Pakistan's Asad Rauf has had to step down as an umpire for the scheduled first Test between England and India as he could not get the proper visa, the International Cricket Council said on Sunday.
Rajkot will not only make it's Test debut next week but will also become the first Test centre in India to implement the Decision Review System.
Images from Day 3 in the first Test between India and Sri Lanka, in Mohali, on Sunday.
Australia included uncapped pacers Josh Hazlewood and Peter George, while opener Phillip Hughes made a comeback from injury, for the upcoming Test series against India.
Finch led Australia to their maiden Twenty20 World Cup title last year and will spearhead their title defence on home soil next month.
India's batting woes persist, but skipper Virat Kohli has no complaints. Harish Kotian/Rediff.com reports from Nagpur.
India stand-in captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and had no hesitation in electing to bat in the second Test against Australia at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Friday. Regular captain Anil Kumble, as expected, pulled out of the match after failing to recover from his shoulder injury.
South Africa will play four Tests and five One-Day Internationals on their upcoming tour of India from September 29 to December 7. The 72 days' tour -- their longest ever to the sub-continent -- also comprises three Twenty20 matches.
Senior cricket official Inderjit Singh Bindra, an advisor to the ICC, said stadium facilities need to be urgently improved to keep Indian fans interested in Tests.
India are hopeful that skipper Anil Kumble would recover from a shoulder injury and named him in the squad on Monday for the final two Tests against Australia. Leg-spinner Kumble missed the second Test which concludes on Tuesday with the hosts on the verge of a big victory under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians' class and pedigree will once again be tested when they take on an unpredictable Punjab Kings.
Senior bowlers Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh are expected to return to the Indian squad for the first Test against Australia at Mohali from October 1, which will be picked by the Board of Control for Cricket in India selection committee in Chennai on Monday.
The innings and 51-run victory over the West Indies in the first Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata is India's fifth straight win, their best run in Tests. The team beat Australia in all four Tests in February/March this year.
Just 54 people turned up on the first day of an England-Pakistan Test a few weeks ago.
Rajneesh Gupta presents some interesting numbers from Day 1 of the 1st Test.
The pacer injures ankle during warm-up session; Kyle Abbott has been called up as replacement
Either Hyderabad or Rajkot may host India's maiden day-night Test match when the West Indies will arrive for a tour, later this year.
When South African team entered the Feroz Shah Kotla arena on Tuesday, all eyes were on Dale Steyn but the pace spearhead skipped the net session, indicating that he has still not recovered from the groin injury he had sustained during the first Test against India in Mohali.
Rajneesh Gupta presents some interesting numbers from Day 4:
'Whosoever speaks against the AAP supremo would be termed the biggest terrorist'
149 - Runs added by Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, recording a highest fifth-wicket partnership at Mohali.
Pacer Mitchell Johnson, who claimed five wickets in India's first innings in the first Test, says Australia will look to carry on the momentum over the next two days to win the Test.
Factbox on the four-Test series between India and Australia, which starts at Pune on Thursday:
BCCI awaits details on Amit Mishra's assault case
The 22-yard strip at the Feroz Shah Kotla will be the cynosure of all eyes as a buoyant India seeks their biggest series triumph against South Africa when they square off in the final Test of the four-match rubber in Delhi on Thursday.
South Africa expect to have all-rounder JP Duminy and fast bowler Morne Morkel back for the second Test against India but will assess the fitness of leading paceman Dale Steyn on Thursday.
India failed to make the best of first use of the wicket, their batsmen capitulating against both pace and spin as they were dismissed for 215 in the first innings in the third Test against South Africa at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium, in Nagpur, on Wednesday. However, the hosts hit back immediately, claiming two early scalps, leaving the Proteas reeling on 11 for 2 after nine overs at the end of Day 1.
New packets will have to be tested again in three laboratories; these laboratories are specified by the court.
Harbhajan Singh's figures of four for 107 are his second-best against Sri Lanka in India -- his best being 7 for 62 at Ahmedabad in December 2005.
India captain Virat Kohli addressed the media after the rain-ruined second Test against South Africa in Bangalore. Harish Kotian/Rediff.com reports.
Following the T20I series, the teams will play two Tests, which form a part of the 2021-23 ICC World Test Championship cycle. Mohali will host the first Test from March 4 to 8, while the second Test will be played in Bengaluru from March 12 to 16.
Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir started off in blazing fashion in the second innings to put India firmly in the driver's seat at close on day three of the second Test in Mohali on Sunday. At stumps, the hosts were 100 for no loss, an overall lead of 301 runs with all their 10 second innings wickets intact.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Thursday announced five new Test venues as Rajkot, Vizag, Pune, Dharamsala, Ranchi and Indore were named as hosts for the first time, for the forthcoming season where India will be playing thirteen Test matches, eight One-Day Internationals, and three T20 Internationals.
Speculations are rife that Sachin Tendulkar could get a chance to play the historic 200th Test match of his career in front of his home crowd at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai later this year, but Mumbai Cricket Association officials are not yet rejoicing.
Tamil Nadu Cricket Association said the fifth and final Test match between India and England will start as per schedule in Chennai on December 16 at the Chepauk stadium despite the severe cyclone Vardah that lashed the Tamil Nadu capital on Monday evening.
South Africa coach Russell Domingo has said he expected India to come hard at the visitors after losing both the T20 and ODI series against South Africa.
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