Pujara, I would give him more credit because he only plays one format for India.
India play their World Test Championship opener against the Windies on Thursday, but captain Virat Kohli will be in a quandary over team selection. Will they play Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma, or drop either to adopt a five-bowler strategy?
India will now lock horns with South Africa for three Tests and three ODIs, beginning December 26.
Virat Kohli roared back to form with a superbly crafted century on a tricky pitch to take India to a comfortable 267 for three against New Zealand on Day 1 of the third and final Test match at the Holkar stadium in Indore, on Saturday.
After rain ensured no play on Day 1, the match finally commenced on Saturday as New Zealand won the toss and elected to field.
India's bench strength will be tested when a second string team takes on Zimbabwe.
After England tore the prediction books for an epochal 28-run victory in Hyderabad in the first Test, India now find themselves in a tight space, mentally and technically, ahead of the second match starting in four days in Visakhapatnam.
The left arm pacer had dismissed Virat Kohli with a snorter on day two. With the pitch playing tricks, he felt he got lucky.
Impressed with his captaincy at the ODI World Cup, former captain Sourav Ganguly on Friday threw his weight behind Rohit Sharma, saying he should lead India at least till the T20 World Cup in June next year.
There is a possibility that India might play three pacers in the pink-ball Test.
The return of Ajinkya Rahane, Jayant Yadav and Hardik Pandya from injuries which they sustained during the England series will make it a tough choice for Kohli and Anil Kumble when it come sto selecting the final XI.
The truth of the matter is that India lost their second successive WTC final on day two of this encounter when they collapsed to 71/4 in response to Australia's first-innings total of 469.
India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said cricketers will need at least a month of training before resumption of competitive games, which should happen only after a vaccine for the dreaded coronavirus is discovered. Rahane also said that in a coronavirus-scarred world, the lifestyle of cricketers will undergo a change as far as pre and post-match routines are concerned.
Rohit Sharma was four not out, with Shubman Gill yet to score, after the injury-decimated tourists bowled Australia out for 294 in their second innings.
Images from the Tewnty20 match between India and England, played at Manchester on Wednesday.
Kohli injures right shoulder while fielding in Ranchi
'I just see a really relaxed team under Rahane.'
IPL Player draft: How the bidding went
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja could do with a break, which will allow India to try out new players in the Caribbean.
Will Young scored an unbeaten 117, steering New Zealand 'A' to 221 for five against India 'A' on the opening day of the second unofficial Test, in Hamilton, on Friday.
Young opener Shubman Gill and pacer Mohammed Siraj will make their Test debuts in the second Boxing Day Test against Australia, starting in Melbourne, on Saturday.
Citing Mahendra Singh Dhoni's lack of form, former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin has said that India's ODI skipper is "no longer the player he used to be".
Cameron Green feels there is still enough help for the pacers and backed his team to defend a 444-run target against India.
Ponting said at the end of the day it comes down to individual preparation.
Team India began their Asia Cup campaign with a comfortable win over hosts Bangladesh and talented batsman Ajinkya Rahane said the victory would give his side the momentum in the tournament ahead.
India's stand-in skipper KL Rahul also reserved praise for Shardul Thakur, who put an all-round performance in the game including a seven-wicket haul in the first innings.
India have recalled Ajinkya Rahane to reinforce their batting line-up, which will have to be at its best to negate the Australian attack.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who guided India to the final of the ICC World Cup 2017, on Monday became the first woman cricketer from the country to sign a bat endorsement deal with CEAT.
The Indian team is likely to tour Australia twice in the next Future Tours Programme (FTP) cycle from 2024-2032, with the number of Tests per series increased from the existing four to five.
'Aggressive intent' was the key behind India's overwhelming success against New Zealand in the Test series and the hosts aim to continue playing the same brand of cricket in the upcoming five-match ODI series, middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane said, in Dharamsala, on Friday.
Rahane spoke on a host of issues with regards to the upcoming New Zealand tour where the current team has a good chance of emulating the class of 2009 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy.
After winning the hearts of Indian cricket fans, Virat Kohli seems to be the new talking point in tinsel town as well now. Ace Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan seems to be in awe of the Indian batting sensation. Talking about Kohli's ever-growing popularity, Abhishek said, "He is doing great things for the country. He is super-fit and is currently doing more advertisements than all of us combined." Kohli and Abhishek shared the stage with India batsman Ajkinkya Rahane and actor Arjun Kapoor to announce the charity football match to be played between cricket stars and Bollywood personalities on June 4 in Andheri Sports Complex, suburban Mumbai.
Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane hit half-centuries before rain washed out the first One-day International between West Indies and India, in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on Friday.
Having quietly cemented his place as India's middle-order mainstay, Ajinkya Rahane today said he has gained a lot from borrowing a trick or two from stylish Hyderabad batsman VVS Laxman.
Joe Root was miffed after a blunder by Anil Chaudhary denied them the wicket of India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane after a DRS review.
If there is any truth to the chatter around Hardik Pandya shifting base to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans, then the five-time IPL champions have "struck gold", India off-spinner R Ashwin said.
'Just a remarkable win...To go to Australia and win a Test series in this way will be remembered in the history of Indian cricket forever... BCCI announces a 5 cr bonus for the team ...The value of this win is beyond any number... well done to every member of the touring party,' BCCI President Sourav Ganguly tweeted.
Faced with the prospect of a humiliating 0-3 series whitewash, a desperate India would be aiming to bounce back to winning ways against an unrelenting South Africa in the third and final Test, starting in Johannesburg, on Wednesday.
While Sachin Tendulkar's 2013 farewell became a national pilgrimage, a vibrant celebration befitting a cricketing deity, the exits of many other Indian icons this century have been quieter journeys into the twilight.
Delhi registered a smooth eight-wicket win in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Group E match in Dehradun on Saturday.
