A round-up of final day of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Thursday.
Mitchell Santner believes the upcoming limited overs series in his home country against India could be a high-scoring affair
Retired English cricketer Kevin Pietersen says blaming the Indian Premier League for India's shambolic performance in the recently-concluded five-Test series against England is a 'cheap shot'. India were twice beaten by an innings as England won the five-Test series 1-3.
Fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar explains the reasons behind Team India's excellent showing in the outfield.
Umpires Ian Gould and Aleem Dar began discussion and soon match referee Andy Pycroft joined them on the ground. They initiated deliberations with both the captains, players were called off the ground and play never resumed after that.
On a pitch offering extensive lateral movement, a target of 175 could prove to be a match-winning one for India.
It was World No. 1 India's seventh Test series win in a row -- continuing the dominance that started in 2015 with victories against Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, England and Bangladesh.
The below-par Test record of Rohit Sharma is expected to be the focus of discussion when the selection committee, headed by Sandeep Patil, picks the Indian cricket squad for the home Test series against New Zealand . Despite Rohit's poor form in the Tests, he has the confidence of captain Virat Kohli, who feels that the ODI specialist should be given a longer run to prove himself in the Test format.
Virat Kohli battled hard in difficult circumstances, scoring 43 not out to guide India to 110 for five in 36 overs. The visitors need another 84 runs for victory with two day's play still left in the match.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel on Saturday wreaked havoc recording a career-best List A figures of six for 43 as Gujarat beat Tamil Nadu by 31 runs to set up a title clash with Gautam Gambhir-led Delhi in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy One-Day tournament.
Skipper Virat Kohli's weakness outside the off-stump was again exposed as India plunged into deep trouble at 28 for three, after their bowlers dismissed South Africa for a modest 286, on the opening day of the first Test in Cape Town on Friday.
Ravindra Jadeja stole the show while Umesh Yadav bowled his heart out.
Ajinkya Rahane has become India's highest-ranked Test batsman in the latest ICC Test Player Rankings after scoring two centuries in the 337 runs victory over South Africa in the fourth and final Test, at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, which gave the home side a 3-0 series triumph.
Lokesh Rahul put behind a failed debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to register a Test hundred in only his second Test as India ended Day 3 in the fourth and final Test against Australia on 342 for 5 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. Promoted to open the innings with Murali Vijay, the Karnataka batsman scored 110 and with skipper Virat Kohli, who was unbeaten on 140, guided India to 342 for 5 at stumps. In the course of his knock, Kohli obliterated many milestones. Check them out.
Former captain Graeme Smith feels South Africa's 'powerful' bowling attack will put the Indian batting line-up under serious pressure in the upcoming Test series, starting January 5 in Cape Town.
Ravindra Jadeja, who is still recovering from a shoulder injury, was included as the selectors felt that he would recover in time for the 2015 ICC World Cup.
David Warner's 12th Test century and a bittersweet 95 from Chris Rogers put Australia on course for a huge total on an emotional first day in the fourth and final Test against India on Tuesday.
Sunil Gavaskar has been quite unhappy with Team India's performance.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar rated India's bowling on the opening day of the third cricket Test against Australia as their best performance in the series so far but reminded that lack of quality bowling all-rounder could hurt the visitors again going into day two.
Matthew Hayden feels the tourists do not seem to believe that they can win away from home.
India spinner R Ashwin said he was surprised with West Indies' decision to bat first on a sticky wicket, even as he returned with a five-wicket haul on the opening day to dismiss the hosts for a paltry 196 in the second cricket Test in Kingston, Jamaica.
Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja claimed four wickets each as India crushed Bangladesh by 208 runs in the one-off Test and stretch the team's unbeaten streak to 19 matches, in Hyderabad, on Monday.
Bolstered by the return of regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India will look to regroup and fight their way back into the four-match series when they face Australia on a lively Gabba wicket in the second cricket Test starting in Brisbane on Wednesday.
India's skipper Virat Kohli scored a splendid unbeaten century to guide his team to a comfortable 302 for the loss of four wickets at stumps on day one of the first Test against the West Indies in Antigua on Thursday. At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Kohli carried his limited-overs form into Tests and scored an effortless 143 off 197 balls, which was laced with 16 boundaries.
Team India, set for a gruelling tour of Australia, looked in top gear as they practiced diligently during a nets session on the eve of the first Test in Adelaide on Monday.
As India goes into the four-match Test series against Australia, which commences in Adelaide on Tuesday, an analysis of the team.
Help coach Anil Kumble and captain Virat Kohli in selecting India's best 11 for the first Test against the West Indies.
There was no toss and India were allowed to bowl first. The players and officials, wearing black armbands, observed a minute's silence before the start of the play. India ended the day 99-2
Meanwhile, Australia skipper Michael Clarke, who was entangled in a war of words with Cricket Australia over his availability, is still a doubtful starter for the first Test following question marks over his fitness.
He might have scored a century as opener in the last Test that India played but Cheteshwar Pujara on Thursday said he was willing to bat at any position he is asked to by the team's think-tank in the opening game against South Africa starting November 5 in Mohali.
Pujara and Vijay added 209 runs for the second wicket to set a platform from where India would look to bat the Islanders out of the contest.
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Monday made a comeback to the Indian team for the first two Tests against South Africa, replacing veteran Harbhajan Singh, who was the only casualty from the team which won the Test series in Sri Lanka last month.
A round-up of Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy group matches played on Thursday.
India will seek to reaffirm their supremacy in the shorter version of the game as they go into a five-match ODI series against an under-strength West Indies in Kochi with the prime focus of preparing for the upcoming cricket World Cup.
West Indies' wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin's century went in vain as they slumped to a 16-run loss against India 'A' in their second and final warm-up 50-over match ahead of the five-match ODI series against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Thanks to half-centuries by Ankit Bawne and Rahul Tripathi, and a splendid final over by Dominic Joseph, Maharashtra beat Saurashtra by four runs in the West Zone Vijay Hazare one-day tournament in Rajkot on Friday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore thrashed Kings XI Punjab by 82 runs via D/L method in a rain-hit IPL clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Former Sri Lanka captain attributes the Indian team's debacle in the first two Tests against England to lack of preparation.
England pacer James Anderson described the conditions on Day 2 of the second Test against India at Lord's as perfect for bowling and said his side would have bowled out any batting line-up in the world under similar circumstances.
India's bowling coach Bharat Arun is confident that the team's speed merchants Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav will take up the challenge to maintain speed as well as be accurate in the upcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka, starting on August 12 at Galle.