Smith has rarely, if ever, doubted his own talent but even he was aware that his spell at the top of the order was proving unpopular.
There was plenty of action over the last 12 months that kept the loyal Indian fan interested.
'We have nothing but respect for every Indian cricketer who takes the field on Friday'
Himanshu Singh said the confidence stemming from his experience of bowling against Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during the pre-season net sessions in Chennai is now reflecting in his outings in the Ranji Trophy.
Senior India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has urged fans to be patient with star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as far as winning an ICC trophy is concerned, saying it took even "the great" Sachin Tendulkar six attempts to win a World Cup.
Vidarbha won their third Ranji Trophy title after the final against Kerala finished in a draw in Nagpur on Sunday.
So, what are the options that India can look forward to?
Australian batters have been focussed on tackling the spin threat
Ravichandran Ashwin said on Tuesday that star Pakistan batter Babar Azam "should not be mentioned in the same line" as Indian icon Virat Kohli
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the third Test against Australia in Brisbane?
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 2nd Test played between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur, on Tuesday.
Jasprit Bumrah now holds an exceptional record of 203 Test wickets at an average of 19.42 -- the first bowler ever to achieve 200 wickets at an average under 20 in the longest format.
Ashwin posted a video on his official YouTube channel, revisiting the history of The Wanderers
Despite often flying under the radar in discussions about India's all-round options, Axar Patel brings a rare skill set -- a spinner, who bashes spin with his bat, while being a reliable left-arm spinner.
'We were not thinking about a series win because we were just bowled out for 36.' 'The mood in the dressing room was a bit down. Ravi Bhai organised a team dinner. He arranged for karaoke, he started singing. He sang old Hindi songs. Everybody joined in.'
At IPL 2025, expect nothing short of electric cricket from Thala Dhoni and his band of machas.
The players from both teams waited for nearly two hours at the ground before the steady drizzle forced them to return to their team hotel.
India coach Rahul Dravid hopes to have his full-strength squad in time for the World Cup starting next week.
'Given the conditions, I expected Pakistan to continue batting and build a substantial lead.'
Gambhir highlighted the contributions of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravinchandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja, who have transformed India from a batting-centric nation into a bowling powerhouse.
'Why does Ashwin have to be that guy again?'
'We missed out on Ravichandran Ashwin, but we have a strong pace attack.'
Jasprit Bumrah emerged as the lone bright spot with a record haul of 32 wickets.
After R Ashwin led India's fightback with a six-wicket haul, India skipper Rohit Sharma at Shubman Gill took India to 36/0 at the end of Day 2 in Ahmedabad.
Images from Day 2 of the second Test between India and Australia, at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi, on Friday.
Ricky Ponting believes that India will play both Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in the World Test Championship final against Australia, starting June 7.
The national selectors on Sunday retained the Indian team, which hammered Bangladesh by 280 runs in the opening Test here, for the second and final match in Kanpur.
Ravichandran Ashwin was promoted as an opener as Buttler, who injured his little finger while taking a catch
India will be under tremendous pressure when they face an equally circumspect Australia in a battle of two out-of-form batting units in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth
Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Tom Latham to claim his 418th Test wicket and go past Harbhajan Singh on the fifth and final day of the opening Test against New Zealand in Kanpur on Monday. He is now only behind Anil Kumble and Kapil Dev in the overall standings.
'Bumrah is not the right option for captain.' 'All the pressure to deliver is on his shoulders. So taking on the mantle of captain will be added pressure.'
Buoyed by their win in the first Test in Perth, the Indian cricket team arrived in Canberra for the mid-series two-day game against the Australia Prime Minister's XI on November 30 and December 1 ahead of the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide on December 6.
Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin picked four wickets each to put India in control as Bangladesh were bowled out for 227 in their first innings, on Day 1 of the second and final Test.
'I'm very happy with the honour, but I don't let myself get too high'
Yashasvi Jaiswal took a stunning left-handed catch in the slips to remove Zakir before Ashwin, who smashed a match-defining century in the first innings, produced a three-wicket burst.
Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD! Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi is number one on OTT.
While the others seemed relaxed, Pujara stood at attention.
As Ashwin will now be sharing the dressing room with Buttler, Twitter enjoyed a field day.
Ever since his return to international cricket in 2023 ahead of the 50-over World Cup after a long while of battling injuries, Bumrah has been unplayable, delivering some of the best spells in recent memory.
New Zealand's bowlers exploited the favorable conditions at the Wankhede Stadium, decimating India's top order in the early overs.
