For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
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.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi on Monday.
Middle-order batsman Kedar Jadhav and speedster Shardul Thakur were back in the 17-member India squad for the six-match ODI series in South Africa but KL Rahul failed to make the cut despite back-to-back half- centuries in the T20 series against Sri Lanka.
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.
Rahul would like to make full use of the game time he gets as an opener during the three games against Zimbabwe
Senior batter Virat Kohli's awesome genius in 50-over format was on full view during his 52nd hundred that guided India to a strong 349 for eight against South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series in Ranchi on Sunday.
KL Rahul and his wife, actor Athiya Shetty, were spotted enjoying a stylish coffee date in Melbourne.
India captain Rohit Sharma has climbed to second place in the ICC men's ODI batting rankings, closing in on top-ranked Shubman Gill.
'Ideally we would have wanted about 40 runs more'.
Often the way Rahul paces his innings gets debated but he is not really worried about that aspect.
'Rahul has got the game to do well in Test cricket, I see no reason he can't be successful in this format.'
The collapse, India's lowest failed chase at home, has left behind deeper fault lines than a dry Eden Gardens wicket can conceal.
'We would like to believe and back ourselves to know these conditions or adapt to these conditions a lot faster even if we find them slightly different, as compared to, say, somebody who is brought up in Johannesburg and has played all his cricket at the Wanderers ground.'
'...it will be interesting to see what happens in the final World Cup squad. Definitely, he has made a strong case for himself. It's good he's in great nick and hopefully he can carry it forward'
Thakur, who resumed Day 3 unbeaten, brought up his century with ease, reinforcing his case as the ideal seam-bowling all-rounder ahead of the Leeds Test.
'A further assessment will be conducted at the conclusion of the series.'
An uncapped Easwaran and a 53-Test veteran Rahul, who is known for his ability to bat anywhere in the order, are the leading contenders to partner Jaiswal in Perth, but both fell cheaply against Australia A.
Opener KL Rahul feels that had another six overs been available, India could have won the first Test against Sri Lanka, which ended in a draw after a riveting final day.
India's experienced opener KL Rahul expressed admiration for vice-captain Rishabh Pant and his dream to replicate the dynamic southpaw's play style following their record-breaking exploits on Day 3 of the third Test against England at Lord's.
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.
In India's last ODI series against Sri Lanka, Rahul kept wickets in the first two matches, scoring 31 and 0, while Pant played the third game but managed only 6 runs. India could opt to include both players in the XI, but that would likely come at the expense of Iyer.
India's opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan looked visibly upset, venting out his anger on reserved opener KL Rahul on day 3 of the 4th Test at Feroz Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi. Birthday boy Dhawan played an important hand before lunch. The incident unfolded when Dhawan was hit on the forearm by a rising delivery from Imran Tahir.
With no foreign tours for the next one year, Easwaran's Test debut looks unlikely with N Jagadeesan being looked at as a potential third opener.
Although he termed Champions League T20 as a "great platform", Test specialist and SunRisers Hyderabad player KL Rahul feels that scrapping of the tournament will not mean the end of opportunity for talented Indian players to prove their mettle.
The 37-year-old player added that uncertainty about a place in the Playing XI or 12, means one needs to capitalise on chances offered.
'When I joined the India team, M S Dhoni had told me, "Kisi ki baaton mein nahin aana. Jab tu acha karega, toh poori duniya tumhare saath rahegi, aur jab kharaab karega, yahi duniya tujhe gaali degi".'
'The wicket was a little spicy, so I was having a lot of fun batting.'
Since 2022, he has scored 514 runs in Tests from 12 matches (21 innings) at an average of 25.7, having registered three half-centuries and a century.
'To take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible, but he is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is.'
Kohli's support is a massive confidence booster: KL Rahul
Former Australian batter and current Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Justin Langer heaped praises on his franchise skipper and Indian middle-order batter KL Rahul, calling him a "beautiful, elegant-looking player".
Former World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh led the accolades, hailing the team's 'serious temperament' and singling out the standout performers who defied the odds.
In a series finale defined by pressure and fine margins, the Indian dressing room found its anchor in an unexpected source - the Shri Shiva Rudrashtakam.
Test captain Shubman Gill also doesn't fit in the Indian T20 line-up, which has a settled top three in Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
With three centuries already in the series, Gill could join Don Bradman and Gavaskar in the elite club of captains who've hit the most hundreds in a single Test series, if he converts his current innings into a fourth on Day 5.
Atkinson, who is playing his first Test of the series following a hamstring strain, said that he is "ready to push the limits" in case Woakes does not take any further part.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Friday
Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of the series against England due to a knee injury.
The 25-year-old captain struck 13 fours and eight sixes to make 161 off 162 balls, following up his first-innings' 269 to become only the second Indian after legendary Sunil Gavaskar to have scored a double century and a ton in a Test.
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