Dhoni's men will have to adapt to the conditions quickly to avoid any such hiccup in the play-offs.
"In today's context, we have not done well. I would like to still encourage the bowlers saying that they have slowed the process a little bit. We need to take 20 wickets and that's for sure," he added.
If Rahane's side can go 2-1 up and ensure the retention of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, it will be one of the finest hours in the history of Indian cricket
Or should they include a fast bowler for the Eden Gardens Test against Sri Lanka?
Bangladesh, who were shot out for 106 in their first essay, were reduced to 13 for four at one stage but the visitors ended the second day at 152 for six, courtesy a combative half-century from Mushfique Rahim (59 batting) and Mahmudullah, who retired hurt after scoring 39.
Can India avoid the humiliation of a series whitewash, asks Harish Kotian.
Assured of a play-off berth, Royal Challengers Bangalore will look to quickly recover from their loss in the previous game and finish the league phase on a high when they take on table-toppers Delhi Capitals in their final IPL round-robin game in Dubai on Friday.
Yuvraj Singh made it back to the Indian team for the limited overs series against Australia but seniors Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were again ignored.
Delhi's young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant got his maiden Test call-up as he was picked up as the additional glovesman along with Dinesh Karthik after Wriddhiman Saha was ruled out with injury for the upcoming five-match Test series against England.
Rajasthan Royals will take a lot of confidence after snatching a two-run victory from the jaws of defeat against Punjab Kings.
Not just the 40 points, India will also be eyeing a 3-0 whitewash in the Gandhi-Mandela series.
Bolstered by the arrival of Ben Stokes, Rajasthan Royals will hope for a better showing from its misfiring top order as they try to settle scores against second-placed Delhi Capitals in their return leg IPL match, in Dubai, on Wednesday.
The third and final cricket One Day International between India and South Africa was abandoned after rains intervened at the innings break to leave the home side with a 2-0 series win in Centurion.
The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators announced a new category 'A+' with an annual retainership of Rs. 7 crore. The top category includes the likes of captain Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah.
A summary of all the action from Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Wednesday.
India's seven-pronged bowling unit has five pacers with four quicks, who can regularly hit 140 clicks, and Prasanna wants captain Virat Kohli to play five bowlers in the first Test against South Africa.
A B de Villiers produced one of the most devastating Twenty20 innings as he smashed an unbeaten 89 from just 42 balls as Royal Challengers Bangalore pulled off a sensational four-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a dramatic IPL match in Bangalore on Sunday.
Rishabh Pant was hit on the left elbow while batting on Day 3 of the third Test against Australia at the SCG on Saturday and was taken for a scan.
Exactly 13 years after he impressed with his incisive swing bowling in the Under-19 World Cup and the inaugural edition of IPL, left-arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan will now be a designated "net bowler" for Delhi Capitals in the UAE along with five others.
Still licking their wounds after a sound thrashing in the lung opener, India will have to regroup quickly and fortify the chinks in their armoury when they take on a determined West Indies in the second One-Day International in Delhi on Saturday.
Delhi done in by poor batting as Karnataka win by 4 wickets
With an aim to stay relevant till the business end, a desperate Kings XI Punjab will be aiming a comprehensive victory against a down and out Royal Challengers Bangalore in an Indian Premier League, in Bengaluru, on Friday.
All the injuries that happened to top Indian cricketers prior to and during the Australia series along with their current status.
All-rounder Thisara Perera smashed a quickfire half-century as Sunrisers Hyderabad staged a remarkable fightback to pip Trinidad and Tobago by four wickets in the Champions League Twenty20 in Mohali.
It will be interesting to see if India turn to Kuldeep Yadav for the second Test in Chennai, starting on Saturday, or continue with their strange tactics of freezing him out.
The likes of Suresh Raina, Brendon McCullum, and Aaron Finch will be aiming to match the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Hashim Amla, and Marcus Stoinis stroke for stroke on what promises to be another belter of a track.
India's selectors went on expected lines, leaving out former champions while giving the nod to top performers in domestic circuit in the 30-man probables' list for the 2015 World Cup.
Mohammad Shami also revealed that skipper Virat Kohli leaves it on his pacers to decide which one of them gets to bowl with the new ball.
Zaheer Khan feels that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's form will be key to India' title defence as they get ready to face arch-rivals Pakistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup in less than a week's time.
But former Pakistan pacer, Wasim Akram says it will be emotionally very demanding for the Australians to get back on the field.
Opener Prithvi Shaw smashed six fours in the first over in a stunning batting display on his way to a blistering 82 as Delhi Capitals crushed Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets in the IPL, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday.
Opener Murali Vijay and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will be looking to get into the groove in India 'A''s last first-class engagement, against England Lions at the County Ground in Worcester, starting on Monday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are lying a lowly seventh with eight points from nine games in the Indian Premier League but head coach Tom Moody is not disheartened by the dismal scenario and said on Wednesday that the team can make it to the play-offs by winning four out of their next five games.
Pawan Negi, who became a household name for his whopping Rs 8.5 crore ($1.25 million) bid, has been released by Delhi Daredevils along with five other players for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
From Rohit Sharma's record breaking double century in One-Day Internationals, the team's never-ending woes in overseas Tests, to the controversy surrounding Board of Control for Cricket in India's president-in-exile Narayanswami Srinivasan over the Indian Premier League spot-fixing scandal, Indian cricket had the good, bad and ugly in equal measure in 2014.
During Wednesday's training, a Jasprit Bumrah yorker hit Shankar flush on his toes.
A big win on Saturday will not only will boost Delhi's morale after the 80-run hammering at the hands of CSK but it could also propel the side to the second position in the eight-team standings.
'If you want to know how to beat anybody as an England team, you pick Stuart Broad and James Anderson, together. While they are still working, still walking, pick them together for goodness sake.'
The top order failed to fire in difficult conditions, but the bowlers stood out, not only performing with the ball but scoring vital runs as well.
