Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin reckons the opening day-night Test was India's best shot at winning in the ongoing series as it will be very difficult for the visitors to script a turnaround after the demoralizing eight-wicket loss in Adelaide.
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.
'No more red ball... it doesn't swing, it doesn't do anything, goes soft after 25 overs. It has been pathetic for so long now. Except for the Dukes ball in England, it has been rubbish.'
'Spends are likely to increase from the current levels because recovery is yet to fully be over.'
Kohli's deputy Ajinkya Rahane will lead India in the final three Tests.
Umesh feels that the current lot has gained rich experience over the years and is setting the benchmark for the next batch of players.
Ravichandran Ashwin, who was left out of the first Test, is back in the mix as Shardul Thakur seems to have done his hamstring some damage during the training session at Lord's on Monday.
Captain Kane Williamson, all-rounder Vijay Shankar and comeback man Wriddhiman Saha will look to score in the key match.
Saurashtra, led by the inspirational Jaydev Unadkat, will back themselves to win an elusive Ranji Trophy title at home but a buoyant Bengal will be no pushovers in what promises to be an absorbing final beginning, in Rajkot, on Monday. Both the teams are desperate to go all the way with Saurashtra reaching their fourth final in eight seasons while Bengal has not tasted success in the premier domestic event since the 1989-90 triumph.
Openers Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill fell for ducks as India 'A' batsmen struggled on the opening day of their three-day practice match against Australia 'A' at the Drummoyne Oval, in Sydney, on Sunday.
Shaun Marsh and Matt Renshaw struck contrasting half-centuries on an engrossing day of cricket to help Australia take a first-innings lead of 48 against India in the second Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly wants injured senior opener Rohit Sharma to tread cautiously while deciding on competing for his IPL team Mumbai Indians in the play-offs as he risks aggravating the hamstring tear that led to his exclusion from the Australia-bound India squad.
RR have a lot of issues to sort out, particularly in the absence of key foreign players like Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes.
The 21-year-old is now level with Englishman Jack Russell (vs South Africa at Johannesburg in 1995) and South Africa's AB de Villiers (vs Pakistan at Johannesburg in 2013).
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Rishabh Pant's brute power will be put to test against Rashid Khan's bagful of tricks in an IPL encounter where Delhi Capitals will start as favourites against SunRisers Hyderabad due to their better bowling resources.
Images from Day 2 of the Pink-ball first Test between Australia and India, in Adelaide, on Friday.
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between India and New Zealand, at Green Park, Kanpur, on Saturday.
Virat Kohli is considered a dangerous batsman by most teams around the world but captaincy can make him even more lethal, something opposition captain Mushfiqur Rahim fears. Asked about Mushfiqur's comments, the Indian captain did not have much to say.
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