The Indian team has all the markings of a great team as it can not only fight it out but win against the odds in all conditions, former Australia opener Matthew Hayden said.
Australian spin legend Shane Warne considers Indian captain Virat Kohli the best batsmen in world cricket currently.
Batsman Jonny Bairstow will replace Yorkshire team mate Gary Ballance as England made one change to their squad for the third Ashes Test against Australia beginning next Wednesday at Edgbaston, the England Cricket Board said on Tuesday.
Rajasthan Royals are better placed than Punjab Kings on the net run rate but both will have to rely on other results to advance.
Joe Root blasted a 44-ball 83 to help England pull off a record run chase in a thrilling last-over finish against South Africa in the ICC World T20 Super 10 Group 1 match at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, on Friday.
The two-match series ended in a 1-1 draw, with England having won the first Test in Mount Maunganui by 267 runs.
The toss is always an important factor in Chennai as chasing anything above 170 to 175 could be a risky proposition.
Jason Holder and Nkrumah Bonner shared an unbeaten 75-run partnership as West Indies recovered from a mini collapse and advanced to 202 for four on the second day of the first Test against England on Wednesday.
India stormed back in some style, after being surprised in the first game in Chennai, to thrash England in the next three and score an emphatic 3-1 triumph in the just-concluded Test series. A look at how the Indian players fared in the England series.
England beat Pakistan by 330 runs to win the 2nd Test at Old Trafford to level the four-match series 1-1 on Monday.
In the longest format of the game, Babar is ranked fifth in the world, behind Australia's Marnus Labuschagne and the 'Big Four' of India's Virat Kohli, England's Joe Root, Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand's Kane Williamson.
Jos Buttler hit a half-century to put England in a strong position on Day 3 of the fourth Test against India at Southampton on Saturday.
Ravindra Jadeja struck a career-best 70 not out as he and his lower order colleagues earned India a substantial 71-run first innings lead by lunch on the third day of the third Test against England on Monday. - Scorecard: The hosts were 354 for seven at the break with Jayant Yadav batting on 26, the pair having already amassed 53 runs for their flourishing eighth-wicket partnership.
The defeat in the Centurion Test was India's fifth in a row in SENA countries under Head Coach Rahul Dravid.
Rajasthan Royals would be banking on their near-perfect combinations in almost all departments of the game to put up another commanding performance when they take on a strong Punjab Kings.
England face a rejuvenated Australian team who have turned day-night cricket into a competitive advantage, winning all eight of their Tests under lights dating back to the format's 2015 debut.
India captain Rohit Sharma notched up a sublime fifty as the tourists thrashed England by 10 wickets after a career-best performance of 6/19 by Jasprit Bumrah in the first one-day international of the three-match series in London on Tuesday.
Limited overs stalwarts Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed scintillating centuries to help India secure a series-clinching 15-run victory in the second one-day international against England.
Swashbuckling England batsman Dawid Malan says he is committed to play for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League starting in the UAE on September 19 and will think later about the T20 World Cup and the Ashes.
'England were playing with nine and a half men'
Adaptability will be the key at the World Cup and England captain Eoin Morgan hailed his side's composure after they fought past South Africa on Thursday to open their home tournament in style.
Two weeks after the men's team coasted to a 4-0 Ashes triumph against Joe Root's England, holders Australia defended a modest total of 205-9 at Canberra's Manuka Oval to take an 8-4 lead in the multi-format series.
Pakistan dominated the first day of the opening Test after bowling out England for 184 and battling to 50 for one in overcast conditions at Lord's in London on Thursday.
India were sitting pretty on 473/8 in 120 overs at stumps on the second day for an overall lead of 255 runs.
In awe of India's in-form bowling attack, England batsman Dawid Malan on Tuesday said the "well-led" visiting team has got the firepower to win Tests in all conditions. The two teams will clash in the third Tests starting in Leeds on Wednesday with India leading 1-0 in the five-match series.
Joe Root was miffed after a blunder by Anil Chaudhary denied them the wicket of India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane after a DRS review.
Chief architect of their record run-chase against South Africa, England batsman Joe Root feels it wasn't a complete performance from his team but said the two-wicket win in the ICC World T20 match will give them a massive confidence boost.
England all-rounder Moeen Ali is a doubt for the second Ashes Test against Australia as he struggles to recover from a cut on his index finger, captain Joe Root said.
England's bid to win the second Test against New Zealand and level up the series was hindered by bad light on Monday when play was abandoned early with the hosts 42 without loss chasing an unlikely 382 for victory.
England held their nerve to beat Sri Lanka by 10 runs in a thrilling World Twenty20 Group One match on Saturday, reaching the semi-finals and knocking the defending champions out of the tournament.
Superb centuries from Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell lifted Australia to a dramatic three-wicket victory over England on Wednesday as the visitors clinched the one-day international series 2-1.
India need a draw in the final Test, also in Ahmedabad from March 4, to reach the WTC final against New Zealand.
'We felt that seam isn't going to offer as much in terms of being a threat, it's more of a holding role.'
Set an improbable 438 for victory after England declared their second innings at 333 for 7, the West Indies were 98 for 2 at close on Day 4 of the first Test.
England beat Pakistan by 44 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis scoring method in a rain-affected first One-Day International in Southampton on Wednesday.
IPL 2022's runners up Rajasthan Royals have managed to keep their core team intact with more than a decent set of match-winners at their disposal.
Ravichandran Ashwin will become only the 14th Indian player and 77th overall in world cricket to complete the milestone of 100 Test matches.
Johnny Bairstow scored England's first century of the series as the tourists staged a fightback after a torrid start to the third day of the fourth Ashes Test on Friday, but Australia remained in command with a lead of 158 at the close of play.
With pacer Jofra Archer, opener Rory Burns and star all-rounder Ben Stokes back in the England squad, the visitors are likely to have some competition for spots in the team for the 1st Test against India.
'The less balls we can bowl at Steve Smith, the more balls we can bowl to batsmen at the other end, and the better for us'
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