'Pant can be your match-winner, he has the X-factor.'
'Binny's slot could go to a spinning all-rounder in Nagpur. It could be either Rohit or Mann.'
Should India drop Rohit Sharma and bring in an extra spinner? Or should fast bowler Umesh Yadav make way for Amit Mishra?
'Australia will be a different proposition... the pitches will be completely different than England.'
Harish Kotian/Rediff.com highlights what Virat Kohli needs to ponder about, after the Galle defeat
Harish Kotian/Rediff.com explains why skipper Virat Kohli is backing his opening batsman to carry on the good form in the next two Tests of the series.
'This was Kohli's veneration for his master: The man who had inspired him to pick up a cricket bat in the first place, the man he had grown up watching. Just that now, he was exactly like him, or, dare it be suggested, maybe a shade better while chasing down daunting totals,' says Dhruv Munjal.
As the legend turns 40, we take a look at his journey in cricket and life.
'The 2014 Australia tour and the brand of cricket played by the team laid a great foundation of the brilliant run of success enjoyed across all formats and conditions.' 'It also coincided with Virat Kohli enjoying the responsibilities of leading the team and then putting his heart and soul into taking the Indian team to ascend many unconquered summits.'
India's batting woes persist, but skipper Virat Kohli has no complaints. Harish Kotian/Rediff.com reports from Nagpur.
How India's players fared in Australia.
Dinesh Karthik's experience got him the nod, says Harish Kotian, but Ambati Rayudu's exclusion is puzzling.
Axar Patel, one of the most consistent performers for the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2020, reveals what makes him click.
'I'm prepared for any kind of Bangalore wicket' 'South African teams are known for bouncing back and their resilience. I'm expecting the boys to be very upbeat for the second Test match'
If India toyed with the South Africans, it was mainly because of awesome performances from spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Harbhajan Singh, who bowled India to memorable victories against the Aussies, looks at the India-Australia series.
'The way they are playing, the bowlers we have, this is the best team in the world and I see them winning the World Test Championship.'
If Rishabh Pant excels against Australia, then Dinesh Karthik will struggle to make the cut for the World Cup.
'We are very happy to be part of this historical Test match against India.'
India's spinners have been a handful at home in recent years.
Harish Kotian evaluates the Indian team's performances in the first Test.
'Bumrah is a class act.' 'Bhuvneshwar makes the ball move and that is why he will be successful over in England.'
While the likes of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and Jos Buttler are already big hits with the fans, others like Rishabh Pant and Vijay Shankar will be looking for attention with some good performances.
Featuring Yusuf Pathan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Marcus Stoinis, Ashish Nehra.
India skipper Virat Kohli lauds his third spinner, who made most of the little opportunity he got in the third Test against South Africa. Harish Kotian/Rediff.com listens.
'Rishabh Pant must have gone through tough times because of the expectations on him.' 'It is not always easy to step into the shoes of a legendary cricketer.'
Harish Kotian/Rediff.com rates the Indian players in England.
'Whichever team starts well, they will have always the advantage because it will be tough for the other team to bounce back in a three-match series.'
The legend picked Pujara, Umesh for their feats.
More runs from Virat Kohli. India winning the World T20 at home. A controversy-free IPL and more is what Harish Kotian/Rediff.com wants this year.
Australia's spin legend Shane Warne blamed a lacklustre performance with the ball as the main reason for India's defeat to the West Indies in Thursday's World T20 semi-final in Mumbai.
Urvi Malvania on what makes Ranveer Singh so popular that he is succeeding Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar as the brand ambassador of Thums Up.
126 of Ashwin's 176 Test wickets, points out Bikash Mohapatra, have come on home turf. Half of the remaining 50 have come on similar surfaces in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
'He resonates more with the youth which is always something brands want.'
Punjab Cricket Association on Friday said they will prepare a sporting wicket for next week's opening Test match between India and South Africa at Mohali with the pitch expected to help fast bowlers initially and the spinners also coming into play later on, in the five-day match.
While winning four major finals, India have finished on the losing side in the finals on four occasions.
'It is the ability to fight back.' 'Obviously, you need skill to win a game of cricket, but the biggest thing is the resilience and the conviction to bounce back and the conviction to go and win abroad or anywhere.' 'I think that conviction is what stands out.'
'T20 is so fast-paced that a coach can do very little from the sidelines, you need a very good captain, who can take decisions there and then.'
Harish Kotian/Rediff.com picks five performances that took spectators' breaths away in week 9: Five wonderful knocks and one magical spell of bowling.
