India remained on course for a 2-0 series sweep after enforcing the follow-on but West Indies produced a much better batting display in their second innings to reach 173-2 on day three of the second and final Test in New Delhi on Sunday.
"He needs to rotate strike, keep the scoreboard moving": Pathan on Virat ahead of 3rd Sydney ODI
With WI Tests starting next week, 25 overs in Asia Cup is good build-up for Bumrah: Doeschate
As the continental tournament kicks off on September 9 in Dubai, India will look to lean on this mix of proven winners and new leaders while keeping uncompromising fitness standards at the heart of their preparations.
Fresh from a hard-fought 2-2 draw in England, Shubman Gill's men will be eager to translate their overseas resilience into home dominance.
'Rishabh Pant is not fit for West Indies series, hopefully he will be available for home Tests against South Africa.'
South Africa will aim for their first Test victory in India in more than 15 years.
Mohammed Siraj has bowled an impressive 155-plus overs across nine England innings and not once did the thought of physical breakdown during a marathon series cross his mind.
Jasprit Bumrah is firmly perched at the top of the bowlers' list.
The Bellerive Oval is one ground where the side boundaries are smaller in size, hence hitting the right lengths would be paramount considering anything short would be flying over cover, point, square leg or mid-wicket on either side of the fence.
Mohammed Siraj's commitment to a team-first approach sets him apart from the others and the pacer has demonstrated strong leadership qualities, said former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.
'...the guys who are just part of Test cricket, I think for them to prepare and play domestic cricket is very, very important.'
Defending champions India had a full-fledged practice session at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Friday as they put the finishing touches to their Asia Cup preparations.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has laid bare its blueprint for Jasprit Bumrah's workload management, making it clear that India's pace spearhead will be preserved for the biggest stages
Massive chance for series win in India, SA better-placed with spin resources: Bavuma
As India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's workload management has become a topic of debate, former Team India opener Akash Chopra defended the pacer's selective participation in the longest format.
At The Oval, it was Siraj who delivered a comeback spell, reducing England from a dominant position of 301/4 to 367 all out while chasing 374, bowling brilliantly and relentlessly in tandem with Prasidh Krishna.
As Farhan reached his fifty, lofting Axar Patel for a massive six over mid-wicket, he pulled off a gun-firing celebration with his bat, adding another layer of intrigue to an already electric rivalry.
Spinners of both sides will have a significant role to play considering that Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the only specialist pacers who will be seen in action in Sunday's match.
Since he took over, head coach Gautam Gambhir has stressed on multi-skilled players across formats, especially those who can add batting depth.
India Test captain Shubman Gill indicated that the team is moving away from its preference for rank turners in home Test matches.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir hinted pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah could play in the must-win fifth and final Test against England.
Former South African batter AB de Villiers hoped that Team India seamer Jasprit Bumrah will carry his red-ball form into the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE, but felt the pace spearhead might not feature in all games in the continental tournment.
India will be keen to get the job done against Bangladesh and seal their place in Sunday's final before considering resting their players.
India stuck to their pre-series decision to field Bumrah in only three Tests and was hence not played in the final Test at the Oval
Ravichandran Ashwin questioned India's team selection for the West Indies Test series, highlighting the curious case of Nitish Reddy's inclusion over proven match-winner Axar Patel.
Skipper Shubman Gill had a long batting stint while the troika of Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel returned to action for India's final training session here on Wednesday before the first Test against the West Indies.
Abhishek Sharma reached 931 ratings point, which is 12 more than the previous best rating of 919 attained by England's Dawid Malan in 2020.
Against Bangladesh, Samson wasn't even considered good enough to come inside the top seven of the line-up and that begs a question as to what is he doing in the team if he isn't good enough to come ahead of Axar Patel.
India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah achieved a personal milestone during Day 4 of the fourth Test against England in Manchester on Saturday as he equalled Ishant Sharma's record of most wickets for India in Tests in England.
Gambhir didn't name him 'most stylish'. Instead, he chose Shubman Gill for that tag
Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
The final Test begins on Friday in New Delhi, and the Shubman Gill-led side is expected to maintain their winning combination as they look to wrap up the home series.
Our batters never play such kind of bowlers, were overawed by big names: UAE coach Rajput
No major injury for Rishabh, he should be fine for Manchester Test: Gill
Bumrah has been at the heart of India's success in recent years. He spearheaded India's title-winning run in the T20 World Cup last year, finishing with 15 wickets, and overall has 89 scalps in 70 matches at a remarkable average of 17.74.
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.
At 37, the numbers behind his all-format dominance reveal not just longevity but an unmatched hunger for excellence.
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.
As India gears up to face Oman on Friday, September 19, at the Dubai international stadium, the focus returns to cricket.
