Bharat shone during his 158-minute stay in the middle
Will Captain Virat Kohli continue to change the team for the 39th game in a row?
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.
Karnataka batsman Lokesh Rahul gave the selectors food for thought before the upcoming Australia tour, scoring a classy century which gave South Zone a vital first innings lead against Central Zone on Day 2 of the Duleep Trophy final, in Delhi, on Thursday. Replying to Central's first innings total of 276, South rode the opener's unbeaten 168 to end the day on 308 for three, a lead of 32 runs, at the Feroz Shah Kotla.
'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.'
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.
'Since we cannot trust the net bowlers about their exposure to COVID, it would be ideal to go with a large contingent as we can be assured of all the players' safety as they will be in a bio-secure environment.'
West Indies all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall said making Cheteshwar Pujara his first victim in his debut Test was a good feeling to have.
Not just the 40 points, India will also be eyeing a 3-0 whitewash in the Gandhi-Mandela series.
'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.'
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.
Virat Kohli's men ticked almost all the boxes during their 203-run win in the opening encounter in Visakhapatnam and they would like to maintain the same intensity in their bid to seal the series in Pune itself.
India 'A' lead the series 1-0.
Finding it difficult to understand parameters of team selection, says Harbhajan
Axar Patel's heroics down the order went in vain as India A suffered a narrow five-run defeat to West Indies A in the fourth unofficial ODI of the five-match, in Coolidge, Antigua, on Friday.
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.
More than the runs scored, it is the manner of his dismissals that is causing frustration, considering that the Indian cricket establishment has invested heavily in the 21-year-old from Rourkee.
The three-day practice game will give a chance for the players who are already in the West Indies to shift from limited overs to the five-day format.
Pant, whose rapid 146 put India in the box seat, was more restrained in the second innings.
'They came out with an attitude that they had nothing to lose.' 'That's what stands out about this team.'
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second Test against South Africa, starting on January 3?
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 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.
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.
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.
India last lost a Test series on home soil nearly 10 years ago.
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.
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.
Following is a fact box on the final Test of the four-match series between Australia and India
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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.
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.
Indian captain Virat Kohli on Saturday said he has "no idea exactly what's happening" when asked about the legendary Rahul Dravid being in line to be the team's head coach after the T20 World Cup.
In what comes as the biggest positive for Indian cricket in recent times, former captain Rahul Dravid has agreed to take over as the head coach of the men's team.
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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.
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.
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