Images from Day 2 of the 'Pink-ball' second Test between Australia and India in Adelaide on Saturday.
India's young guns are fearless and mentally hardened by the IPL exposure. But true mettle will be tested when adversity strikes -- and this time, there will be no Kohli to stir up the crowd, no Rohit to deliver a captaincy masterstroke, and no Ashwin to conjure wickets out of nowhere.
There are some speculations over some rejigging in the A+ category following the retirement of stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja from T20 Internationals.
India will look to extend lead against England
'A good headache (playing XI selection), we want to stick to our strengths.'
Only two bowlers stood out from Sunday's game.
The team has won 10 out of their 24 matches while losing 14.
The Perth Test marks Bumrah's second stint as a stand-in captain, having also led his country against England in 2022, and he could not have been dealt a tougher hand.
Washington Sundar expressed his gratitude towards head coach Gautam Gambhir and the support staff for their unwavering belief in his abilities in the post-day press conference in Melbourne on Saturday.
The good news is the team management has enough time on hand to think through the defeat and to find answers to the questions Adelaide has thrown up, around both its batting and bowling before the next test begins.
'This Border-Gavaskar Trophy (series) has had the biggest Boxing Day crowd ever passing the Ashes and the series is so delicately poised now, it is living up to every hype.'
While a nine-wicket haul would typically be cause for celebration, Akash Deep's focus remained on areas for improvement as he prepares for a demanding season.
The Pat Cummins-led side is in the midst of an intense battle between multiple teams who are bidding for spots in the final four, with Rajasthan Royals (16 points), Kolkata Knight Riders (14 points) and Lucknow Super Giants (12 points) placed above SRH.
IMAGES from the 1st T20I between India and Bangladesh played in Gwalior on Sunday
SRH's ultra-aggressive approach with the bat has backfired spectacularly as they have suffered four defeats in a row -- leaving them languishing at the bottom of the points table.
'...there is every possibility that Shreyas will travel for the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka. The last ODI that India played was in South Africa and he scored a half-century (52). He had 500 plus runs (530) in the World Cup and averages just around 50. Can you drop him?'
The opening day drew more than 50,000 fans making it the fourth highest attendance ever for a day of Test cricket at the Adelaide Oval.
Bumrah bowled 53.2 overs at the MCG, the most he has ever bowled in a Test match.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the first Test against England?
KKR lifted their third IPL title with an eight-wicket thrashing of Sunrisers Hyderabad in a lop-sided final.
There are at least six contenders for a couple of reserve middle-order slots for the five-Test series in England, starting in June.
His performance in Pune was a powerful response to his recent struggles in the Ranji Trophy, where he had been dismissed for ducks in both innings during Mumbai's loss to Jammu and Kashmir.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Chennai Super Kings and SunRisers Hyderabad in Chennai, on Friday.
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes Rohit Sharma has earned the right to walk away from Test cricket on his own terms.
'Going into Brisbane, India need a tight strategy for Travis Head and they need to get Akash Deep in and maybe Ravindra Jadeja for Ashwin.'
MI will hope Jasprit Bumrah returns to his menacing best, which is essential for them to stop an explosive Sunrisers Hyderabad batting unit in its tracks.
Rohit Sharma fires again as Mumbai Indians pulverise hapless Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets.
'We have lots of experience around our squad, like Daniel Vetori. So, you need to balance between the objective data that you gather and what you are feeling out there.'
India did not respect the match situation, the playing conditions, and the bowlers, and they've paid a price for it.
India fight back against Australia as 17 wickets tumble on opening day
Sunrisers Hyderabad, reeling from three consecutive defeats, will face a resurgent Gujarat Titans in their fifth IPL encounter on Sunday.
Mohammed Shami's much-awaited return to top-flight cricket did not receive too many supporting signals during the seasoned pacer's nearly hour-long stint of varying intensity at the India nets here on Friday. Despite working hard on finding his bowling rhythm, Shami never really hit his flowing peak. While he was expected to feature in the playing 11 during India's first T20I against England at Kolkata on Wednesday, the management decided to delay his comeback. Shami's rhythm and sharpness gradually hit a higher gear but the whole picture was one of rustiness, raising questions about his current form and the decision to select him for the series against England and the Champions Trophy.
Pace sensation Mayank Yadav is expected to unleash his raw speed while the absence of India's T20 regulars will provide another opportunity to the fringe players in the three-match series against Bangladesh, beginning in Gwalior Sunday.
The left-hander clobbered eight sixes and five fours in his scintillating 79 off 34 balls as India chased down a modest 133-run target in 12.5 overs.
For India's current head coach, the Test series defeat against New Zealand at home, a first in 12 years and after 18 victories on the trot, would be a bitter pill to swallow.
Images from Day 4 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the MCG on Sunday.
Selectors will assess the fitness level of star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who is recuperating from back spasms, and veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami.
Shubman Gill dispelled all doubts about his thumb injury with a stylish fifty even as skipper Rohit Sharma kept cards close to his chest by coming in at No. 4 in India's curtailed pink-ball warm-up game against Prime Minister's XI in Canberra on Sunday.
High-flying Kolkata Knight Riders and an unpredictable Sunrisers Hyderabad, teams that have built their IPL 2024 campaign on power-hitting, will look to outmuscle each other in Qualifier 1 in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
