India will be keen to get the job done against Bangladesh and seal their place in Sunday's final before considering resting their players.
Mumbai sealed a bonus-point victory with a nine-wicket thrashing of Hyderabad in their Group D Ranji Trophy match, in Hyderabad, on Sunday.
Though Shubman Gill travelled with the Indian team to Guwahati on Wednesday, his injury is unlikely to heal in time ahead of the second Test, which begins on Saturday.
'Constant changes to the playing XI, batting orders, and frequent rotations prevent stability.'
With the India and South Africa T20I series levelled 1-1, focus shifts to Gill's form ahead of the third T20 on Sunday in Dharamsala.
A toe injury suffered before the fourth T20I is set to keep Gill out of the final T20I here as India would want to take a cautious route, more so when there is a ready replacement for the top order slot in Sanju Samson.
The track is historically a high-scoring one and the outfield is quick. But on a red soil surface, the ball grips and can surprise the batters.
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Shubman Gill's injury during the South Africa T20I series earlier this month was the moment when India's World Cup opening combination became clear.
With the T20 World Cup less than two months away, India would want their captain Suryakumar Yadav to rediscover his rhythm sooner rather than later.
Intent does not always translate immediately into numbers, and effort however sincere needs to find expression in runs, especially with a World Cup drawing closer.
While the white-ball trophy cabinet kept getting heavier, Team India's fortunes in Test cricket swung wildly between hope and despair in 2025.
The controversial decision to select Shubman Gill in place of a well-settled Sanju Samson as the opener has backfired for the Indian team so far.
Veteran India pacer Mohit Sharma on Wednesday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing an end to a career that spanned 34 international appearances and more than a decade in the Indian Premier League.
Ravichandran Ashwin stressed that Washington Sundar must be treated as a frontline bowling all-rounder and given a full quota of overs to build confidence with the bat as well.
Sanju Samson boasts of a superb record in T20 Internationals, with 995 runs in 51 matches at a strike rate of 147.40, including three centuries and as many fifties.
The Proteas had kept the decision on playing Rabada open until Friday morning.
The T20 WC champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
K L Rahul on Saturday conceded that Indian batters' repeated struggles against spin, especially on home tracks, remain a concern.
Arshdeep Singh has enough experience to understand that the Indian team management is trying different combinations looking at the bigger picture, bowling coach Morne Morkel said.
England on Wednesday announced their playing XI for the opening Test of the five-match series against India, which will kickstart at Headingley on Friday.
The last time two specialist keepers played together in a Test was in 1986, when Kiran More and Chandrakant Pandit featured in the same XI, with Pandit playing as a batter.
Jitesh Sharma, who has emerged as India's preferred wicketkeeper-batter in T20 format with less than two months left for the World Cup, has played down his 'competition' with Sanju Samson in the squad, saying it only brings out his "A-game" to the fore, strengthening the side.
Ahead of the fourth T20I at Carrara Oval in Queensland, Coach Gautam Gambhir was spotted in a long conversation with Shubman Gill during India's training session.
For a bowler this effective to be sidelined repeatedly, there must be either a very specific tactical reason -- or something unspoken within the dressing room dynamics.
In a dramatic twist ahead of the Women's World Cup semifinal, India have recalled Shafali Verma to the ODI setup after more than a year, following an unfortunate injury to in-form opener Pratika Rawal on Monday.
South African pacer Kagiso Rabada, who missed the first Test against India in Kolkata due to a rib injury, is in awe of his team's ability to rebound from setbacks.
Rana said she had made a "note" on September 27 where she had drawn the World Cup and inscribed that India wold win the trophy this time around.
'The No. 3 spot can't become a game of musical chairs.'
The Bellerive Oval is one ground where the side boundaries are smaller in size, hence hitting the right lengths would be paramount considering anything short would be flying over cover, point, square leg or mid-wicket on either side of the fence.
Arjun Tendulkar dismisses Samit Dravid, repeats father's 22-year-old feat
'But I would say given the importance of this series and given the conditions we think we are going to face, he (Nitish Kumar Reddy) might miss out in this Test this week.'
The series promises a fascinating duel between the two modern-day pace greats.
India bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted his side was "surprised" by how quickly the Eden Gardens surface "deteriorated" after a dramatic second day in which 15 wickets fell and the opening Test swung sharply in India's favour.
After days of off-field drama, Team India was back on the field in Dubai at the ICC Academy, sharpening their skills ahead of the final Group A clash against Oman.
Since making a comeback to the T20 team for the Asia Cup, Shubman Gill has struggled to tally just 184 runs in 10 innings.
'I think it's an ongoing process, just continuously putting in hours of work and speaking to people that have played in these conditions, have done well in these conditions.'
South Africa will aim for their first Test victory in India in more than 15 years.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said that Powerplay overs will be crucial in the five-match T20 International series against Australia.
Ashwin has clarified that his decision to retire from the game was a personal call
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