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.
'If Rohit wants to open, KL should bat at No. 3. Nothing later than that.'
Whenever Arvind Pujara watches his son Cheteshwar bat in a Test match, the doting father in him turns into a coach and he begins to dissect his favourite student's game.
'They need batters who can bat out a full session in Australia.' 'You have seniors like Pujara and Rahane, who are scoring runs in domestic cricket. They have experience of Australian conditions too.' 'They should be given a chance to make a comeback, no harm in trying especially when your batting line-up is not even lasting a full session.'
Gaikwad's supporters argue that his exclusion underscores inconsistencies in selection, with some feeling this sends a discouraging message to players trying to climb the ranks through domestic achievements.
Ravi Shastri guided India to back-to-back series wins in Australia and his short advice to current head coach Gautam Gambhir is to "stay calm" over the course of five Tests Down Under and avoid knee-jerk reactions.
With an average of 65.17, he is only second behind Don Bradman.
Images from Day 4 of the third Test between Australia and India in Brisbane on Tuesday.
Pace spearhead Harshit Rana received a well-deserved maiden call-up, following his impressive performances.
Karsan Ghavri questions decision to ignore Pujara for England series
After several losses in the early years of the new century, a resurgent India notched up two consecutive series wins in Australia to become the Aussies' nemesis.
India will be under tremendous pressure when they face an equally circumspect Australia in a battle of two out-of-form batting units in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth
With his fifth Test hundred, the Saurashtra batsman has conclusively proved he is here to stay, says Haresh Pandya.
The world's top two Test teams will clash in a five-match affair starting on November 22 in Perth and India will enter the contest having held the trophy for nearly a decade, which includes winning two consecutive series Down Under.
Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane flopped with the bat as defending champions Mumbai were shocked by Baroda by 84 runs.
Defending champions Mumbai got their Ranji Trophy campaign back on track with an emphatic nine-wicket win over Maharashtra in their second group A league game in Mumbai on Monday, offsetting the heavy loss to Baroda in the opening game.
For India's current head coach, the Test series defeat against New Zealand at home, a first in 12 years and after 18 victories on the trot, would be a bitter pill to swallow.
The national selectors want all the players to be available for the Duleep Trophy ahead of the two Test series against Bangladesh next month.
After a successful tour of England and Scotland, Saurashtra's young batsman Cheteshwar Pujara speaks exclusively to Rediff.com
As many as four world-class match-winners are expected to bid adieu to the game one by one in the next couple of years and Gautam Gambhir is in an unenviable position as head coach.
Those three wickets for six runs, in a manic final 15 minutes of the day's play, undid all the good work that had gone before, asserts Prem Panicker.
The Australian skipper celebrated Christmas with wife Becky Boston and their son Albie.
India's batting is a major concern with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggling for runs ahead of the tour of Australia.
Round-up of the matches across various venues in the Ranji Trophy
Eoin Morgan said the current Indian team ranks as "one of the greatest in their own conditions".
'I am delighted that Cheteshwar is returning to Hove again for the first two months of the season.'
India head coach Gautam Gambhir, BCCI president Roger Binny and all-rounder Hardik Pandya led the long list of joyous members of the cricketing fraternity in lauding Jay Shah, who was on Tuesday elected unopposed as the ICC Chairman.
Tanush Kotian's five-wicket haul helped Mumbai bounce back as the visitors bowled out Baroda for 185 in their second innings.
India's star cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara, who is also Election Commission's Brand Ambassador in Gujarat, specially flew down from Abu Dhabi, where he has been part of the Kings XI Punjab in the ongoing Indian Premier League, to cast his vote in Rajkot on Wednesday.
India international Cheteshwar Pujara has been suspended from one county game after his team Sussex was docked 12 points in the County Championship.
Cricket fraternity hails Gautam Gambhir appointment
Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane along with the uncapped duo of Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan are in the running for a place in the Indian Test team.
'It'll be very much a battle again between the very good pace bowling attacks of both sides and how well the top order players of both sides can deal with the ball that will bounce, seam and probably swing a little bit more in the day-night game in Adelaide.'
Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli and Australia's Steve Smith would be more than keen to stamp their authority in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series in which runs would be "at a premium", feels Australian great Matthew Hayden.
With the world celebrating International Yoga Day, current and former Indian cricketers shared their favourite asanas.
'We are No 1 in the world, we played like the No 1 team in the world.' 'It is not just about being No 1 for the season. Whatever matches we play in the future we want to maintain that.'
Cheteshwar Pujara was dismissed cheaply as Rest of India spinners shared bulk of the spoils restricting Saurashtra to 212 for 9 on the second day of the Irani Cup in Rajkot on Monday.
'Rising to the occasion once again and playing a well-balanced knock!'
Shubman Gill, silenced his doubters with a noteworthy performance in the recent Test series against England.
Like the billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Gautam Gambhir, the tenacious former opener-turned-coach, also seems to be governed by instincts while picking unheralded players and turning them into match-winners, points out Vishal Menon.
