Neither DC nor LSG look like outfits that give you the vibe of a champion side
It would be interesting to see whether the selectors repose faith in veteran Gautam Gambhir, who made a half-century in the second innings of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Indore, if KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan are both passed fit to play.
Delhi's performance at home is woeful, but having registered a win after two consecutive losses at the Kotla, the Shreyas Iyer-led outfit is high on confidence.
However, Rajasthan would be a bit more desperate than Delhi as they are languishing at the second last position in the points table with just three wins from nine outings.
Dhoni has managed some cameos in the fag end of the innings and the skipper is expected to continue doing so despite calls of him coming up the order.
Ajinkya Rahane, who has not scored a hundred in more than two years, got back among the runs with a patient innings of 54.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead a full strength India squad for the two-match Twenty20 series against the West Indies in the United States on August 27 and 28.
Asked what can be learnt from the Indian pacers, Mominul's one-word answer was "Everything".
Ishant Sharma was not part of the Indian squad that lifted the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 but the beanpole pacer has no doubt that the team would do whatever it takes to defend the title in England later this year.
Images from Day 5 of the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, at The Hampshire Bowl, in Southampton, on Tuesday.
Two more failures in two home games could effectively mean end of the road for Ajinkya Rahane, who is leading India in the first Test in Kanpur, starting on Thursday.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Supr Giants in New Delhi, on Tuesday.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Saturday said injury-prone pacers Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma are expected to be fit for the first Test against Australia.
Rookie Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar has been drafted in the Indian squad for the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka with seamer Bhuvneshar Kumar and senior opener Shikhar Dhawan being released.
Young all-rounder Pawan Negi was the surprise inclusion in India's squad for the World Twenty20 and Asia Cup even as the selectors reposed faith in old warhorses Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh for the two tournaments.
India is in the second week of a three-week lockdown enforced to contain the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 70 lives while infecting over 3000 people. With sporting activities coming to a standstill, the elite athletes are confined to their homes, trying to remain fit while hoping for action to begin once normalcy returns.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI in the third Test against England?
It was captain Joe Root once again, who led from the front with a splendid century, to put England in complete control of the third Test.
Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will lead India in the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur, starting November 25, before regular skipper Virat Kohli returns to take charge from the second Test in Mumbai.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya is one of the notable promotions to Grade A, which is worth Rs 5 crore, while rookies Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj got their maiden central contracts, worth Rs 1 crore, in Grade C.
The careers of senior pros Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma are on the line when the selectors pick the Indian Test squad for the coming tour of South Africa.
Images from Day 3 in the first Test between India and Australia at Mohali.
The performance of openers Rohit Sharma and K L Rahul has been the biggest plus for India in the batting department. Both have showed remarkable temperament and technique in testing conditions to give the team a solid start.
Rahane spoke about how pink ball's increased pace off the pitch during the 40-50 minutes of the twilight session, will be the biggest challenge for any batsman.
Images from Day 2 of the second Test between India and England, at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai.
The dawn of a new era had begun under Sourav Ganguly's aggressive leadership. With Ganguly and Coach John Wright at the helm India had transitioned into a force to be reckoned with.
Shivam Dube continued his recent streak of form with a counter-attacking fifty that proved to be the cornerstone of Mumbai's excellent 330 for six against Bengal
Ravichandran Ashwin claimed four for 60 to reduce England to 285 for nine in 88 overs at stumps on Day 1 of the first Test.
Ashwin denied that he and Ravindra Jadeja will be changing their approach because the pacers have started taking the lead.
Maintaining that it's not the end of the road for seniors like Zaheer Khan, Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Sanjay Patel said India's Test squad for the upcoming series against West Indies was selected keeping in mind the busy international schedule next year.
Getting the opportunity in the absence of Mitchell Marsh, who got married on Sunday, Manish Pandey lasted only one ball and the veteran batter will be keen to make an impact at Kotla.
Veteran opener Gautam Gambhir kept his place, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya was the surprise inclusion in the 15-member Indian squad for the first two matches of the five-match Test series against England, starting in Rajkot, on November 9.
Bumrah, Chahar, Kaul get their first dose of COVID vaccine.
Rewarding for his all-round show during the on-going India 'A' ODI series against Bangladesh, the Indian selectors have picked up youngster Gurkeerat Singh Mann for the three T20 Internationals and the first three ODIs for the upcoming home series against South Africa.
India's pace attack comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar has emerged as a potent force
Former Australian fast bowling great Brett Lee is worried at the alarming trend of young quicks putting an effort on beefing up upper body which in turn is adversely affecting the quality of speed merchants. Lee was forthright when asked about the absence of genuinely quick bowlers at the moment. "I just think that we have to keep promoting wickets where bowlers can bowl quick. I don't think bowlers are training correctly, there is a lot of emphasis and too much importance only on guys lifting heavy weights. Gym work is good only if it's done correctly, it has to be high on intensity and low on weights," Lee told PTI in New Delhi during an interaction.
Harbhajan feels Siraj can pip Ishant for a place in the final XI.
Harish Kotian/Rediff.com assesses the Indian side after the 2-1 series triumph in Sri Lanka.
Images from the IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals, in Ahmedabad, on Tuesday.
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