Harish Kotian/Rediff.com assesses the Indian side after the 2-1 series triumph in Sri Lanka.
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis walked for the toss along with Temba Bavuma as the proxy captain, who was given the responsibility of calling the toss.
Rishabh Pant's brute power will be put to test against Rashid Khan's bagful of tricks in an IPL encounter where Delhi Capitals will start as favourites against SunRisers Hyderabad due to their better bowling resources.
'Everyone in the contingent will be undergoing 14-day quarantine in India'
Former wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel said India have all the 'bases covered' for the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand, to be played in Southampton from June 18 to 22.
Ravichandran Ashwin's 25th five-wicket haul was the cornerstone of India's remarkable turnaround as the hosts defeated Australia by 75 runs in the second cricket Test to level the four-match series.
India aim to stay afloat against daunting South Africa in the second Test
A 15-member India cricket squad, led by Virat Kohli, left here this morning for Zimbabwe to take on the hosts in a five-game One-Day International series commencing on July 24.
'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.'
Former Australia pacer Brett Lee is impressed with the current lot of Indian fast bowlers and has praised young pacer Jasprit Bumrah, among others, for his ability to bowl effective yorkers.
Should the struggling Rahane make way for an extra bowler?
India made a strong reply to England's first-innings total of 477 after half-centuries by debutant Liam Dawson and number nine Adil Rashid underlined the tourists' batting depth in the fifth and final Test on Saturday. - Scorecard: India claimed three wickets on the second morning but the 108-run partnership between Dawson and Rashid in a productive second session for the touring side frustrated the hosts.
Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer grabbed their chances with centuries, but seniors like Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma had a forgettable series.
It was Shami and his pace colleagues who inflicted telling blows that Bangladesh could never recover from.
Record first win since 'sandpaper gate'
Young Rishabh Pant's competition for the second wicketkeeper's slot with veteran Dinesh Karthik will be the highlight of the discussion.
'In the future, you will get pacers who will bowl even faster than the current lot because these guys are currently setting new standards.'
India batting coach Vikram Rathour said that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is working closely with the medical team and the decision on his inclusion will be taken ahead of the start of the match on Friday.
The tourists, chasing 287 runs for victory, were dismissed for 140 at the new Perth Stadium when Jasprit Bumrah was caught and bowled by quick Pat Cummins.
Ravindra Jadeja did the star turn with a five-wicket haul, after Ajinkya Rahane's brilliant century, as India took control of the fourth Test against South Africa by taking a commanding 213-run lead on the second day at the Feroz Shah Kotla, in Delhi, on Friday.
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.
Please fill in your choices and help the Indian selectors make up their mind!
Pacer Mohammad Shami, who is recuperating after shoulder surgery, and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, back with a re-modelled action, are among 30 players named by the Board of Control for Cricket in India's senior selection committee for a preparatory camp ahead of the South African team's upcoming tour of India.
India captain Virat Kohli has batted away criticism of his recent form and says he is "at peace with my game" heading into the decisive third Test against South Africa at Newlands on Tuesday.
Bolstered by Shreyas Iyer's return, Delhi Capitals will look to maintain the form they showed in the first half of the season as they resume their IPL campaign against a struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.
With DC having lost all five games so far this season, a rejig of the top order against KKR at the Ferozeshah Kotla in a bid to revive their fortunes could be on the cards.
As India take on Sri Lanka in a three Test series, Rajneesh Gupta presents all the numbers.
Pleased with his fast bowlers show in the 169-runs win over Sri Lanka, skipper Virat Kohi said that it augurs well for the tours to Australia and New Zealand.
In a world where fast bowling is a valuable commodity, India are now a shining light, says Australian cricket legend Ian Chappell.
Faced with the prospect of a humiliating 0-3 series whitewash, a desperate India would be aiming to bounce back to winning ways against an unrelenting South Africa in the third and final Test, starting in Johannesburg, on Wednesday.
Both DC and RCB have looked solid so far and are placed atop the standings with three wins out of four games each.
Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss and opted to bat against an Indian side missing their inspirational skipper Virat Kohli through injury in the fourth and final Test in Dharamsala on Saturday.
All eyes will be on 41-year-old Wasim Jaffer, who is only 853 runs shy of 20,000 first-class runs.
Fit again Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari made their way back into the Indian Test squad, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya was left out for next month's IIC World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the five-match series against England.
India's bowling attack will be lead by Bumrah and will be supported by Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, and Sharma.
The Indian pace bowlers aren't getting any younger and team's think-tank realises the need to get the next crop of speed merchants ready in the near future, said skipper Virat Kohli. While Jasprit Bumrah is expected to lead the pace pack for many more years, Ishant Sharma, who will be 32 this year and Mohammed Shami (29) have already reached the peak of their prowess. Not to forget, Umesh Yadav will turn 33 this year.
Chasing can be tricky but team's dressing room is positive, says Ravichandran Ashwin.
Virat Kohli's men lock horns with a fairly inexperienced Bangladesh at the Holkar Stadium and it could be a stroll in the park for the hosts.
India's out-of-favour seniors Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag have been omitted from the Board of Control for Cricket in India's contracted players' list for 2013-14. The retiring Sachin Tendulkar, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin are the five players in Grade 'A', and will pocket Rs 1 crore for the 2013-14 season.
Veteran India speedster Mohammed Shami has recovered from his niggles and is fit to play the final Test against England in Manchester, starting September 10.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances