IMAGES from Day 4 of the 1st Test played between India and England in Hyderabad, on Sunday.
The standout performers that allowed India to maintain their upper hand over England were young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Kings XI Punjab captain Ravichandran Ashwin said his side has a lot of scope for improvement after they encountered yet another close game, against Sunrisers Hyderabad, in the Indian Premier League.
Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary revealed his preference for Mohammad Shami over all-rounder Shardul Thakur in playing XI against Bangladesh in the ongoing World Cup.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, on Sunday, became the fastest Indian and second overall to take 200 wickets, reaching the milestone in his 37th Test.
But the Rohit Sharma-led team has it's fair share of problems in terms of picking an ideal playing XI.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised his spin trump card Ravichandra Ashwin for the variations in his bowling and said the youngster should use his off-breaks as his stock delivery.
The hosts were reeling at 219 for seven at the end of day two with England off-spinner Shoiab Bashir grabbed a brilliant 4/84 in his second Test.
'The future of finger-spinners lies in the perception of people'
India spinner R Ashwin said he was surprised with West Indies' decision to bat first on a sticky wicket, even as he returned with a five-wicket haul on the opening day to dismiss the hosts for a paltry 196 in the second cricket Test in Kingston, Jamaica.
'What I like about them is their stubbornness. If you doubt them, they'll double down on it and go even more stubborn.'
Pandya, before the Bangladesh game had bowled 16 overs in the previous three matches and picked up five wickets.
England had taken a 1-0 lead in the five-match series in India but Ben Stokes and his men let the hosts draw parity in the second Test as all their batters were unable to get big scores.
With Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting calling Ravichandran Ashwin "one of the most successful spinners in IPL history", the 33-year-old feels he has started understanding his role better.
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, fresh from a five-wicket haul in the one-off Test against Bangladesh, is enjoying 'one of the best phases' of his career.
India's premier strike bowler Ravichandran Ashwin does not want to put extra pressure on himself thinking about the coveted milestone of reaching 300 Test wickets in remaining 10 home matches this season as these aspects can rob a player's enjoyment derived from his game.
Inexperience cost England, feels Morgan
India's premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed the the demoralising effect former opener Virender Sehwag's swashbuckling batting had on him when the two practiced together.
Ravichandran Ashwin says leadership tips from Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh will help him immensely in his maiden captaincy stint in the upcoming Indian Premier League.
VVS Laxman praised off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who became the fastest Indian to scalp 200 Test wickets.
India's leading off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin can use the IPL as a platform to revive his dwindling career in limited overs cricket, feels veteran batsman Subramaniam Badrinath.
What makes Ravichandran Ashwin the world's premier Test spinner?
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest bowler to reach the milestone of 300 Test wickets in his 54th match, breaking Dennis Lillee's record during India's win over Sri Lanka in the second Test, in Nagpur on Monday.
Shastri wants both Ashwin and Jadeja in Indian playing XI for WTC Final
Sri Lanka's left-handed opener Dimuth Karunaratne is willing to think out of the box in an attempt to counter spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the upcoming three-match Test series against India.
Australia opener David Warner said he will not back down from playing his shots against Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin despite the many risks involved in such an approach.
India's last ICC title win came a decade ago in the 2013 Champions Trophy, but Rohit said there was no point in dwelling on past disappointments.
Having closely watched Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja perform the spin duties over the last four years, Mahendra Singh Dhoni expressed satisfaction over the progress of the Tamil Nadu tweaker and Saurashtra left-armer.
South Africa One-day captain AB de Villiers swatted aside suggestions that India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin could prove his nemesis.
Amid the furore generated by Virat Kohli's abusive behaviour with an Indian journalist, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin tried to defuse the tension.
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, on Friday, ridiculed the media attention on the pitch for the first Test, saying most of the batsmen got out by playing bad shots.
An annoyed Sunil Gavaskar pleaded with those questioning the Indian team selection for the upcoming Asia Cup and asserted that this 17-man squad should form the nucleus of the 15-member World Cup side.
The best part of Yashasvi Jaiswal's entertaining unbeaten 76 was the manner in which he completely unsettled England's troika of spinners, India's left-arm slow bowler Axar Patel reckoned after opening day's play in the first Test.
'I see it as neck-and-neck in the game. Whoever can get momentum from hereon has the edge in this Test. I think it is extremely well poised'
The Indian squad is packed with quality players but either wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal or Washington Sundar should have found place in the home team's line-up, reckons 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh.
Head coach Rahul Dravid did not see Indian batters replying to England's 'Bazball' in kind but he said they will not be taking a backward step in the five-match Test series beginning in Hyderabad from Thursday.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the WTC final against Australia?
The "composed" set of newcomers in the Indian team don't need frequent advice, they need just a supportive environment to excel, said skipper Rohit Sharma after the young guns played a major part in the hosts' series-sealing win over England in the fourth Test in Ranchi on Monday.
The 51-year-old legendary batsman said that it would be a difficult series for Australia as India are a very settled side and Virat Kohli's captaincy is contagious.
The legendary Anil Kumble has heaped praise on Ravindra Jadeja for his ability to change angles and advised the batters to display more attacking intent if they have to get on top of the left-arm spinner.
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