Pant is likely to do simulation training in Bengaluru by keeping on tracks that offer turn, in order to get ready for the decks that will be on offer in Rajkot and Hyderabad.
India have recalled fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav for the first three One-day Internationals against Australia while they continue to rest their frontline spinners.
India's new selection committee has raised quite a few eyebrows with none of the five members having had a long career in international cricket. But to its credit BCCI followed a transparent process wherein it invited applications for the selection job for the first time and selected the best possible candidates who fitted all the criteria after a round of interview.
The Indian cricket team, on Thursday, skipped the optional practice session ahead of the opening Test against South Africa, while skipper Virat Kohli also gave the pre-match press briefing a miss, a noticeable departure from convention for a bilateral engagement.
Chairman of selectors MSK Prasad, on Saturday, made it clear that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is set to continue till the 2019 World Cup as some of the younger keepers, who have been tried, are not even close to the former Indian captain's level.
Despite being the world's top-ranked Test side India have struggled with their opening combination, which, in turn, has heaped pressure on the middle order.
Echoing national selection committee chairman MSK Prasad's words, former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday said Bengal wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha is ahead of Parthiv Patel in race to play Test cricket.
COA Meet on Wednesday: Team management, selectors to discuss 'communication' issues, Australia tour
Chairman of selectors MSK Prasad, on Tuesday, made it clear that his committee picked Ravindra Jadeja for the Test series based on the fitness report where he was declared absolutely fit.
Apart from Shastri, the other big names who will give presentations to the three-member committee include former Australia all-rounder and Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody, along with ex-New Zealand and Kings XI Punjab coach Mike Hesson.
'They are in the process of building a new team. But from what I watched in the first Test, some of the players are really good. You can't just rule Australia out of the series. Of course India are more superior but again they have to continue playing good cricket'
Rohit Sharma will lead a second string Indian team, comprising leading performers in domestic (Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 and IPL) tournaments, for the Twenty20 tri-series in Sri Lanka, starting March 6. S hikhar Dhawan will be his deputy in the side that has as many as six changes.
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the three-match T20Is and ODIs against West Indies but has been included in the Test squad, while veteran wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is 'unavailable' for the entire tour.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's shadow, the 20-year-old left-hander did a good job of venting any frustration with a blistering century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday.
Dhoni half a captain of Indian team, Kohli visibly rough without him: Bedi
'We want to give Rohit Sharma an opportunity to open the innings in Tests'
Pujara has so far scored 521 runs in seven innings with three hundreds at an impressive average of 74.42.
'The confidence we have with so many victories in Test matches, though they have come at home but still... going on a winning note is always good. So I am sure this is one of the most balanced teams that we have'
Issue of workload management may not arise due to 3-week gap, says KKR CEO
The Board of Control for Cricket in India is all set to monitor workload of top 50 Indian cricketers, starting with the seven-week Indian Premier League, and will create a database for their workload and injury management to keep them fresh for big international assignments.
aptain Virat Kohli and premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, were both called back into a full-strength Indian squad, while Dinesh Karthik was left out of the five-match ODI series against Australia, starting in Visakhapatnam, on February 24.
In case Ravichandran Ashwin is ruled out, the Indian team management's preferred choice is Yuzvendra Chahal.
'We have 22 to 24-25 players in mind. We will be rotating them and we will see how they progress'
Selection committee looking to continue building towards World T20 in Australia in October 2020.
'He is someone who has interacted with Sachin (Tendulkar), Sourav (Ganguly) and Rahul (Dravid) as a player and with youngsters as a coach'
Shankar believes how he prepares will be the key factor going into the tournament.
Resuming from their overnight score of 214 for four, Andhra scored 434 for eight in their first innings against Baroda.
Andhra fought back after being dismissed for 159 in the Ranji Trophy Super League match against Hyderabad taking five wickets on the opening day.
The BCCI will hold its Special General Meeting (SGM) in New Delhi on December 1 to discuss a three- point agenda including the all-important Future Tours Programme (FTP) of the Indian team spanning 2019-2023.
Hanuma Vihari's role as an opener is a stop-gap one and he will be given enough opportunities in his preferred middle-order spot should he fail at the top, assured chairman of selectors MSK Prasad.
"We are completely impressed by how Rishabh Pant is playing."
Not having Pant on that plane to England is a bigger surprise considering his stellar performances
Hosts Haryana bowled out Andhra Pradesh for 202 and then scored eight without loss in their Ranji Trophy opener.
The selectors may allow the India off-spinner to complete his remaining two matches for Worcestershire in English county cricket.
After dismissing Karnataka for a paltry 111 in their first innings, they were were 62 without loss at draw of stumps on day two, taking their lead to 189 runs.
'The point is that if as a player I have always played for the team, then I deserve chances more consistently. That's the least I am asking.'
Andhra Pradesh were 112 for two in reply to 296 by Services.
Jatin Paranjpe and Gagan Khoda are set to be removed from the BCCI senior selection panel after the Board was clearly told to trim to the panel to three members in place of five, as recommended by the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee.
Andhra Pradesh stumbled to 155 for six in reply to Uttar Pradesh's 365
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