All eyes will be on the opening fixture between defending champions Saurashtra and record 41-time champions Mumbai in Ahmedabad with Rahane and Pujara on either side, aiming to make the big scores that have deserted them at the Test level for a while.
Rohit could not have dreamt of a better start to his journey to reinvent himself as a Test opener
There is a definite spring in Ajinkya Rahane's steps after he ended a 17-Test run of not scoring a hundred, a number which has proved to be lucky for him.
With the national selection committee and the team management deciding to promote Rohit as an opener, keeping his spunky strokeplay in mind, the next five Tests could be a make or break for the 32-year-old stylish right-hander.
From Under-19 talents such as Prithvi Shaw and Shivam Mavi to last domestic season's top run-getter Mayank Agarwal, the list includes all those whom the selection committee found worthy of national or A team call-up in the near future
Pujara established himself as the difference between the sides in the ongoing series against Australia on Friday.
On a day dominated by bowlers, Gowtham (6/67) foxed the opposition batsmen as West Indies A were bowled out for 194 in the first innings, which left them trailing by seven runs.
India spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are both under an injury cloud ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Australia, leaving the tourists with a potential selection conundrum.
Virat Kohli's position as India's ODI captain, his Test deputy Ajinkya Rahane's future as vice-captain in the longest format along with 100-Test man Ishant Sharma's place will be up for discussion when the national selectors pick the jumbo squad for the tour of South Africa later this week.
Ajinkya Rahane's India have a mountain to climb, even if a draw would be enough to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy two years after their breakthrough 2-1 win in the 2018/19 series in Australia.
Rest the skipper against a West Indies team whose batsmen would struggle against some Ranji Trophy sides and try out some new players in the Hyderabad Test recommends Harish Kotian.
Tendulkar reminded that along with the mindset, it is also about ability, which Sehwag had in abundance.
Images from Day 4 of the fifth and final Test between England and India at The Oval in London on Monday.
Virat Kohli's top-ranked team, with 360 points in its kitty, is certainly the favourite on paper but the Black Caps under Kane Williamson are experts at wearing down opposition with their patience
An extra bowler would have allowed the rest of the attack more time to recuperate, feels Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who conceded they failed to execute their plans against England's tailenders on the second day of the fifth and final Test.
Who do you think should feature in India's playing XI for the first Test against New Zealand starting in Wellington from Friday?
A big win on Saturday will not only will boost Delhi's morale after the 80-run hammering at the hands of CSK but it could also propel the side to the second position in the eight-team standings.
A win for either side will help it consolidate its position at the top and also seal a spot in Qualifier 1.
A confident Delhi are coming off two back-to-back victories against Royal Challengers Bangalore and a strong Kolkata Knight Riders outfit.
In charge of a house in complete disorder, Virat Kohli will hope that Royal Challengers Bangalore play in the manner that defines his cricket when they meet Delhi Capitals in the IPL match in Bengaluru on Sunday.
A century would have been nice but what mattered more was playing according to the demands of the situation.
Workload management of pacer Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be the focus when Mumbai Indians take on a renamed Delhi Capitals in their first match of the 12th Indian Premier League in Mumbai on Sunday.
All-rounder Krunal Pandya and medium pacer Deepak Chahar earned their maiden call up in the Indian squad to replace the injured Washington Sundar and Jasprit Bumrah for the three-match Twenty20 International series against England, starting in Manchester on Tuesday.
Virat Kohli's split second indiscretion became his undoing as he went for a needless pull-shot to a well-disguised short ball.
New Zealand's debutant pacer Kyle Jamieson says with his height, he "can afford to go a fraction fuller", especially at the Basin Reserve which has extra bounce.
Cheteshwar Pujara's masterful 193 and Rishabh Pant's magnificent unbeaten 159 extinguished Australia's hopes of winning the SCG Test.
'But I will say that Australia played better cricket than us and they played more consistently. That's why then won the match. Beyond that, I don't think I need to over-analyse this game'
'It's a very tricky decision to make what kind of a bowling option you want to go with or you want to think whether that guy can contribute with the bat as well or not. Eventually you come to one decision and we backed that decision and we went ahead with it. Whether it comes off or not is a different thing.'
The performance of openers Rohit Sharma and K L Rahul has been the biggest plus for India in the batting department. Both have showed remarkable temperament and technique in testing conditions to give the team a solid start.
'It is systematic chaos, it is organised chaos.'
With only 17 ODIs left for India before the World Cup, senior pros like Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik and Ravichandran Ashwin will aim to remain relevant in the 50-overs format in the forthcoming Deodhar Trophy.
How do India and Australia's teams stack up? Rajneesh Gupta presents all the numbers.
India speedster Mohammed Shami says he watched videos of rival pacers Stuart Broad and James Anderson to understand how to exploit English conditions and has learnt to make an impact while bowling in away series.
Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock struck commanding hundreds to author South Africa's spectacular fightback before Ravichandran Ashwin wrested back India's control with a five-wicket haul on the third day of the opening Test.
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow slammed majestic centuries as England pulled off their highest-ever successful run chase in the longest format for a convincing seven-wicket win over India in the rescheduled fifth Test in Birmingham on Tuesday.
The likes of Virender Sehwag, David Miller and Glenn Maxwell have not managed to live up to expectations for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 8.
Their morale on the upswing after back-to-back victories, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will aim to continue the winning run when they take on the inconsistent Sunrisers Hyderabad in their fifth IPL cricket match in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
After putting a stop to their prolonged losing streak, Delhi Daredevils will look to carry forward the momentum when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in their Indian Premier League encounter in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
Hat-trick man Jasprit Bumrah attains highest rating points by an India seamer since since Kapil Dev in 1981.
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the three-match T20Is and ODIs against West Indies but has been included in the Test squad, while veteran wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is 'unavailable' for the entire tour.
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