Summary of all Ranji Trophy matches played on Saturday
Of all the things that went right in the Test series opener against New Zealand, Cheteshwar Pujara's transformation from an obdurate accumulator of runs to a free-scoring batsman when needed must be the most pleasing for India captain Virat Kohli.
Those three wickets for six runs, in a manic final 15 minutes of the day's play, undid all the good work that had gone before, asserts Prem Panicker.
Saurashtra's prolific middle order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara says Indian Premier League (IPL) has its own charm and playing it is a different experience.
The overnight batsmen each survived a review to power India to 435 for six at lunch in response to Australia's 451 after a wicketless session played out under an overcast sky.
Wriddhiman Saha's career-best first-class knock of 203 was the stand-out performance as Rest of India lifted the Irani Cup after effortlessly chasing down a 379-run target set by Gujarat with more than two sessions to spare, in Mumbai, on Tuesday.
Ignored by all eight franchsies during the auctions for the eighth season of IPL, India's Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara will make use of that time by representing Yorkshire in the upcoming English county season.
Cheteshwar Pujara continues to be the only Indian batsman in the top-10 list as he managed to maintain his seventh spot, while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is the highest-ranked bowler at number eight, in the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Sunday.
Kohli is the leading Indian batsman in the chart with 886 rating points behind Australia's Steve Smith (911 points).
Images from Day 3 of the third Test between India and Australia in Ranchi on Saturday.
India's middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have achieved their career-best rankings in batting and bowling, respectively in the latest ICC Test Player Rankings released in Dubai.
Images of the third Test between India and Sri Lanka being played in Colombo
Round-up of the matches across various venues in the Ranji Trophy
India fast bowler Bumrah has achieved a career-high ranking of 33rd, after his three for 47 and three for 68 at Adelaide helped him to rise five places.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir, BCCI president Roger Binny and all-rounder Hardik Pandya led the long list of joyous members of the cricketing fraternity in lauding Jay Shah, who was on Tuesday elected unopposed as the ICC Chairman.
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.
The SCG may be perfect for the under-performing trio -- Pujara, Dhawan and Ashwin -- to regain their touch.
Virat Kohli is the epitome of swagger, KL Rahul's strokeplay embodies lazy elegance but it is patience that is Cheteshwar Pujara's second name.
India's batting sensation Cheteshwar Pujara's limped off following an injury during Tuesday's practice session for the third Test, which starts in Mohali on Thursday.
He is expected to play a major role during next year's tour of South Africa and Cheteshwar Pujara is confident that the upcoming Sri Lanka series will give him a 'good opportunity' to prepare for the tough assignment ahead.
With the world celebrating International Yoga Day, current and former Indian cricketers shared their favourite asanas.
Saurashtra took firm control as India discard Jaydev Unadkat grabbed a five-wicket haul to skittle out Vidarbha for a paltry 151 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh. After Unadkat's 5/70 saw Subramanium Badrinath's side being bowled out in just 50.4 overs, Saurashtra batted cautiously to end the day at 70 for one in 30 overs. Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara looked in good touch as he remained unbeaten on 45 from 71 balls with nine boundaries to his credit. With the wicket easing out, Pujara looks set for a long haul and Saurashtra will be aiming to out-bat the opposition. Giving Pujara company is the other opener Sagar Jogiyani, who consumed 87 balls to remain undefeated on 19.
Cheteshwar Pujara scored his second consecutive Test century as India recovered from a precarious position in the second Test against England in Mumbai on Friday. The 25-year-old, who scored a double century in the first Test, was unbeaten on 114 on a turning track at the Wankhede stadium as the hosts finished on a healthy 266 for 6 at close on an eventful opening day.
Cheteshwar Pujara slipped a couple of rungs to 10th but remained the best-placed Indian batsman, while the off-colour Virat Kohli dropped one spot to 15th in the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Friday.
Cheteshwar Pujara stroked his way to an unbeaten double century as Saurashtra brightened their chances of making the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy after setting Madhya Pradesh an improbable 411-run target for an outright win in their Group A match.
A day after India announced their squad for the all-important tour of South Africa, former spinner Harbhajan Singh on Friday questioned Yuzvendra Chahal's selection for the tour, and said that they gave him a "lollypop to suck on."
Statistical highlights from Day 2 of the second Test played between India and England at Wankhede in Mumbai on Saturday.
The right-hander currently has 873 points in the list of Test batsmen, headed by Australia captain Steve Smith.
Cheteshwar Pujara showed immense concentration and skill to post his maiden Test double century and put India in command of the first Test. Join us in congratulating him.
India Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara was adjudged out for handling the ball on the opening day of Derbyshire's County Championship four-day match against Leicestershire at Derby on Tuesday.
Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has said that his side will be looking at a 300-plus target for England in the second innings.
How India's players fared in Australia.
Rahul Dravid's tenure as India Head Coach, which ended gloriously with the T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados on Saturday, will remain a case study on how to be stately and understated at the same time in modern-day cricket coaching.
Statistical highlights of the third day's play in the first Test between India and South Africa in Johannesburg.
Cheteshwar Pujara was at it again! The 25-year-old, resuming on 162, proceeded to complete a well-deserved double hundred and is hence our top performer of the day.
Cheteshwar Pujara marked his comeback with a gritty unbeaten century as India recovered from an early slump to reach a decent 292-8 in their first innings of the third and final Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Cheteshwar Pujara waged a lone battle with a fighting 86 but Rest of India's batting line-up floundered against Gujarat's bowling attack and were pushed against the ropes by the newly-crowned Ranji Trophy champions.
Saurashtra run machine Cheteshwar Pujara hammered an unbeaten 261 to help his side amass 463 for three in their second innings on the penultimate day of their five-day Ranji Trophy quarter-final match against Karnataka in Rajkot on Wednesday.
Statistical highlights of the opening day in the second and final Test between India and South Africa at Kingsmead, Durban.
'In the evening, he came to me, put a hand around me, and said: "Don't worry and don't be upset. The ball which did you in kept very low and even I might have got out playing it. Your chance will definitely come and I am sure you will excel."' Cheteshwar Pujara hails Sachin Tendulkar.
