The grand comeback party of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma endured a quick 22-ball ending, and their lowkey outing reflected in India's seven-wicket defeat against Australia.
With the much-anticipated Group A clash against arch-rivals Pakistan looming, India is sparing no effort in their training sessions, honing skills and strategising tactics.
India put on a commanding performance to beat South Africa by 30 runs in their T20 World Cup warm-up clash at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on Wednesday.
Barring Jasprit Bumrah, who got five wickets in England's first innings, none of the other bowlers looked penetrative as the hosts chased down a target of 371 with minimum fuss.
While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli batted. Mohammed Shami looked good as in ran in with steam in the nets.
Shubman Gill enjoyed a phenomenal run with the bat in England, piling up 754 runs at an average of 75.40 with four centuries.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title. The 10th edition of the 20-overs global showpiece event will run from February 7 to March 8.
Suryakumar Yadav, who returned to form with a blazing 82* against New Zealand at Raipur, spoke on how he dealt with his lean patch
Earlier, warm-up routines had players darting through shuttle runs and high knees before bats were unsheathed.
India chased down the 209-run target set by New Zealand, with 4.4 overs to spare to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
One stellar IPL season of 19 wickets in Kolkata Knight Riders' triumphant campaign brought pacer Harshit Rana into the national reckoning.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is "ready to start" ahead of the first T20I against South Africa of the five-match series, which will take place on December 9.
The Indian team's heavy reliance on all-rounders will be tested by a plucky Australia in the second ODI but the spotlight will continue to stay firmly on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom would look to turn back the clock with series-saving knocks in Adelaide on Thursday.
The three players will travel back home to India with the rest of the T20 World Cup winning squad.
Kaif also questioned Gill's tactical choices on debut, especially the call to leave out Kuldeep -- a bowler capable of turning games in Australia's own backyard.
India will take on the UAE in their tournament-opener on September 10 before facing arch rivals Pakistan at Dubai on September 14. Their third group match will be against Oman on September 19 before the Super Four stage.
Rana said there was no safe score with the way this edition's IPL is panning out.
The likes of Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel would all like to get some decent hit out there in the middle ahead of Sunday's clash against Pakistan.
Gill may miss ODI series due to unhealed neck injury; Rahul, Pant in line for ODI captaincy
Champions Kolkata Knight Riders look like the most complete squad heading into IPL 2025.
The cricketing ecosystem has learned to survive the prolonged absence of Kohli and Rohit -- at least in two formats -- in this interim period.
Kuldeep was instrumental to India's success at the Asia Cup, topping the wicket-taking chart with 17 wickets. Chopra explained the rationale behind dropping the left-arm wrist spinner, attributing it to batting depth.
Shreyas Iyer sustained a lower left rib cage injury while attempting a difficult running catch during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney.
Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj discusses his preparation for the T20 World Cup, his strategy against the USA, and the team's confidence during Saturday's match at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
Virat Kohli smashed record-extending 52nd ODI to guide India to a 17-run win in the series opener, getting India off to a winning start in their three-match series.
India's new ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer might be forced to remain out of action for minimum three weeks
Sanju Samson seeks revival with home support as India manage injuries and combinations against New Zealand in the final T20I before the World Cup.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill's indifferent form is a massive concern but the national selection committee is unlikely to make any shocking changes when it picks the 15-member squad for next year's T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Saturday.
Images from the first One-Day International between India and England in Nagpur, on Thursday.
A seemingly unstoppable force in the shortest format, the current India squad has an aura of invincibility around it unlike the one that ended the cricketing powerhouse's long wait for an ICC title in Barbados 19 months ago.
'Beating India here is never easy, in any format. To do it with this group makes it very special for New Zealand cricket.'
India will be hoping for a positive turn in their spinners' performance while attempting to extend the total domination over New Zealand to the fourth T20I in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
K L Rahul's unbeaten ton was eclipsed by Daryl Mitchell's splendid 131 not out as New Zealand levelled the three-match series 1-1 with a seven-wicket win in the second ODI.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India gear up for yet another demolition act of Pakistan in what promises to be an intense and tense Super 4 face-off of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
Folks who had previously mocked Gambhir on social media suddenly acknowledged his foresight. Some even apologised for doubting him, flooding SM with praise and memes celebrating his 'KKR quota' selections.
Virat Kohli's stroke-filled 91-ball 93 set up India's win in the series opener against New Zealand.
Jasprit Bumrah is only human and cannot always shoulder the responsibility of bowling opposition out all by himself, skipper Rohit Sharma said.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav would want the attacking batter in him to front up and bolster his leadership against New Zealand when the five-match T20I series gets underway in Nagpur on Wednesday, serving as a final dress rehearsal for India's World Cup title defence in less than three weeks' time.
"He needs to rotate strike, keep the scoreboard moving": Pathan on Virat ahead of 3rd Sydney ODI
Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel smashed half-centuries as India defeated England by four wickets in the first One-Day International in Nagpur.
