Photos from Day 3 of the first Test played in Galle on Friday.
Indian cricket team will be aiming to pick up pieces while spoiling Alastair Cook's farewell party in the fifth and final Test against England starting Friday.
Ajinkya Rahane has said it is always a challenge to play against Australia.
Ahead of the selectors' meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday, May 20, Harish Kotian picks the team he considers best to take on Bangladesh in the one-off Test in Fatullah from June 10 to 14.
Cheteshwar Pujara was the highest-ranked Indian batsman despite dropping a rung to eighth while R Ashwin held on to his eighth position in the bowlers' chart of the ICC Test rankings.
India's limited-overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, along with his teammates Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin, among others, will be up for grabs for the two new IPL teams in the draft to be held in Mumbai.
In-form skipper Virat Kohli (64) and teenage prodigy Prithvi Shaw (66) were among the five Indian batsmen who struck fifties before the visitors were bowled out for 358 on the second day of the rain-hit practice game against Cricket Australia XI in Sydney.
Kohli has created a flutter by blaming 'doubtful decision-making' and lack of clarity for the debacle in Bangladesh.
His cricketing brain, always sharp, was blessed with exceptional speed of information absorption and processing. He could quickly zero in on what needed to be done and use the element of surprise to overpower the opposition, observes Shreekant Sambrani.
Retired Test batsman Michael Hussey has said after looking at the struggles of the Brisbane Heat batsmen against top-quality Indian spinners that Australia not only has a problem with producing international standard spinners, but has one in facing them as well.
While there were brilliant performances from Virat Kohli, Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane, India's pathetic bowling attack -- which could not claim 20 Australian wickets in any of the four Tests -- was depressing.
Captain Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers smashed brisk half centuries to guide Royal Challengers Bangalore to a well-deserved 13-run victory over Rising Pune Supergiants in the Indian Premier League match, in Pune, on Friday.
As India goes into the four-match Test series against Australia, which commences in Adelaide on Tuesday, an analysis of the team.
'I believe Bumrah, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, all four can play in the playing XI.'
'What I would love him to do most is to become a life coach and share his incredible story of struggle, success, and survival,' says marketing guru Sandeep Goyal.
Former captain Kapil Dev on Monday expressed amazement at the pace at which the current Indian cricket team settled into a formidable outfit despite losing, one after another, some of the world's top players over the last few years. "There is no team in the world, after losing their legendary players, bounced back quicker than this Indian team. Normally, once the great players go in a bunch, a team needs at least five to seven years to come back. But this Indian team has come back so quickly, I have never seen something like this. I am amazed," Kapil told PTI in New Delhi.
Williamson has a chance to topple Kohli at the top of the rankings.
'The past few weeks in England will be remembered as much for Kohli's skilled conquest of his English demons as they will be for his dreadful reading of pitches, curious selection choices, sporadic tactical lapses, and overall inability to help his side cross the finish line,' notes Dhruv Munjal.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
The country's oldest book awards saw some interesting wins.
'Dhoni may be hoping that luck stays with him for a couple of months more.' 'He may want to step down on a triumphant note, holding aloft the World T20 trophy on April 3.'
The 28-year-old Kohli scored 62 and six not out to move to 833 points, within 14 points of England's Joe Root in a list led by Australia captain Steve Smith.
Ahead of the upcoming Test and ODI series against Bangladesh Rajneesh Gupta presents a statistical outlook on India's players selected for the two squads.
Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on Monday said that he could not believe he has turned 44 as he celebrated his birthday in front of thousands of adoring fans at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
India's star batsman Virat Kohli has maintained his No 1 position in the ICC T20 batsmen rankings and so have India in the team charts after the conclusion of the World T20.
Kings XI Punjab speedster Andrew Tye heaped praise on his side's explosive opener Chris Gayle, saying the West Indian played to perfection during his unbeaten knock of 104 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Thursday's IPL match in Mohali.
Australian spin legend Shane Warne considers Indian captain Virat Kohli the best batsmen in world cricket currently.
Kapil Dev wants Hardik Pandya to 'work harder on his batting' as that is his primary skill as an all-rounder.
Battered and bruised after four successive defeats, India will make a last-gasp effort to avoid the embarrassment of being whitewashed by an unrelenting Australia when the two sides clash in the fifth and final One-Day International in Sydney, on Saturday.
Half-centuries from Quinton de Kock and J P Duminy hit half-centuries before South Africa survived a late assault from Mahendra Singh Dhoni to edge past favourites India by four runs in the ICC World T20 warm-up match at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, on Saturday.
Indian bowlers struggled even under favourable conditions on a rain-hit third day as the visitor's three-day practice match against Leicestershire ended in a draw.
Indian cricket's fortunes ebbed and flowed in 2015 with Virat Kohli successfully leading the national side in Tests and Mahendra Singh Dhoni appearing to be losing his midas touch, while in off the field drama Shashank Manohar returned as the president of Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The superb build-up run has made India the clear favourites for an unprecedented second World Twenty20 title but the in-form hosts will have to guard against complacency when they take on a spirited New Zealand in their campaign-opener in Nagpur on Tuesday.
Former captain Mohammad Azharuddin said that even though India's 15-man squad for the upcoming World Cup looks balanced, the bowling attack does seem to pose a worry for the Virat Kohli-led team.
How will young batsmen brought up on T20 learn to build an innings? What about the technique to patiently negotiate hostile seam bowling conditions or the skill to play on difficult dusty turners? What about leaving the swinging ball outside off stump?
"It doesn't matter if he gets runs or not? I think he is telling lies there," Anderson said
"There are players who are in form and there is @imVkohli who wins you games again and again! Hats off you beauty."
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has grown a reputation as a notorious hoarder of souvenir stumps and considering India's imperious form going into the World Twenty20, few would be surprised if he adds one more to his formidable collection on April 3.
Impressed with India's aggressive brand of cricket in the two Tests so far, former Sri Lanka pacer Chaminda Vaas on Tuesday said that the five-bowler theory is reaping rich results for the young visiting side.
Chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil's explanation for Harbhajan Singh's inclusion in the squad for the one-off Test in Bangladesh next month. Harish Kotian reports
