncomfortable 82 for three in the 24th over.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the fourth Test?
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis will miss the remainder of his side's limited overs tour to Sri Lanka after injuring his shoulder in Sunday's 78-run victory that clinched the one-day international series.
Mayank Agarwal, who was the third opener for the West Indies series, is a contender for the yet-to-be-decided squad of 17 that will travel Down Under.
Prithvi Shaw smashed 48 off 35 balls to lay the foundation for India's chase.
India's formidably consistent match-winners have a date with history in the New Year when they take on an out-of-sorts South Africa in the second Test in Johannesburg from Monday in pursuit of a coveted first-ever series win in the Rainbow Nation.
Rohit Sharma continued his sensational run as the Test opener with his third hundred of the series, allowing India to regain control of the proceedings after a top-order collapse on Day 1 of the third and final Test against South Africa.
It would be interesting to see who India leave out to play Rohit Sharma
Young opener Shubman Gill is looking in good rhythm and should continue to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma in the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand, former India batsman VVS Laxman said on Tuesday.
The focus will be firmly on India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane and young prodigy Prithvi Shaw when Mumbai take on Karnataka in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B game, beginning in Mumbai on Friday. Both Rahane and Shaw failed with the bat in the last Ranji Trophy game against Railways which the domestic giants lost by 10 wickets inside two and half days.
India have a real shot at winning their first ever away series against South Africa,
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second Test?
The Delhi Daredevils team management, comprising of skipper Kevin Pietersen and coach Gary Kirsten, will have some selection dilemma ahead of the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), if Ross Taylor is to be believed.
Should Mayank Agarwal make his Test debut at the MCG? Will Kohli/Shastri pick Hardik Pandya for the Boxing Day Test? Pick India's playing XI for the third Test.
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between Australia and India, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Saturday.
Their 68 run partnership guided the Kings XI home.
Among those who impressed were Shubhman Gill, Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant.
"Stunning day at the beach with the boys," Kohli posted
Ishant Sharma had mimicked Smith during the second Test of the four-match series at Bengaluru in 2017. It was a crucial match for India, as the side had lost the first Test at Pune.
Kings XI Punjab face the uphill task of not only pulling the rug from under the feet of formidable Chennai Super Kings but also boosting their net run-rate in the last IPL round-robin match to salvage hopes of sneaking into the play-offs.
India retained their number one spot and captain Virat Kohli remained static at second in the ICC rankings. India have 116 rating points, six more than New Zealand with third-placed Australia accumulating 108 points.
The 10 teams in the league will be bidding heavily for the Indian players in a list of 590 cricketer
India 'A' struggled to 106 for four in 32 overs after veteran Alastair Cook's marathon 180 powered England Lions to 423 all out on the second day of the only four-day unofficial Test in Worcester.
The R Ashwin-led Kings XI slipped to the fifth spot after suffering back-to-back losses against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore respectively. Overall, the hosts have registered four wins from eight matches this season.
Australia's Steve Smith is back on top of the list of batsmen in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings after India captain Virat Kohli could manage only 21 runs in his two innings in the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington, which his side lost by 10 wickets to concede a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. This is the eighth time that Smith is on top of the rankings after first occupying the top position in June 2015.
Virat Kohli said India would not go into their shells as they prepared for the series-deciding game at Hagley Oval from Feb. 29.
India 'A' bowlers fought back with a flurry of wickets in the final session to reduce the West Indies 'A' to 243 for five, on Day 1 of the second unofficial Test.
Jasprit Bumrah will have to squeeze every ounce of energy from his already overworked body, while Ajinkya Rahane will hope to get one final chance to save his international career when India take on England in the fifth and final Test, chasing a historic series win, in Manchester on Friday.
Former India opener Gautam Gambhir said the Men in Blue have a complete bowling unit with quality spinners and pacers in their ranks.
Table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders and a transformed Kings XI Punjab cross swords in an Indian Premier League contest in which big-hitting Jamaicans Andre Russell and Chris Gayle will be up against each other in Kolkata on Saturday.
The unbeaten streak of table-toppers Surisers Hyderabad would be up for a test when they take on third-placed Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League contest, in Mohali, on Thursday.
Virat Kohli's men lock horns with a fairly inexperienced Bangladesh at the Holkar Stadium and it could be a stroll in the park for the hosts.
In all likelihood, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane would get another chance but over the past two years, his inconsistency has hurt this team badly.
Under pressure to retain his place in the Test XI, Cheteshwar Pujara overshadowed Rohit Sharma by scoring a solid hundred as India Blue made full use of a placid track to amass 362/3 against India Red on the first day of the Duleep Trophy final in Greater Noida.
For any bowling unit, facing the Dhawan-Shaw duo is a scary proposition.
A final decision by the team's think-tank will be taken after the final practice session on Friday.
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