Former captain Sunil Gavaskar said that he would favour India going with four specialist bowlers and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in a five-pronged attack in the first Test against South Africa, starting in Mohali, on Thursday.
The turning point on Day 2 came in the 48th over when Ravindra Jadeja claimed two wickets off successive deliveries to peg back Australia, who were sitting pretty after a good start.
A truncated match is in store with the meteorologists predicting inclement weather ahead of the second Test between India and England.
Images from Day 2 of the first Test between India and South Africa in Mohali, on Friday.
England are set to recall Jos Buttler as a specialist batsman in their team for the third Test against India in Mohali with Ben Duckett facing the axe after his struggles against off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the first two matches.
When I asked UAE Skipper Muhammad Waseem why his team did not appeal for a walkover, he said his team had come to play, and that they had decided to wait as per the request from the authorities. Would any Test-playing country have waited and remained sporting enough to sacrifice their opportunity to play in the knock-out stage?
Australia paceman Stuart Clark will miss the second Test against India starting on Friday after failing to recover from an elbow injury.
'When Bumrah is not bowling, we should go on the defensive and keep them all tied up.' 'Just stop the flow of runs and wickets will fall.'
With India looking to seal another win against struggling Australians in the third Test beginning in Mohali on Thursday, the Meteorological Department has forecast cloudy sky on the opening day with possibility of light rain.
'But I can't say regret. I can say that if I had made my comeback earlier, 3-4 years ago or two years ago, then I could have played more matches and performed better.'
This will be the maiden Test in Guwahati, which often hosts white-ball matches, and has also been hosting IPL matches for the last two seasons.
The rhythmic chants of pilgrims have been replaced with frantic footsteps of those looking for their loved ones in the wake of a disastrous landslide on the route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine which has claimed 34 lives till now.
Limited overs specialist Jos Buttler will replace the struggling Ben Duckett in a rejigged England batting line-up, skipper Alastair Cook confirmed ahead of his team's third Test against India beginning on Saturday.
A few months after his U-19 World Cup heroics, three senior journalists sought his cellphone number, which he readily provided -- only, he gave three different, but similar, numbers to the three of them!
India bowled with a lot of perseverance to restrict England to 268 for 8 despite a defiant 89 from Jonny Bairstow on Day 1 of the third cricket Test in Mohali on Saturday.
Hero of India's two global triumphs, 44-year-old Yuvraj had guided young Gill and India's T20 opener Abhishek Sharma during the Covid-19 lockdown when they even stayed at his Chandigarh bungalow.
'What hurt me was when I met his daughter and I was talking to her with a lot of love and she said, "I don't want to talk to you. You hit my father".'
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Speedster Umesh Yadav feels that England could have scored more than 268 for eight as the wicket did not change much and it was "easy to play spinners" with not much turn on offer.
Having succeeded Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India's Test captain, "King Kohli" overhauled India's approach to turn the team into a ruthless juggernaut that did not rely anymore on designer dustbowls to win Test matches.
Outwitted in both the T20 and the ODI series, India will seek redemption in the Test format by trying to spin a web around the formidable South Africans in the four-match series starting in Mohali, on Thursday.
The decision to play the match behind closed doors was taken in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases in and around Mohali and also taking into account that most of the Indian players will be linking up with their respective IPL squads just after the end of the second Test in a bubble-to bubble transfer.
Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal are in same boat; don't want to tamper their mindset: Rohit Sharma
Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he will now enjoy his bike rides in Ranchi and will take his own sweet time to decide whether he will come back next season.
Harvinder Singh was one of India's most promising pacers in the 1990s having played three Tests and 16 ODIs.
It was widely reported that the T20s against the Lankan side will take place before Test matches in Mohali and Bengaluru and the cricket body has now confirmed it.
Only 1330 tickets remain unsold for the first Test between India and Pakistan, beginning on Tuesday.
India conducted nationwide civil defence mock drills simulating multiple hostile scenarios like air raids, fire emergencies, and rescue operations across several states and union territories. The drills, dubbed 'Operation Abhyaas,' aimed to enhance emergency preparedness in light of recent terror attacks. The exercises involved coordinated efforts by various agencies, including civil defence personnel, police, fire and emergency services, and the military. Mock drills were conducted at various locations, including railway stations, malls, and high-rise buildings, showcasing the response capabilities of authorities in different emergency scenarios. The drills highlighted the importance of public awareness and cooperation in dealing with real-time emergencies.
PCA treasurer RP Singla said that crowd would be allowed at 50 per cent capacity of the stadium during the Test match.
The going will continue to get tough for Australia in the third Test at Mohali. The home side, as expected, has again opted for a turning track at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium.
India's off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin not only raced to the fastest 150 scalps in Indian Test history but also became the first man in over 100 years to bag 50 wickets after opening the bowling during the first cricket Test against South Africa, in progress, on Friday, in Mohali.
Despite the 10-day hiatus between the fourth and fifth Tests against England, Gill was relentless in his pursuit of excellence
How to conduct the mock exercise with active public participation of people was discussed threadbare at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan. Top civil and police officers of the country participated in the meeting, official sources said.
'The current stadium in Mohali did not meet the standards of ICC and hence was denied matches.'
Dismissing the notion that the Mohali pitch was a vicious turner, South Africa captain Hashim Amla on Saturday said most dismissals in the opening Test match was due to lack of spin rather than excess of it. He also came down hard on his batsmen, saying they could have applied themselves better.
India dismissed Australia for 195 runs on the fifth morning to register thumping 320-run victory in the Mohali Test.
England's bowlers are wary of Indian skipper Virat Kohli's recent good form and are looking to come up with plans to get him out early.
The England cricket team's tour of India for the two-match Test series may have got the go-ahead following a security clearance, but there is still some doubt on whether Mohali will be the venue for the second game.
Kohli's 100th Test would be against Sri Lanka beginning, in Mohali, on March 4.
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