Virat Kohli's batting a plus but lots of areas need improvement, says Shubman Gill
India's players lauded batting maestro Virat Kohli after his scintillating century guided India to a 17-run win over South Africa in the first ODI in Ranchi on Sunday.
And ahead of the 4th Test, some members of the Indian team went all out at a gym training session.
The second and final Test starts in Guwahati from Saturday with India trailing 0-1 after the defeat on a challenging Eden Gardens pitch in Kolkata.
India set to remain unchanged as team wants Reddy to settle in all-round role
'Nitish is our premium batting all-rounder at the moment. So I would say it's a very good chance to play this Test.'
There is a slight desperation to win ODI series after below par Test outing: Ten Doeschate
Arshdeep Singh suffers injury during practice ahead of Manchester Test.
Shubman Gill backed young No. 3 Sai Sudharsan to come good, insisting that the team must look at 'potential, not just numbers'.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Friday returned to the country after mother Seema Gambhir had to be hospitalized due to health emergency.
Shubman Gill has been guilty of taking too much load on himself since his T20 comeback and the Indian team wants him to bat as freely as he does in the IPL, said assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.
India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said training with the two-coloured balls helps in eliminating white ball tendencies from the red ball game.
'But I would say given the importance of this series and given the conditions we think we are going to face, he (Nitish Kumar Reddy) might miss out in this Test this week.'
India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate is extremely proud of a young team which didn't lose its mind despite Pakistan players indulged in controversial over-the-top celebrations and uttering not so respectable words during the Asia Cup Super 4s game last Sunday.
India's strategy of playing two fast bowlers, one pace bowling all-rounder, and three spinners could possibly come in handy on this surface.
India stuck to their pre-series decision to field Bumrah in only three Tests and was hence not played in the final Test at the Oval
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.
Mike Hesson is free to rank Pakistan left-arm spinner Mohammed Nawaz as high as he wants but India know where their spinners are placed in the world order.
The Oval will host the fifth and final Test between India and England from Thursday, and the Indian team has hit the ground running two days after staging a remarkable comeback to draw the fourth match in Manchester.
With WI Tests starting next week, 25 overs in Asia Cup is good build-up for Bumrah: Doeschate
Former England captain Michael Atherton suggested India could include three spinners for the must-win fourth Test against England at Manchester, starting on July 23.
Armed with a potent spin attack, taking on South Africa seems like competing against a "subcontinent team", Ten Doeschate said, admitting that they need to get better at negotiating the challenge posed by tweakers.
For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
The 36-year-old all-rounder once again rose to the occasion, batting with remarkable patience, steel and a fierce will to fight. Partnering first with Jasprit Bumrah and then Mohammed Siraj, Jadeja weathered thunderbolts and mind games. His 61 not out off 181 balls, spread over nearly five hours, brought India within 22 agonising runs of victory.
Assessing Sai Sudharsan's temperament and Nitish Kumar Reddy's utility in home conditions would be topmost on India's checklist when the high-on-confidence hosts take on a floundering West Indies
India's awe-inspiring batting depth will face a stern test against South Africa's quality spin attack in the first Test, starting in Kolkata on Friday.
Sai knows there's competition but he has captain's backing: Ryan ten Doeschate
The Bellerive Oval is one ground where the side boundaries are smaller in size, hence hitting the right lengths would be paramount considering anything short would be flying over cover, point, square leg or mid-wicket on either side of the fence.
Pacer Anshul Kamboj has been added to the India squad in England as cover for Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh
T Dilip reappointed as India fielding coach for England tour; Gill, Sudharsan may miss warm-ups
India head coach Gautam Gambhir will rejoin the touring party on Tuesday after he returned to India due to 'personal reasons,' according to ESPNcricinfo.
'I have no doubt the players share the compassion and feeling of the vast majority of the Indian public.'
In a lapse of concentration, Atkinson picked the ball and sent the timber rattling to have Gill run out on 21(35).
Such is the race for breaking news that if an Indian player sneezes, a report may immediately go out stating he may have caught the flu bug and could be a doubtful starter!
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.
Against Bangladesh, Samson wasn't even considered good enough to come inside the top seven of the line-up and that begs a question as to what is he doing in the team if he isn't good enough to come ahead of Axar Patel.
The head coach gets to pick the support staff, and Gambhir is no exception. However, the board has reportedly nixed his first choices for bowling and fielding coaches.
Indian spinners will have a tough fourth day in office with the pitch getting slower, thereby making batting way easier, admitted assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate after the end of third day's play in the third Test against the West Indies in New Delhi on Sunday.
With two Tests left, India trailing the five-match series 1-2, and Bumrah available for only one of them, Panesar feels India needs to go all out in Manchester next week.
The usually mobbed Indian cricket team likes training in a relaxed atmosphere and that was evident in their body language as the players went about their business in their only practice session at the Kent County Cricket Ground before the fourth Test in Manchester.
