A round-up of the opening day's actions of the Ranji Trophy matches being played in different parts of the country.
Desperate to get their campaigns back on track, the two bottom placed teams in the Indian Premier League -- Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore -- lock horns in Mohali on Monday, aiming to keep their winning momentum going to stay afloat in the ninth edition of the T20 league.
On paper, it is difficult to imagine how Bangladesh will even be able to compete in a format which has been their weakest till date.
Mumbai medium pacer Dhawal Kulkarni, who has played four ODIs for India (8 wickets), was named as a replacement for the injured Mohammed Shami in the One-day squad.
Royal Challengers Bangalore pacer Sreenath Aravind, who took four wickets against Kings XI Punjab, has credited senior fast bowler Mitchell Starc for teaching him the tricks of the trade.
Naman Ojha may not be India's No 1 Test wicketkeeper but he has hopes of making the national team for its next assignment in the longest format.
arpreet Singh Bhatia slammed his second first-class ton to lead the Madhya Pradesh run-spree in the second innings and set Bengal an improbable 788 runs for a win in their Ranji Trophy quarterfinals on Saturday. The 24-year-old Bhatia notched up 139 in 206 balls, studded with 14 fours, to help MP pile on runs after resuming on overnight score of 338 for five. MP finally declared at a mammoth second-innings total of 560 for 9, just before tea on the fourth and penultimate day. Bengal, who conceded a huge first-innings lead of 227 after being bowled out for a meager 121, are on the verge of a defeat as they were struggling at 113 for three in 31 overs at the close of play.
Only four India regulars - Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha -- turned up for optional practice session.
ICC is planning to propose a Futures Tours Programme (FTP) in which T20 World Cup will be played every year and the 50-over World Cup once every three years.
The Kings XI Punjab juggernaut continues to roll this IPL season. On Friday night in Bangalore they scored another commanding victory, beating Royal Challengers Bangalore by 32 runs to consolidate their position atop the eight-team table.
Virat Kohli's men ticked almost all the boxes during their 203-run win in the opening encounter in Visakhapatnam and they would like to maintain the same intensity in their bid to seal the series in Pune itself.
Mayank Agarwal has impressed at the top of the order in the few Tests he has played so far, but former India captain Sourav Ganguly says he will wait and watch before calling him a first-choice opener.
Virat Kohli was effusive in his praise for Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha's record 199-run stand.
Australia coach Darren Lehmann, on Sunday, said it would be a real challenge for his team comprising five left-handers to negotiate the left-arm spin of Ravindra Jadeja on the final day in Ranchi, on Monday.
Virat Kohli called the Bengal player the 'best wicketkeeper' in the world.
'I think they're feeling the pressure a little bit to be honest'
Can India avoid the humiliation of a series whitewash, asks Harish Kotian.
Afghanistan's Rashid Khan came up with a brilliant all-round effort as Sunrisers Hyderabad scored a 13-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the second qualifier and made the final of the Indian Premier League at the Eden Gardens on Friday.
India's 3-0 whitewash of South Africa in the four-match Test series has surprised former captain Sunil Gavaskar even though he feels that the Proteas were incapable of playing on Indian pitches.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead a full strength India squad for the two-match Twenty20 series against the West Indies in the United States on August 27 and 28.
India gave wings to their ferocious ambition of winning a maiden series Down Under, beating Australia by 31 runs in the opening Test with an irresistible fusion of self-belief, hunger and talent in Adelaide.
Kolkata Knight Riders will have no margin for error when they take on hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad, who will fancy their chances despite coming off a defeat, in the Indian Premier League match in Hyderabad on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Kuldeep, who replaced injured skipper Viart Kohli, returned figures of four for 68 in 23 overs after Australia decided to bat and made a resounding start.
Images from Day 3 of the third Test between Australia and India, at the SCG, on Saturday.
The Indian ODI squad for the upcoming triangular cricket series in Australia as well as the World Cup that follows almost immediately will be picked by the five-man selection panel here on January 6.
Sunrisers Hyderabad unit would look to consolidate its position at the top of the points table
The Royals are aware of the challenges facing them at the Sawai Mansingh Stadum, a few days after Sunrisers Hyderabad got the better of Kings XI Punjab to grab the second position in the standings.
India produced a splendid performance to clinically decimate West Indies by 237 runs in the third Test thereby taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.
As India go in to the four-match Test series against Australia that commences in Adelaide on Tuesday, here is a factbox.
Mumbai ended runner-up for the 5th time -- they last lost to Haryana in 1990/91
The variety in Sunrisers Hyderabad's bowling attack will pose a few tricky questions for Mumbai Indians
'We are pretty comfortable and to be honest with you, there is nothing we can do about what happened with David Warner. We have moved on from there'
Bowlers gave India the upper hand as Sri Lanka were bowled out for a below-par 205 in their first innings against India after opting to bat on the first day of the second Test in Nagpur on Friday.
South Zone took just 40 minutes into the third morning to crush East Zone by an innings and 118 runs en route their entry into Duleep Trophy final, in Lahli on Friday.
It will not be the first time that the competition has had to be held outside India.
Wriddhiman Saha, on Tuesday, said Sunrisers Hyderabad have enough bench strength to replace Australian batsman David Warner, who is facing a lengthy ban from Cricket Australia for his role in the ball tampering scandal.
Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor VVS Laxman, on Monday, said the franchise would wait for Cricket Australia's decision David Warner
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni single-handedly scripted Rising Pune Supergiants' face-saving four-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab with a last-ball six to help them avoid the bottom-place finish in the Indian Premier League in Visakhapatnam, on Saturday.
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between India and Bangladesh, in Indore.
Images from Saturday's IPL match between Mumbai Indians vs SunRisers Hyderabad, in Chennai.
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