India 'A' batsmen failed to deliver when it mattered the most as they crashed to a 121-run defeat in the second unofficial 'Test' against South Africa 'A', who rode on seamer Beuran Hendricks' six-wicket haul to level the two-match series 1-1 in Pretoria, on Tuesday.
As he closes the most revered chapter of his career, here are some of his best Test knocks:
It is learnt that Test team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has been kept on standby for the limited overs series against England in case Rohit Sharma fails to clear the 16.1 qualifying mark.
India vice-captain Rohit Sharma on Friday hinted that Ajinkya Rahane could be the one replacing his regular opening partner Shikhar Dhawan, who will miss the first three ODIs against Australia due to personal reasons.
'I do feel there's a bit of punch left in me as a cricketer, but I would like to ... showcase that in club level cricket.'
Rohit Sharma will bat at the top of the innings.
Rajat Patidar's name is doing rounds within RCB circles as their prospective captain for IPL 2025.
A round-up of Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Thursday.
The Indian players of the Delhi Capitals team arrived, in Mumbai, on Thursday, and they will be flying out for United Arab Emirates on Sunday for the league that begins on September 19.
CSK can ill-afford to take Punjab Kings lightly, who are coming in to this match after chasing down a world record total of 262 against KKR.
The sub-narratives in the main story will be equally intriguing in the next 13 days.
Virat Kohli, the captain of the Indian Test team, has praised opener Murali Vijay and middle order batsman Ajinkya Rahane.
Who do you feel is India's best bat for the No. 3 slot in the second Test against Sri Lanka, starting on Thursday, August 20.
Ajinkya Rahane will have his task cut out once he dons the captain's armband after Kohli returns to India following the opening Test.
Rajasthan Royals outplayed Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in their Indian Premier League match in Ahmedabad, thereby registering their fifth straight win of the season.
Matheesha Pathirana's stunning diving catch to dismiss David Warner had everyone stand up and take notice.
Opening the innings, Shubman Gill scored a 65-ball 45 on debut before he nicked an outswinger from Pat Cummins.
India finished the second day on 308 for four in 81 overs. They trail West Indies by just three runs, after the visitors were bowled out for 311 earlier in the day.
New Zealand's bowlers kept chipping away at the wickets to reduce India to 239 for seven on Day 1 of the second Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, on Friday. The 24-year-old from Christchurch, who replaced Ish Sodhi, dismissed Shikhar Dhawan (1) and Murali Vijay (9) in the first 50 minutes in his brilliant first spell of 6-2-14-2 as the Kiwis seamers utilised the grassy condition to full effect after Kohli opted to bat.
After waiting nearly three years for a first-class hundred, Iyer's form has surged; his century in October broke that dry spell, and now he's added two more in quick succession.
Insisting that Indian players have played on worse tracks back home, vice captain Ajinkya Rahane termed the Wanderers' pitch as 'challenging' and not dangerous.
Dhoni put up a valiant 50* but it was not enough as KKR ran out winners in the end
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane credited his spinners for exploiting the slow pitch to the optimum as India sealed the three-match series against Zimbabwe with a comfortable 62-run win in the second ODI in Harare.
'His role as an opener will be equally crucial. He is the guy you want to play in Australia. I remember ODI series in 2008 and he was new but did quite well on Australian pitches. He will be raring to go after the injury.'
All eyes will be on Captain Shubman Gill and Coach Gautam Gambhir to lead the Indian Test team into a bold new era.
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between India and England, at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai.
CSK have a man behind stumps telling them what's working: Hardik Pandya pats MS Dhoni
The three-day practice game will give a chance for the players who are already in the West Indies to shift from limited overs to the five-day format.
A struggling Kings XI Punjab will have to pull out all stops against in-form and unbeaten, Rajasthan Royals, when the two teams clash in an Indian Premier League match in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Images from Day 3 of the second Test between South Africa and India, in Johannesburg, on Wednesday.
The Indian selectors' decision to pick four openers in the squad for the first two Tests against the touring England squad has surprised Bengal coach W V Raman.
It will be interesting to see if India bring back regular opener Shikhar Dhawan for the crucial semi-final match against South Africa or persist with Ajinkya Rahane at the ICC World T20.
Ajinkya Rahane will be aiming to get his mojo back as India, formidable even without regular skipper Virat Kohli, eye another 'Whitewash' against Sri Lanka in the three-match ODI series, starting on Sunday.
Rishabh Pant, not Hanuma Vihari, can be the next Virender Sehwag that India is looking for,' says Sudhir Bisht.
It remains to be seen if reserve opener Ajinkya Rahane, the only player not to get a game in this series, would be included in place of Rohit Sharma or Shikhar Dhawan.
Rahane is playing back-to-back Ranji games after a long time and it would be a good opportunity for him to get some runs under his belt, especially at his home turf, before he heads for New Zealand with the India 'A' team.
Skipper Ankit Kumar's brilliant century put defending champions Mumbai on the back foot as Haryana reached 263 for five at stumps on the second day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final.
A high-stakes match between cross-city rivals Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Chennai on Friday will usher in IPL 2024, but, beyond the grandeur around it, the two protagonists will have to find early answers to some deep questions as they attempt to enter a rarefied territory.
Ajinkya Rahane will be aiming to pile on the runs to extend his international career and lead India to a series sweep against a feeble West Indies.
India need not lose sleep over Virat Kohli's absence in the last three Tests against Australia but Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara will have to shoulder extra responsibilities, batting great Sunil Gavaskar said.
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