India will look to reprise their home template of big first-innings totals and sustained spin in the short two-Test series against South Africa beginning in Kolkata on Friday.
Gautam Gambhir has already been asked a few tough questions after the 0-3 defeat at home to New Zealand and if the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is also lost, it can all go downhill for the former opener.
What Gambhir Wants: Players who are not playing to the gallery, care for dressing room
Little-known ambidextrous Bengal spinner Kaushik Maity seamlessly doubled up for both roles during the optional practice session.
The 42-year-old Gambhir, a key member of the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning Indian side, led Kolkata Knight Riders to IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.
Rohit, Kohli can play till they are performing; I have no role in England selection: Gambhir
Although Shubman Gill's return to the T20 side has cast a shadow over Sanju Samson's place in the playing XI for the Asia Cup in the UAE, the hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter will be counting on head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has often spoken highly of his positive attitude.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has backed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play crucial roles in the upcoming Champions Trophy, asserting their "massive value" to the team.
The national selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar, in all likelihood, will select identical squads for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and the marquee ICC T20 World Cup, a BCCI source said on Friday.
Andre Russell added another feather to his illustrious cap, becoming only the third batter to score 1000 IPL runs at Eden Gardens.
Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh expressed disappointment at the loss but praised India's all-round performance.
Domestic veterans Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajat Patidar and Rinku Singh could keep the team management interested going forward in Test cricket.
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.
The Indian selectors will be announcing the team for the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps, starting January 11 in Vadodara and there have been speculations about whether Pant can hold on to his place in the squad.
India's awe-inspiring batting depth will face a stern test against South Africa's quality spin attack in the first Test, starting in Kolkata on Friday.
'When you are playing on spin-friendly pitches, you need to prepare differently.'
Team India skipper Shubman Gill is unlikely to feature in the second Test against South Africa, with Cricket Association of Bengal sources confirming that he is not travelling to Guwahati with the team on Wednesday.
Ashwin has clarified that his decision to retire from the game was a personal call
Cheteshwar Pujara refuses to believe India's recent poor record at home is because of transition.
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.
Head coach Gambhir, captain Gill, men's squad send best wishes to Harmanpreet-led side for Women's World Cup final
The head coach gets to pick the support staff, and Gambhir is no exception. However, the board has reportedly nixed his first choices for bowling and fielding coaches.
MCG to Barsapara: Gambhir and Pant might be feeling a sense of deja vu
'I've never seen anything like it in my life.'
'Not just in India, but in world cricket, we need guys who are a little bit more aggressive and play the game a little bit harder.'
Gambhir's return to the KKR camp as a mentor this year turned things around as the Kolkata-based franchise moved to the top of the table
Among the frontrunners for the coveted position is former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir.
Gambhir, who took over from Rahul Dravid after the T20 World Cup, has shared the Indian dressing room with the likes of Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin in the not-so-distant past.
This was India's fourth defeat in the last six Tests at home and in all four Tests -- including three against New Zealand -- their batters have flopped against spin.
Preparation of a turning pitch for the Mumbai Test, resting Jasprit Bumrah and Gautam Gambhir's coaching style were discussed threadbare.
India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the crow as Team India were hosted by the Indian High Commission in London on Monday
'In the last Test match... I had to be honest with myself. I wasn't hitting the ball well. I didn't want to put myself there only because we had dropped the other guys who were struggling as well.'
South Africa pulled off a sensational victory inside three days of the opening Test against India on Sunday and the manner of it would go a long way in silencing those who doubted their credentials as the reigning world test champions.
'Every series is important, as simple as that, when you are playing for your country..'.
This happened following India's practice session that saw both India's senior batters hit the nets at the Optus Stadium.
The others to arrive after a delayed flight were K L Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy along with some members of the support staff.
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.
Dinesh Karthik on Tuesday said head coach Gautam Gambhir's display of aggression in the past has generally come out in "protection of his players".
Karun Nair rued that he could not convert the starts he got in the recent Test series against England into big scores.
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.
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