India roared back into contention on an exhilarating day two of the fifth and final Test at The Oval on Friday as their seamers restricted England to a 23-run lead.
A record-extending 52nd ODI century by Virat Kohli and a rapid 57 from Rohit Sharma paved the way for India's victory in the series-opener in Ranchi.
'Siraj is a captain's dream. Gave it his all every ball and every spell he bowled.'
K L Rahul drove his way to a sublime 47 after England negated India's advantage by totalling 465 in their first innings as the visitors had another ordinary day in the field on Day 3 of the first Test in Leeds on Sunday.
'You have a lot of options if you want to see. You can remove Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill and you can open with Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad...'
The short turnaround time from the high of winning a controversy-marred Asia Cup notwithstanding, Shubman Gill's India will be outright favourites against a struggling and under-strength West Indies when the teams face-off on a green-top in the first Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The series, to commence on June 20, will be played at Headingley in Leeds, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord's and The Oval in London, and Old Trafford in Manchester.
Opener Sam Konstas smashed a century to lead Australia's superb showing with the bat on the rain-hit Day 1 of the first unofficial Test match against India A.
India will take on the UAE in their tournament-opener on September 10 before facing arch rivals Pakistan at Dubai on September 14. Their third group match will be against Oman on September 19 before the Super Four stage.
Injured Indian fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has been on the mend from his quadriceps injury sustained during India's tour of South Africa and the Bengaluru man said that his singular endeavour now is to improve his consistency and increase his skill-set moving forward.
Mohammed Shami was once ignored for the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa, despite having proved his fitness in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
Two fast-bowling all-rounders look to be in a battle for one spot, while a decision between Prasidh Krishna and left-armer Arshdeep Singh could be condition-dependent.
Barring Jasprit Bumrah, who got five wickets in England's first innings, none of the other bowlers looked penetrative as the hosts chased down a target of 371 with minimum fuss.
Skipper Shubman Gill had a long batting stint while the troika of Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel returned to action for India's final training session here on Wednesday before the first Test against the West Indies.
Team India touched down in Manchester on Sunday ahead of the must-win fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy
'...the guys who are just part of Test cricket, I think for them to prepare and play domestic cricket is very, very important.'
Woakes was stranded on nought as Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna took the remaining 4 wickets in an hour's play to help India register a series-levelling 6-run win.
Shami has not exactly been pleased with the national selectors and has gone on record to say that they have not communicated with him. However, sources in the BCCI say that it may not be the correct picture.
What makes this team special is their ability to fight till the end, asserts veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar. This team has announced that England's standard is not alarmingly high and, unlike in the past, they can be beaten on their home wickets, asserts veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
Prasidh Krishna made a comeback to competitive cricket at the RSI grounds in Bengaluru on Monday during the KSCA T20 tournament.
Hardik Pandya injured his left ankle during the match against Bangladesh in Pune.
Siraj, Krishna, Akash Shine as India's Pace Future Takes Shape
The victory took India A to the top of the points table with a total of 12 points from three matches, crowing them as the eventual winners.
Opener Ben Duckett hit the most defining century of his career, exposing an out-of-depth Indian attack as England comfortably chased down a tricky target of 371 to win the opening Test by five wickets.
'The whole country is behind him and watching his performances. You can't ignore a guy who's done so much for India.'
Senior batter Virat Kohli's awesome genius in 50-over format was on full view during his 52nd hundred that guided India to a strong 349 for eight against South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series in Ranchi on Sunday.
Terming playing alongside Dhoni the 'real highlight' of his career, the 20-year-old left-arm wrist-spinner has acknowledged how the Captain Cool's mentorship and guidance have positively impacted his growth, both as a player and a person.
A large group of players, including Mohammed Siraj, the hero of the victory, boarded an Emirates flight early Tuesday morning, heading to Dubai en route to their respective home cities in India.
The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be.
Shubman Gill was rewarded with the captaincy of the Indian ODI team for the upcoming tour of Australia, the BCCI announced on Saturday.
The final Test begins on Friday in New Delhi, and the Shubman Gill-led side is expected to maintain their winning combination as they look to wrap up the home series.
Siraj dismissed Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton before bowling Gus Atkinson to end the match.
In mounting tension, Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton struggled to get bat on ball, surviving several frenzied appeals before the umpires decided it was too dark to continue.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
Pradosh then forged an alliance with Shardul Thakur (70 not out) as the duo added another 152 runs to overhaul South Africa A's total and take a 58-run lead.
the 33 year old soon resumed batting and shared a light moment with the support staff, pointing to the spot where he was hit, thereby allaying any serious injury concerns.
After the proceedings began with light warm-up and catching, the action shifted to the nets where all batters had long stints in the nets while the other pace bowlers too put in the hard yards.
Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of the series against England due to a knee injury.
Drama in the most dramatic of series isn't over yet!
Prasidh utilised the KSCA T20 tournament to hone his skills and further tune his body to the demands of the game before his departure to Ireland for T20Is.
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