After a month and half of topsy-turvy ride, eight teams have managed to steer themselves clear of other 24 contenders to enter the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals.
Known for his sound technique and insatiable appetite for runs, Cheteshwar Pujara believes he has what it takes to succeed Rahul Dravid at the crucial number three position in India's Test side and says comparison with his childhood idol acts as a "morale-booster".
Cheteshwar Pujara's brilliant century (148) rescued Saurashtra, as the the Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match against Delhi ended in a tame draw in Delhi on Sunday. Delhi shares the top slot in Group A with Mumbai on eight points from two matches.
'As an individual I don't have to rate myself. I have already performed in Test cricket,' says India's latest batting sensation Cheteshwar Pujara. Harish Kotian reports.
Sidelined by a ligament tear in his right knee, talented middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is targeting the Australian tour later this year to make a comeback to the Indian squad.
Gill said his team has learnt plenty from the disappointing defeat against the Kiwis.
The Meteorological (MeT) department of the UK has predicted a 30 per cent chance of precipitation during the afternoon,
A US-based sports website has placed India's prolific batsman Cheteshwar Pujara in its latest list of potentially good top ten investment options in sports, putting the Saurashtra player alongside the likes of Brazilian soccer star Neymar and Formula One ace Sebastian Vettel.
Virat Kohli's woeful form continued as India 'A' were shot out for a paltry 135 by Australia 'A' in the second unofficial 'Test' in Chennai on Wednesday.
Images from the third day's play of the first Test between South Africa and India at the New Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg on Friday.
Poor batting was at the heart of the debacle.
England's bowlers must have heaved a huge sigh of relief when they saw the back of Indian run machine Cheteshwar Pujara.
Ravichandran Ashwin revealed how he was left in tears after his wife Prithi broke out the news of mother's hospitalisation.
Prolific Saurashtra middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who slammed his career's second Ranji Trophy triple hundred, may have to wait a little more to make his ODI debut, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni indicated on Thursday.
Yuvraj Singh was left out of the Indian squad for the forthcoming Test series against Australia next month. His place in the team was taken by Saurashtra middle order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who has been one of the most successful batsmen in domestic cricket in the last few years.
With his fifth Test hundred, the Saurashtra batsman has conclusively proved he is here to stay, says Haresh Pandya.
Kevin Pietersen says the performance Indian batsmen, especially Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, will be critical to the side's chances during its lengthy tour of England, come this summer.
Maharashtra batsman Ankit Bawne scored a gutsy century under pressure as West Zone took a vital 43-run first innings lead against East Zone on the second day of the Duleep Trophy quarter-final in Lahli.
Cheteshwar Pujara feels the two warm-up games that the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team will play before the five-Test series against England will help the visitors adapt to the conditions.
Brought into the squad only after first-choice opener Murali Vijay was ruled out due to injury, Dhawan made full use of the opportunity and played an entertaining 168-ball innings that was studded with 31 fours. This was his fifth Test hundred.
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final matches played on Sunday.
Saurashtra's middle-order batter Sheldon Jackson followed in senior teammate Cheteshwar Pujara's footsteps, completing his century on day two of their Ranji Trophy Group A tie against Rajasthan to guide the defending champions to a 300-plus total in Jaipur on Saturday.
Talking about the pace department, Panesar picked Umesh Yadav as the third pacer ahead of Shardul Thakur. Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are automatic selections in the playing eleven.
India 'A' skipper Cheteshwar Pujara (67) stood tall amid the ruins after his West Indies 'A' counterpart Veersammy Permaul wrecked the visiting line-up with a five-wicket haul on the second day of their second unofficial cricket Test in Kingstown on Sunday.
It still left Australia in possession of a sizeable lead of 88 and Lyon wrecked India's top order before the home side could erase their deficit.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 3rd Test played between India and Australia in Indore on Thursday.
'It was during Covid that Ashwin realised that family can also be a part of his life. So he expanded a little bit to give us space which gave him more happiness and stability to deal with a lot of things on the field. That is why he has had a detached attachment over the last few years.'
Cheteshwar Pujara is the first Indian batsman to post three hundreds in Tests in 2013 and is of the opinion that his side has enough runs on the board to press for a win on the final day in the first cricket Test against South Africa in Johannesburg.
Will Rohit continue playing Test cricket for the next two years and complete the upcoming cycle?
Mayank Agarwal, vice-captain of South, Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw have come to this match riding on heaps of runs that they have made in the previous Ranji season.
As his quest to find a spot in India's One-day side continues, Cheteshwar Pujara has also started bowling in order to fit the bill for ODI selection and said a good showing in IPL could see him on the plane to Australia and New Zealand for next year's World Cup.
Cheteshwar Pujara made 49 and 43 in his two innings as Saurashtra lost to Haryana by four wickets.
India will embark on a redemption tour to England just after the ongoing Indian Premier League and Cheteshwar Pujara, who is expected to be the team's batting mainstay, feels it will be a tough ask for the visitors' to switch to Test cricket mode from the Twenty20 format.
India will be hoping to pull off a miracle on Sunday by surviving Australia's relentless bowling onslaught.
Skipper Cheteshwar Pujara scored his third triple hundred in first-class cricket as India gained a stranglehold over the West Indies 'A' in the third unofficial 'Test' in Hubli n Friday. The Saurashtra batsman registered an unbeaten 306 as the home side declared their first innings at 564 for 9, just at the stroke of tea, in reply to the West Indies' 268, to take a 296-run lead.
India and Australia began training for the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
'They perhaps hoped to get an early wicket, but once they didn't get that, they went into a shell.'
Harbhajan has expressed his massive displeasure with the "lack of respect" for the Saurashtra man and the fact that the yardstick to judge performances hasn't been same for every senior player.
India internationals Shardul Thakur and Shivam Dube starred with the ball and the bat respectively as 41-time champions Mumbai took an upperhand over Assam on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group B match in Mumbai on Friday.
