Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed surprise over Sarfaraz Khan's omission from India A squads for the home series against South Africa, calling the decision unfair.
Fresh from a hard-fought 2-2 draw in England, Shubman Gill's men will be eager to translate their overseas resilience into home dominance.
'A stage that seems big -- but it's (the) one that's familiar -- so we banked on him being comfortable with his surroundings and he certainly looked all that. It was an impressive debut.'
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said that Powerplay overs will be crucial in the five-match T20 International series against Australia.
There is a school of thought that having done the hard yards in the England series, Karun Nair deserves an opportunity against a weaker opposition where a century could boost his career.
The Indian team management is unlikely to tinker with its playing XI for the inconsequential final group league Asia Cup game against Oman except for resting pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in Dubai on Friday.
The final Test begins on Friday in New Delhi, and the Shubman Gill-led side is expected to maintain their winning combination as they look to wrap up the home series.
Test captain Shubman Gill divulged that India is still mulling over its combination ahead of the opening Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad on Thursday, hinting at the possibility of Kuldeep Yadav being sacrificed for batting depth and team combination.
India A captain Shreyas Iyer has pulled out of the second unofficial Test against Australia A starting in Lucknow on Tuesday because of personal reasons.
Australia held their nerve in a tense chase, edging past India by two wickets to seal the series 2-0 despite a late fightback from the visitors on Thursday in Adelaide.
India will be keen to get the job done against Bangladesh and seal their place in Sunday's final before considering resting their players.
Doeschate admitted that Sunday's match could be a contest of spin between the two sides.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for Thursday's second ODI against Australia?
Spin great Ravichandran Ashwin is set to become the first capped India men's player to participate in the Big Bash League.
India have a mounting worry in the lack of runs so far from talismanic Smriti Mandhana, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and the energetic Jemimah Rodrigues.
Sai knows there's competition but he has captain's backing: Ryan ten Doeschate
Pat Cummins captured the sentiment perfectly, calling this potentially the 'last chance' for fans Down Under to witness these legends in action. With both stalwarts set to be 39 and 40 respectively by the 2027 World Cup, every appearance carries added significance. Ro-Ko have been the heartbeat of Indian cricket for over 15 years. Their return brings an emotional lift to the team and raises expectations for the series against the world champions.
After days of off-field drama, Team India was back on the field in Dubai at the ICC Academy, sharpening their skills ahead of the final Group A clash against Oman.
'He will be a vital cog in the wheel for the Asia Cup.'
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.
India A left-arm spinner Manav Suthar picked up three wickets to leave Australia A reeling, on Day 1 of the second unofficial Test.
'If you consider Parag for captaincy, how do you expect Samson to stay?'
This brings us to the question of combination and perhaps Arshdeep could miss out on more games going into the T20 World Cup -- a tournament that will be held in the sub-continent -- India and Sri Lanka.
Tickets for the match on September 14 are in huge demand than for any other match. Most journalists are also arriving only in time for this match, even skipping India's opening match against the UAE on September 10.
Flamboyant Indian opener Abhishek Sharma, who notched up another fifty in the Asia Cup on Wednesday against Bangladesh, credited his fearless batting to sheer hard work and hours of practice in the nets.
Although Shubman Gill's return to the T20 side has cast a shadow over Sanju Samson's place in the playing XI for the Asia Cup in the UAE, the hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter will be counting on head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has often spoken highly of his positive attitude.
To defend their Asia Cup title, India must improve catching and find a steady middle order. Friday's dead rubber is a good chance to try these out.
'As much as we may want, unka number itni aasani se nahi aayega (It's not going to be easy for Rahul)'
England replace Shoaib Bashir with Liam Dawson in playing XI for 4th Test against India
Maybe Shubman Gill didn't want Shardul Thakur , wanted Kuldeep Yadav: Sunil Gavaskar questions captain's say in XI
During the two months in England when he was warming the bench, the easy way would have been to blame anyone and everyone for his failure to fit into India's playing XI, but Kuldeep Yadav chose to traverse the tougher route.
'They are not only setting new standards for themselves but also paving the way for future players to keep pushing those boundaries.'
Sanju Samson not batting enough at number five and six doesn't mean he can't do the job there, said India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Friday while expressing confidence in the Kerala dasher's ability ahead of the Asia Cup clash against Pakistan.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said his side will not hold back on aggression in the high-voltage Asia Cup clash against Pakistan on September 14.
When the Indian team entered the ICC Cricket Academy Arena for their evening net session ahead of the Asia Cup, Samson was the first to start his solo keeping drills with fielding coach T Dilip, even as others were just about lumbering up.
"Came here to give myself every chance to play just as batter": Stokes after being ruled out of Oval Test
This is the first-ever India vs Pakistan final across 17 editions of the Men's Asia Cup since the tournament's inception in 1984.
Ravichandran Ashwin has raised a big question mark over Sanju Samson's place in India's Asia Cup 2025 playing XI, warning that the wicketkeeper-batter's spot could be under serious threat
Nair will bat at No 5 at The Oval in what many see as his last chance at redemption.
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