A fit-again Gautam Gambhir will lead a 14-member Indian Board President's XI against the touring Australian team in a three-day practice match from September 25 in Chandigarh.
Mumbai batsman Rohit Sharma will captain the Board President's XI in a two-day warm-up match against the visiting South African team beginning at Nagpur on Tuesday. The squad also includes youngster Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Shikhar Dhawan, while Abhimanyu Mithun, who has also been included in India's 15-member squad for the first Test, will spearhead the pace department along with Punjab seamer Manpreet Gony.
Unseasonal rain in Mumbai could deny the tourists vital match practice before the first Test against India that begins in Ahmedabad on November 16.
Lokesh Rahul enhanced his case for inclusion in India's first Test XI with a composed half century, guiding Board President's XI past a difficult period on day one of the two-day practice game against visiting South Africa on Friday.
Batting first, Board President's XI made 295 for 9 in 50 overs and then bowled out the tourists for 265 in 47.4 overs.
The Australians, led by Steve Smith, arrived in Chennai from Bangladesh after drawing a two-Test series and the match tomorrow would give them opportunity to at least switch to the One-day format.
Thanks to Taylor's 102 and Latham's 108 (both retired out) on a flat Brabourne Stadium track, New Zealand notched up a mammoth 343 for nine in the allotted 50 overs.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump stated, "We have a deal," referring to the trade pact which will be routinely extended. "Every year we'll renegotiate the deal, but I think the deal will go on for a long time, long beyond the year. We'll negotiate at the end of the year," he added.
Ricky Ponting-led Australia will be keen to get vital match practice, and key Indian players returning from injuries are looking to assess their fitness, when the visitors and Board President's XI clash in a three-day practice match in Chandigarh on Saturday.
Firefighters battled for a second day on Thursday to contain a massive inferno that ripped through seven high-rise residential towers in Hong Kong, as the death toll climbed to 65 and over 280 people remained missing in what officials described as the city's worst disaster in 70 years.
A depleted India will be thoroughly tested by Sri Lanka Cricket Board President's XI, which boasts of six players from the Test squad, in the three-day warm-up match, starting at the Colts Cricket Club in Colombo, on Tuesday.
The 2025 US National Security Strategy marks a major pullback, with America turning backward and effectively allowing China greater dominance in Asia. while long-time partners like India are left to face an increasingly unstable global order largely on their own, observes Rajeev Srinivasan.
United States President Donald Trump is set to engage in high-stakes bilateral meetings on Thursday, including a closed-door session with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Oval Office, according to Trump's public schedule released by the White House.
All-rounder Yuvraj Singh will lead the Board of Control for Cricket in India's President's XI which will take on the visiting Australian team in the four-day warm-up game in Hyderabad, starting October 2. The BCCI, on Tuesday, also announced an India 'A' squad for the four-day matches against New Zealand 'A', in Chennai. It will be led by Suresh Raina.
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In addition to the Karnataka batsman, leg-spinner Karn Sharma, who has been in great form for India A against the Black caps A side, was called as a replacement for injured Rajasthan youngster Rahul Chahar.
"The two sides note that the relationship between Russia and China has progressed to a more advanced interstate cooperation compared to the military-political unions of the Cold War era as it is not bloc or confrontational in nature, nor does it target any third countries," Russia's new agency Tass quoted the document as saying.
'We will likely never know why Xi decided not to travel to New Delhi. One possible explanation could be his desire to avoid a meeting with US President Joe Biden.'
The domineering Board President's XI punctured Australia's usual aura of invincibility in the drawn warm-up match, exposing numerous chinks in the visitors' armour ahead of the four-match cricket Test series.
Board President's XI were 110 for 2 in their second innings when stumps were drawn on their third day, having stretched their overall lead to a healthy 251.
Trump couldn't care less anymore about the Israeli demand for Iran's 'de-nuclearisation' and 'de-militarisation.' Trump pins hopes on a grand bargain with Iran as a partner in America First, argues Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'What signal would we be sending -- that we don't stand by our friends?'
It may be recalled that India had played a Test each against England and Australia at Mumbai in December last year, winning them by 347 runs and eight wickets respectively.
'The President-elect firmly believes we can avoid conflict with the Chinese Communist party because they need our markets.'
The Central Committee members on Sunday elected a 25-member Political Bureau which picked the Standing Committee members to govern the country.
Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade will lead the touring Australian side in a two-day game against the Board President's XI in Chennai on Tuesday.
On his arrival, Xi will be welcomed by traditional peformances including 'tappu' folk drum art display at the airport by about 500 artistes.
Taiwan considers itself a sovereign state -- but China views the self-ruled island as a breakaway province. Beijing has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve unification.
Beijing was caught by surprise as Kishida, who was on an official visit to New Delhi from March 19-21, entered Poland from India using a secretly chartered plane instead of the standard government aircraft, Japanese TV channel NHK reported.
The one-off three-day match against Sri Lanka will be held in Bangalore from November 26.
Indian bowlers, with the exception of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, were far from impressive as they struggled for wickets on the third and final day of the second tour match against the West Indies Board President's XI which ended in a draw in Basseterre, St. Kitts on Saturday.
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Rohit Sharma's hopes of a Test comeback took a slight jolt as he was dismissed for a duck on the third and final day of the warm-up match between Board President's XI and South Africa.
Biden and Xi shook hands and greeted each other with smiles, standing in front of a row of US and Chinese flags.
'Trump's disregard for norms and institutions could prove very costly for America's social fabric.'
'There is no health or fitness concern.'
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.
India opener Gautam Gambhir, who was hit on his wrist by a rising delivery during Australia's tour opener against Board President XI, did not came out to bat on Monday, opting to rest. However, the doctor who attended on him said it is just a precautionary measure and there is nothing to worry about.
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