Star batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has recovered from a minor injury suffered in the nets on Tuesday and has been declared fit for the third Test starting Mohali on Thursday.
Cheteshwar Pujara will take it step by step to reclaim his lost berth in the Indian squad, focusing on helping Saurashtra qualify for the One-day Inter Zonals for the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
He warned the players that failure to follow his game plans would result in them being dropped from the team.
A collective effort put India in a commanding position on Day 2 of the opening Test against England in Motera on Friday. Having declared their first innings on a mammoth 521 for eight, highlighted by a magnificent 206 not out by Cheteshwar Pujara, the home team reduced the visitors to 41 for three at stumps.
While Ajinkya Rahane has been named vice-captain, pacer Navdeep Saini was recalled into the Test squad.
The opening round of Ranji Trophy matches will begin from February 17 following a five-day quarantine and the squad size, including support staff, has been capped at 30.
Pujara could get the selectors' nod if Ajit Agarkar and his team decide to fall back on his experience.
Statistical highlights of the second day's play in the first Test played between India and New Zealand in Hyderabad on Friday.
"If anyone doubted he was ever a team man, they got to see it first-hand today. That requires more than just steel," Shastri said in a video posted by the BCCI on its website.
Glimpses from Day 3 of the second Test between India and Australia at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi, February 19, 2023.
Former captain and India A coach Rahul Dravid has defended out-of-form batsman Cheteswar Pujara, saying there was nothing wrong with his technique.
Captain Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara made centuries and shared a stand of 226 to put India on course for a big first-innings total against England on the first day of the second Test on Thursday. - Scorecard: Kohli was unbeaten on 151 and Ravichandran Ashwin on one as India reached 317 for four at the close after winning the toss in the first ever Test match in the port city of Visakhapatnam.
Cheteshwar Pujara carved out one of his finest Test hundreds, a knock punctuated by a mix of trademark tenacity and grace, as India eked out a slender 27-run first innings lead against England on Day 2 of the fourth Test.
India's batting mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara sought to play mind games ahead of the second Test against South Africa, saying the visitors had more positives to take from the epic drawn first Test and would look to "build on the gains" from that match.
Somerset seamer Jack Brooks apologised to Cheteshwar Pujara for his role in nicknaming the India Test specialist "Steve" during his time at Yorkshire.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins believes that the 2018-19 Test series loss to India was more hurtful than the 2020-21 debacle under his captaincy as the home team was simply outplayed in that engagement.
India 'A' captain Cheteshwar Pujara asserted that there are no technical flaws in his game and his stint with English county side Yorkshire has prepared him mentally for the demands of the modern day cricket.
Since the Test specialists are also travelling, the red ball training will also happen along with usual white ball nets.
India's batting sensation Cheteshwar Pujara's limped off following an injury during Tuesday's practice session for the third Test, which starts in Mohali on Thursday.
Australia pace spearhead Pat Cummins describes Cheteshwar Pujara as a 'brick wall', whose wicket he targeted once captain Virat Kohli returned home after the first Test during the recent series against India.
Murali Vijay celebrated his return to the India side with a hundred, while Cheteshwar Pujara continued his golden run with another century as India dominated the second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Nagpur on Saturday.
Cheteshwar Pujara showed immense concentration and skill to post his maiden Test double century and put India in command of the first Test. Join us in congratulating him.
India's batting sensation Cheteshwar Pujara climbed two places to the fifth spot, while Virat Kohli slipped a position to No 11 in the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Monday.
Cheteshwar Pujara scored a sparkling unbeaten 135 as India took a stranglehold over South Africa in the first Test in Johannesburg on Friday. The top-order displayed remarkable application on Day 3, as the tourists, after dismissing the hosts for 244 in the first innings, swelled their overall lead to 320.
Cheteshwar Pujara will be starting his 'homework' for India's 'English Test'.
Opener K L Rahul missed out on a hundred while captain Cheteshwar Pujara struck a solid fifty to steer India 'A' to 221 for six on a rain-affected first day of the first 'unofficial' Test against Australia 'A', in Chennai, on Wednesday.
The right-hander feels that keeping India's relatively inexperienced pace attack, aside from Jasprit Bumrah, on the field for as long as possible could be the key for the hosts in the five-Test series beginning in Perth on Friday.
'When I went out to bat, it was nearing the end of play. The West Indies players honoured me, and the crowd gave me a warm reception. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I had to stay focused.'
Cheteshwar Pujara speaks to Haresh Pandya about his successful outing in the just-concluded Test series against New Zealand.
Statistical highlights of the third day's play in the first Test between India and South Africa in Johannesburg.
Statistical highlights from Day 2 of the second Test played between India and England at Wankhede in Mumbai on Saturday.
India Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara was adjudged out for handling the ball on the opening day of Derbyshire's County Championship four-day match against Leicestershire at Derby on Tuesday.
Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg feels young Prithvi Shaw is more suited for the number three spot in Test cricket and is the top candidate to step in place of Cheteshwar Pujara if India think of replacing the veteran India batsman in the five-Test series against England, starting next month.
Cheteshwar Pujara was at it again! The 25-year-old, resuming on 162, proceeded to complete a well-deserved double hundred and is hence our top performer of the day.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 3rd Test played between India and Australia in Indore on Thursday.
India's middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have achieved their career-best rankings in batting and bowling, respectively in the latest ICC Test Player Rankings released on Tuesday.
Relieved after notching up his first hundred in close to two years, Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara thanked A team coach Rahul Dravid for reassuring him that there was "nothing wrong" with his technique during the prolonged lean patch.
Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara batted with restraint in the first session. They also ensured that they kept their wickets in tact. This allowed them to get set at the crease and then go after the Aussie bowling and accelerate the innings. This is where India got it right on Day 2.
India's middle-order mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara scored his last half-century six innings ago but the Saurashtra batsman is 'not too worried' about his own form, saying he is happy as long as he is contributing in the team's success.
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