After a month and half of topsy-turvy ride, eight teams have managed to steer themselves clear of other 24 contenders to enter the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals.
'Seriously guys? We felt so bad at that time. We are in the same bubble. But you get into the lift and you can't share the space with another person staying in the same bubble. It was too difficult for us to digest.'
'It's something I do in games to visualise where we are bowling, how the batter is playing our bowlers and then out of habit I always mark centre.'
India's captain Virat Kohli will have to think overtime about the balance of his squad, with a long tail, often bushy with runs, and just two openers -- one untested (Rohit Sharma) but very capable and another supremely talented (KL Rahul) but highly reluctant starter.
Wriddhiman Saha, on nine, and Ravichandran Ashwin, who is 15 not out, will return on Friday hoping to continue India's march towards the 300-mark.
Agarwal, thrusted into the squad following failure of KL Rahul and Murali Vijay, responded with a 76-run knock off balls, sorting out India's opening woes to some extent.
'The angry reactions are understandable but I can tell you with some degree of certainty that the reason behind Sarfaraz getting ignored time and again is not just cricketing one. There are multiple reasons for which he hasn't been considered.'
India opener Prithvi Shaw is likely to retain his place in the playing eleven for the second Test against New Zealand, starting Saturday, while Ravindra Jadeja may replace Ravichandran Ashwin.
Following is a fact box on the final Test of the four-match series between Australia and India
If India's net session on Wednesday is taken into consideration, Wriddhiman Saha is starting as the wicketkeeper ahead of Rishabh Pant for the series opener beginning on Friday.
England's highest successful run chase came in 2019 when they reached a 359-run target in an Ashes test against Australia on the back of Stokes's brilliant unbeaten century.
'They came out with an attitude that they had nothing to lose.' 'That's what stands out about this team.'
But Pant took the game away from the Lankans by going after the bowling as soon as he walked to the crease, bringing up his fifty with seven fours and two sixes.
Faiz Fazal and Jalaj Saxena hit half-centuries to keep Central Zone in the contest after South Zone had taken the first innings lead of day three of Duleep Trophy final at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, on Friday.
The mood in the Indian camp was summed up best by the skipper after a green pitch was unveiled on eve of the maiden Test at the new facility.
Responding to India's 246 for eight declared after a day of multiple rain interruptions, Leicestershire were primed to take a sizable lead over the tourists when Pant was in his element.
Bharat shone during his 158-minute stay in the middle
Reeling at 156 for six at stumps on the fourth and penultimate day, South Zone were staring at a heavy defeat
At the end of third day's play, West Zone were 376 for 3, courtesy Jaiswal's unbeaten 209 off 244 balls
At times, Rishabh Pant has confounded the Indian team with his brazen batting style but skipper Rohit Sharma on Monday said they are willing to accept the way he bats for his sheer ability to be a game-changer in matter of minutes.
Opting to bat after winning the toss, India A declared their first innings after some useful contributions from the lower-order batsmen. The visitors were 340 for five at stumps on the opening day at the Bay Oval.
In a bizarre incident, the start of a Ranji Trophy match between Vidarbha and Andhra on Monday was delayed by a few minutes after a snake entered the ground in Vijaywada.
The final will be played in Coimbatore from September 21, and it will be a five-day affair
Mayank Agarwal scored his fourth Test half-century as India inched to 78-2 at tea on the third day of Trent Boult followed up his counter-attacking cameo innings of 38 to take three wickets, including that of Virat Kohli, to put New Zealand on top against India at the end of the third day of the first test on Sunday. Trent Boult followed up his counter-attacking cameo innings of 38 to take three wickets, including that of Virat Kohli, to put New Zealand on top against India at the end of the third day of the first test on Sunday. The visitors, who had not lost any of their seven previous International Cricket Council World Test Championship matches, were 144-4 at the close of play at the Basin Reserve, still 39 runs behind and staring at their potential first defeat.
India 'A' suffered a massive collapse to be bowled out for 345 before the visiting South African team reached 213 for three at stumps on the second day of the second four-day 'Test' in Bengaluru.
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Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second Test against South Africa, starting on January 3?
India will be desperately hoping that Rohit replicates his limited overs success in the traditional format
Virat Kohli's talismanic presence will be the shot in the arm that India would need in their bid to win the historic first-ever away Test series against South Africa.
India could bring in off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin if he is ruled fit with Sydney pitch expected to be spin-friendly.
Openers Mayank Agarwal and Priyank Panchal struck fine half-centuries as India A registered a comfortable seven-wicket victory over the West Indies A in the second unofficial Test, in Port of Spain, on Saturday.
India 'A' bowlers fought back with a flurry of wickets in the final session to reduce the West Indies 'A' to 243 for five, on Day 1 of the second unofficial Test.
Kohli will be wary of the challenge that can be posed by the new ball pair of Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel
The efforts of Aryan Juyal (76) and Karan Sharma (67) stood out as Uttar Pradesh held nerves to beat 41-times champions and hosts Mumbai by two wickets in a Ranji Trophy match on Monday.
India put together their second highest team total on Australian soil, piling up 622/7 declared on the second day of the match. Their highest team total, 705/7 declared, was also incidentally scored at this venue, in 2004.
Narayan Jagadeesan followed up his double ton in the previous game with a magnificent triple century to help Tamil Nadu declare their first innings
India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant says the hundred that he struck in the recently-concluded pink-ball warm-up game against Australia A was just the confidence-booster he needed ahead of the Test series against Australia, starting on December 17.
Pant, whose rapid 146 put India in the box seat, was more restrained in the second innings.
