Looking for a proper tune-up before the three-match Test series against hosts Sri Lanka gets underway, India would be hoping that rain stays away from their one and only three-day practice game beginning at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, on Thursday.
Back-to-back half-centuries against Sri Lanka were just the confidence-booster Wriddhiman Saha needed as he slowly recovers from a hamstring injury that prevented him from playing in the third Test of the just concluded series.
Backing Virat Kohli's five-bowler theory to win Test matches, former batsman Russel Arnold said that the Indian pace attack has the variety to match their Sri Lankan counterparts.
Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma, who could only bowl four overs in the third ODI against Sri Lanka, is suffering from back stiffness, informed his pace colleague Umesh Yadav.
Sri Lanka batted the 16 overs during the final 85 minutes of play on the fourth day with an aim to survive rather than play positive cricket.
Former India pacer Chetan Sharma believes Ishant Sharma has matured as a bowler and is leading the attack well following good performances with the ball in the ongoing three-Test series in Sri Lanka.
Unchallenged by Sri Lanka so far, India would look to keep the foot on the pedal in their pursuit for a series whitewash when the two teams face off in the fourth and penultimate cricket One-dayer at Eden Gardens on Thursday.
Team Director Ravi Shastri said that fast bowler Ishant Sharma will have to learn how to draw the line while playing aggressive cricket and conceded that the team will miss him in the first Test against the Proteas after he breached ICC Code of Conduct during the Sri Lanka series.
Rangana Herath picked up seven wickets in a sublime display of left-arm spin bowling to power Sri Lanka to a spectacular comeback win by 63 runs against India on the fourth day of the opening test at Galle on Saturday.
Rain threatens to disrupt the first day's play when Sri Lanka and India face-off in the opening Test at Galle on Wednesday.
In an extraordinary twist to the game, India on Saturday capitulated to an embarassing 63-run defeat in the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankans Thirimanne, Chandimal and Prasad also charged
If Ishant Sharma crossed the line in the just-concluded Test series against Sri Lanka it was mainly because of captain Virat Kohli's "aggressiveness", says the lanky pacer's childhood coach, Shravan Kumar.
Pacer Ishant Sharma has been sidelined from the rest of the third Test against Sri Lanka due to injury.
Has the long due transition phase kicked in for India's Test team?
Off-colour Ishant Sharma needs to balance his workload and the ongoing India-Sri Lanka Test series is a golden opportunity for the beanpole pacer to regain his form, said former pace spearhead Javagal Srinath.
India pacer Ishant Sharma, England's limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan and former Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson are among seven players who have listed themselves at the highest base price of Rs 2 crore (approx $298,000) for IPL-10 player auction.
On a high after claiming his seventh five wicket haul, pace spearhead Ishant Sharma said that he enjoyed bowling on a green wicket with a red kookaburra ball.
Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was again involved in an altercation with Sri Lankan players during India's second innings on Day 4 of the third Test in Colombo, on Monday.
Virat Kohli has singled out Ishant Sharma for his efforts in the just-concluded Test series against South Africa, one that the home team won comprehensively.
Temperamental speedster S Sreesanth, who missed the ODI series against Sri Lanka because of swine flu, and Bengal pacer Ashok Dinda were included in the ODI squad for the Tri-series announced by the BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan after a selection committee meeting in New Delhi.
'Ishant has a slight ankle niggle and he would not like to aggravate his injury before the South Africa series'
India pacer Ishant Sharma on Sunday said even though it was hard for him to swallow the ignore from the home Test series against Sri Lanka late last year, the experience has taught him to be more patient.
Former India speedster Venkatesh Prasad says Ishant Sharma needs to focus on his skill and focus on getting the batsman out rather than getting over-aggressive.
Ishant Sharma claimed five wickets as India bowled out Sri Lanka for 201 to claim a healthy 111-run first innings lead, on Day 3 of the third and final Test in Colombo, on Sunday.
Struggling pacer Ishant Sharma was recalled to India's 16-member Test squad for the two-match series against Bangladesh, starting January 17 in Chittagong. Tamil Nadu middle-order batsman S Badrinath, who featured in India's squad that played the last Test against Sri Lanka at home, was dropped.
Most of the players stayed away from the two-hour practice session, optional for those who played in the second Test.
Most of the players stayed away from the two-hour practice session, optional for those who played in the second Test.
Images from Day 4 in the third and final Test between Sri Lanka and India, in Colombo, on Monday
India captain Virat Kohli does not mind if anger or aggression is channelised in the right direction which is what happened with a fiery Ishant Sharma after his altercation with Dhammika Prasad.
Indian pacer Ishant Sharma on Tuesday said he is gearing up to take more workload in the absence of an injured Zaheer Khan in the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy but conceded it would not be easy filling in for the bowling spearhead.
In Nagpur, he extracted good bounce and movement from a batting-friendly track, which could prove crucial in South Africa with India set to face wickets that are expected to aid the faster bowlers.
His three wickets might have been the most crucial bowling performance in India's Champions Trophy semifinal win over Sri Lanka but pacer Ishant Sharma does not consider himself 'leader' of the attack.
Uncertanity over the availability of Wriddhiman Saha, who had a split webbing in his right hand, for the first One-Day International against Sri Lanka seems to be over as the wicketkeeper batsman looked fit ahead of the opening game, in Cuttack on Sunday.
Yash Dhull set to open
Three Sri Lanka players and India's Ishant Sharma were found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct in two separate incidents during the penultimate day's play in the third Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
Cites 'being in rhythm' as factor for success
Test skipper Virat Kohli refuses to be drawn into the brouhaha surrounding the new-found aggressive approach of Team India.
Pacer Ishant Sharma became the 12th Indian to take 150 Test wickets when he dismissed opener Hamish Rutherford on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand, in Auckland, on Thursday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances