The game features two of the world's leading batsmen captaining their sides in Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson, as well as a pair of strike bowlers at the top of their game in Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult.
Ashwin, Jadeja likely to be rested; Team selection on Aug 13
The skipper said that there has been a lot of experimentation at number four, and while the batting line-up at Adelaide, where Rayudu batted at four, was an ideal one, they would like to keep things mixed up until someone assumed responsibility at number four.
Ravichandran Ashwin, who has scored four Test centuries, has hit a fifty in each of the three Tests against England while Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant Yadav have also proved they are no dud with the bat.
Speedster Umesh Yadav feels that England could have scored more than 268 for eight as the wicket did not change much and it was "easy to play spinners" with not much turn on offer.
The appointment of next India chief coach, Chennai Super Kings's low de-merger valuation of Rs 5 lakh and Neeraj Kumar's appointment as the Anti-Corruption Unit's chief consultant are some of the key issues that will be discussed during the Board of Control for Cricket in India's Working Committee meeting, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
Promising that India will not back down from their "aggressive brand of cricket", team director Ravi Shastri feels consistency and patience would be key to success as the hosts gear up to face South Africa next month.
India are on course for an effortless ODI series whitewash over Zimbabwe but skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he is concerned about the lack of opportunities for most of his batsmen in the tour so far. India posted an eight-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the second One-day International to claim an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series here. "So far, only three of our top batsmen have got the chance to play. In the batting department we would like to make changes," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Looking to salvage pride in the third Test beginning, in Johannesburg, on Wednesday, team India got down to business at the Wanderers with a practice session that lasted just under four hours.
- 'Time Indian cricket looked beyond Fletcher' - 'Their bowling has been pretty inconsistent'
Praising Team Director Ravi Shastri for lifting the morale, Test opener Murali Vijay has said that the former all-rounder has entered the Indian cricket dressing room at the right time as things have fallen into place with the current coaching set-up.
Remunerations dominated former India coach Anil Kumble's 19-page proposal on restructuring of contracts to the Board of Control for Cricket in India in which he had demanded that the 'chief coach should earn 60 percent of the captains' estimated earnings'.
With Jason Holder's men just about managing to draw the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan 1-1, there is no doubt that the current Indian team are a few notches ahead in terms of quality.
According to a source in the BCCI, Kumble said: 'He doesn't want to continue with the team'
Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane said that his team will have to bowl with a lot of patience on fifth day on Monday in their pursuit of victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
Newly-elected Board of Control for Cricket in India president Anurag Thakur, on Sunday, said the Board will advertise for the post of the coach of the Indian team.
The Indian team management took this decision during this afternoon's net practice after having a look at the pitch. Although there was no official word on why the match was shortened, Indian coach Ravi Shastri was seen having an animated discussion with the local officials after getting a glimpse of the grassy pitch and a barren outfield that can cause injury while fielding.
Should India bolster its batting by including Rohit Sharma at No 6? Pick India's playing XI for the first Test.
Criticising Duncan Fletcher's coaching reign between 2011-15, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has said that work ethic during the Zimbabwean's tenure was "pretty abysmal" as players reported late in practice sessions.
The all-powerful working committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India retained former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri as Director of the Indian cricket team till next year's ICC World Cup while deciding to hold its Annual General Meeting in Chennai on November 20.
After their best-ever show at IPL 7, Kings XI Punjab will look to continue their aggressive brand of cricket when they start their campaign against Hobart Hurricanes in a Group B match of the Champions League Twenty20 in Mohali on Thursday.
The Men in Blue won the first T20I at Johannesburg by 28 runs and a victory on Wednesday will see them wrap up another series win on this tour.
Senior India batsman Rohit Sharma feels pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the world's best death bowlers and the duo have contributed significantly to the recent limited overs success of the team.
India aim to stay afloat against daunting South Africa in the second Test
India's limited-overs' captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni says it is not necessary that knowledge of Hindi should be the main criteria while selecting the coach of the team.
Rishabh Pant may be the flavour this domestic cricket season but chief coach Anil Kumble feels that Parthiv Patel's experience as well as better "keeping skills" have enabled him to make a comeback into Indian Test side after eight long years. "Parthiv has been really consistent both with his keeping as well as his batting. That's why Parthiv was chosen. Rishabh has certainly shown the exuberance a young cricketer can bring in. He has shown a lot of batting skills. He has obviously got a lot of runs in domestic cricket. But Parthiv was chosen for his keeping skills and his experience," Kumble said on Thursday, giving a peek into his thought process on Patel's selection.
India last won a Test series in England in 2007 under Rahul Dravid, and it will be no easy task ahead of the Virat Kohli-led side to replicate that feat.
'I am extremely honoured and excited to lead Kings XI Punjab this season. I would like to thank the franchisee for having faith in me and entrusting me this opportunity,' said Australia's T20 captain.
Michael Hussey was approached by former India batsman VVS Laxman for the job of Team India head coach, the ex-Australian cricketer has revealed in his latest book.
I was destined to get a century
Veteran left-arm spinner Murali Kartik retired from competitive cricket having played eight Tests and 37 ODIs for India between 1999 and 2007 taking 24 and 37 wickets respectively.
Virender Sehwag still feels the insatiable hunger for scoring runs and says he would like to make the most of his current form by scoring 'big runs' for Kings XI Punjab in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
India's star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that his team will look to come hard at the West Indies batsmen in the first innings and knock them over early during the four-Test series.
Suresh Raina says he wants to use the opportunity to regain his place in ODIs ahead of the 2019 World Cup.
All eyes were on Virat Kohli during the team's two-and-half-hour training session on the eve of the second One-Day International between India and the West Indies at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi, on Friday.
Dean Elgar criticises Mohali pitch, says it's is a bad wicket.
How does India's current national coach Ravi Shastri compare with the other men who have coached the Indian cricket team this century?
India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels that talented Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane is one player who has improved by leaps and bounds in recent times and is ready to don any hat for the team's cause.
Suresh Raina has come out in full support of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Will it be a foreigner from among the 57 applications received for job? Is it a race between Anil Kumble, Ravi Shastri, Sandeep Patil and Venkatesh Prasad?
