Mahendra Singh Dhoni's retirement from Test cricket has left the Indian think-tank fretting over the ideal playing combination that will take on Australia in the fourth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting next Tuesday.
Saurashtra left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat has been recalled, while India also have three first-timers in Washington Sundar, Basil Thampi and Deepak Hooda for the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka.
In what turned out to be one of the most one-sided matches in recent times, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's young side outclassed the hosts in all departments, first bowling them out for 123, their lowest total in the series, and then romping home in 21.5 overs.
India captain Virat Kohli said his team will look to address its recent batting collapse and come back stronger in the last two games of the five-match ODI series.
'The opening combination should not be tweaked. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are the ideal pair to give India a fast start. But K L Rahul is also there'
Outplayed in the ODIs, a faltering India will look to get the balance right as they eye redemption in a three-match Twenty20 series against Australia starting in Adelaide on Tuesday which also kicks off their build-up for the World T20 Championships in March-April.
While a few players are set to return to India, some others are expected to stay back or leave for different destinations for a two-week break after being on the road for past seven weeks.
With Jason Holder's men just about managing to draw the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan 1-1, there is no doubt that the current Indian team are a few notches ahead in terms of quality.
India's stand-in cricket captain Suresh Raina backed the decision of top players such as Sachin Tendulkar to skip the tour of the West Indies, saying the seniors "deserved a break".
Injury-hit Indian bowlers are in desperate need of timely breaks, said skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday, insisting that the workload on them is "a bit too much" compared to the batsmen.
The Indian cricket team will get an opportunity to test its bench strength when its fringe players led by Suresh Raina square off against minnows Bangladesh in a short three-match ODI series starting in Mirpur on Sunday.
Ahead of the high-octane clash, here are some key players to look out for:
India's limited overs cricket will usher in a new era with the national selectors expected to name Virat Kohli as the captain when they pick the squad for three ODIs and three T20 Internationals against England in Mumbai on Thursday. Test skipper Kohli is expected to be anointed captain of the limited overs teams also, after Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided to step down from the job in a surprise decision last night.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni might have paved the way for India's victory with an unbeaten 92 in the second cricket ODI, but the skipper preferred to credit his bowlers for the series-levelling win against South Africa in Indore on Wednesday.
Rajneesh Gupta gives us all the numbers to tell us how the Indian skipper creates new record after record.
Images from India's practice session at the Eden Gardens, ahead of the third and final T20 against South Africa.
Courtesy of his brilliant leadership in IPL 2022, India has got another genuine white-ball captaincy option in Hardik Pandya.
Ponting, who coached Delhi Capitals in the currently-suspended Indian Premier League, said one of the reasons for Australia not having a good finisher was that all of the best batsmen of the country bat in top four in Big Bash League.
'The moment you start putting pressure, it doesn't work that way. So, even with his batting, he (Pandya) has all the freedom, doesn't really matter what the situation is'
Spin legend Shane Warne has thanked star batter Virat Kohli for "passionately supporting" Test cricket, a day after he stepped down as skipper of the Indian Test team.
Ravindra Jadeja known for his quick and sharp fielding tactics has earned praise from several former players and respect from the current stars and Steve Smith is no different.
Fast bowler Trent Boult picked up five wickets as New Zealand hammered India by eight wickets in the fourth One-Day International.
The series against the West Indies is India's only chance to iron out flaws before embarking on the tough tour of Australia. Hence, skipper Mahendra Singh hinted that the hosts will try out a few things in the home rubber against the Caribbeans, starting in Kochi on Wednesday.
Sourav Ganguly is also eager to see how the national team performs in different formats with two set of skippers.
India captain Virat Kohli and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah were the only two Indians who found a place in Wisden's T20 International team of the decade, which didn't feature ex-skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Australia's limited overs captain Aaron Finch was named captain of the team, which has two more Australian in Shane Watson and Glenn Maxwell, two England cricketers -- Jos Buttler and David Willey, two Afghanistan all-rounders -- Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, and New Zealand's Colin Munro and Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga.
Virat's captaincy may have come of age in this competition.
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni conceded on Wednesday that comeback-man Yuvraj Singh will be under some pressure during the upcoming ODI series against Australia, but said the team will insulate him from any "undue" stress by keeping things "normal" in the dressing room.
Steve Smith is in the middle of a challenging phase as captain and he must define the way for the Australian team's comeback in the ongoing One-Day International series against India, feels his former skipper Michael Clarke.
India Test skipper Virat Kohli was among the few cricketers who received a higher actual salary according to the salary details of the retained Indian Premier League players listed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Friday.
Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane hit half-centuries before rain washed out the first One-day International between West Indies and India, in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on Friday.
India win fifth ODI to seal 4-1 series victory in New Zealand
India now are the only team to have chased 350-plus thrice and in each of them Kohli has been the backbone with centuries in each.
Virat Kohli and Steve Smith are on even keel as far as leadership qualities are concerned, feels former Australia skipper Michael Clarke even though he rates the Indian captain as a slightly better ODI batsman.
Images from the ICC Champions Trophy match between India and South Africa at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on Thursday.
Vijay Shankar could well be the 'joker in the pack' if the Indian team management decides to try him
India made two changes for this must-win game, with Gurkeerat Mann and Rishi Dhawan handed debuts on account of their all-round capabilities. Ravichandran Ashwin and Manish Pandey made way for them in the playing eleven.
India rested skipper Rahul Dravid along with Sachin Tendulkar, who also sat out the one-off ODI against Scotland in Glasgow on Monday.
With 10 successive World Cup wins under their belt, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's India bettered Clive Lloyd's fearsome outfit of the late 1970' and 80' in terms of consecutive victories in the quadrennial extravaganza.
India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels that talented Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane is one player who has improved by leaps and bounds in recent times and is ready to don any hat for the team's cause.
When Bangladesh defeated India by 79 runs in the first One-day international in Mirpur on Thursday, they registered their ninth straight win at home. But the talking point of the match wasn't the historic result but the surprising show of aggression by India's captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
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