India and South Africa will lock horns in a two-match Test series from November 14, with Kolkata and Guwahati playing hosts.
India's strategy of playing two fast bowlers, one pace bowling all-rounder, and three spinners could possibly come in handy on this surface.
'I guess the thinking going into the last Test, we wanted to strengthen the batting'
India will look to address several lingering selection puzzles when they take on South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday in the first ODI of the three-match series, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the set-up for a short audition that could well shape their 2027 World Cup fate.
Marco Jansen demolished the Indian batting line-up with a six-wicket haul before South Africa extended their lead on Day 3 of the second and final Test.
Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja are set for important milestones during the coming series against Bangladesh.
Captain Rishabh Pant conceded that India needed to get better as a Test team.
Ravichandran Ashwin exposed India batters' lack of quality to battle ball tweakers by claiming that if legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar or past domestic heroes Amol Muzumdar, the India women's team head coach and Mithun Manhas had played against spinners on such a track, the Test would have gone to four days, unlike India's harrowing 30-run defeat against South Africa at Eden Gardens.
'Hunting in pairs' is an often-used maxim about fast bowlers, but Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have given a new spin to it, consistently troubling the opposition in more ways than one.
K L Rahul on Saturday conceded that Indian batters' repeated struggles against spin, especially on home tracks, remain a concern.
The Indian team under Gautam Gambhir's coaching has been about multi-skilled cricketers, and Washington Sundar feels blessed that he is one of them.
It is believed that captain Sanju Samson has asked Rajasthan Royals to trade him or release him into the auction, signalling an end to his long association with the franchise.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was seen greeting Lara with a handshake and a hug.
Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel faced spinners while wearing only one pad to counter the turning deliveries, a method that comes with an element of risk, in Kolkata on Monday.
Even while bringing the curtains down on his T20I stint, Jadeja was in the shadows of the icons.
The Chepauk crowd erupted with excitement as M S Dhoni strode out to bat
During the first Test against England in Hyderabad, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja surpassed the iconic pair of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh as the most successful Test bowling duo for India.
The Ranji Trophy resumes on Thursday, promising a star-studded spectacle as Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant headline a host of big names returning to action.
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.
'But I would say given the importance of this series and given the conditions we think we are going to face, he (Nitish Kumar Reddy) might miss out in this Test this week.'
Central Zone top-order batters, led by Danish Malewar, carried the team to 229 for two, giving a solid reply to West Zone on the second day of the Duleep Trophy semifinal
Shubman Gill said he could not have asked for a better all-round performance from his team after they hammered the West Indies by an innings and 140 runs in the first Test.
Round up of all the Ranji Trophy action on Thursday
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
Ravindra Jadeja's recovery from the hamstring injury seems to be on the right track.
Indian spinners will have a tough fourth day in office with the pitch getting slower, thereby making batting way easier, admitted assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate after the end of third day's play in the third Test against the West Indies in New Delhi on Sunday.
'If they have picked him ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal, and as many felt, Sanju Samson, you can imagine how extremely privileged he is.'
The 36-year-old all-rounder once again rose to the occasion, batting with remarkable patience, steel and a fierce will to fight. Partnering first with Jasprit Bumrah and then Mohammed Siraj, Jadeja weathered thunderbolts and mind games. His 61 not out off 181 balls, spread over nearly five hours, brought India within 22 agonising runs of victory.
'We thought they deserved a century there (about the decision to not shake hands). Every match going till the last session on the last day.'
Earlier, after being 0-2 early in their second innings, India continued to battle on to frustrate England on day five, the tourists doing everything possible to keep the series alive on 322-4 at tea.
India bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted his side was "surprised" by how quickly the Eden Gardens surface "deteriorated" after a dramatic second day in which 15 wickets fell and the opening Test swung sharply in India's favour.
India's first breakthrough came courtesy of their spearhead, reminding fans why Bumrah is considered a match-winner.
Mohammed Shami was once ignored for the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa, despite having proved his fitness in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
Assessing Sai Sudharsan's temperament and Nitish Kumar Reddy's utility in home conditions would be topmost on India's checklist when the high-on-confidence hosts take on a floundering West Indies
The all-rounder has played 64 T20Is, scoring 457 runs at an average of 24.05. His best score is 46*. He has also taken 51 wickets in the format, with the best figures of 3/15.
Despite India's seven-wicket win in Delhi, Gambhir called the surface 'alarming' and stressed the need for more balanced wickets to keep Test cricket alive.
Abid Mushtaq took seven wickets as Jammu and Kashmir trounced Hyderabad by 281 runs in Elite Group D Ranji Trophy match, in Jammu, on Wednesday.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi on Sunday.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi on Tuesday.
India's awe-inspiring batting depth will face a stern test against South Africa's quality spin attack in the first Test, starting in Kolkata on Friday.
