Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel and Yash Dayal were on Monday released from the Indian Test side to participate in the Irani Cup in Lucknow.
Kohli, Kohli.... the chants from 90,000 fervent fans still reverberate in the ear when you step into the fabled MCG, even two years after the former Indian skipper pulled off a stunning heist against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022.
India head coach Ravi Shastri declared stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane's hundred as the turning point of the second Test against Australia, which the visitors won by eight wickets, calling his knock a display of "unbelievable concentration".
Buoyed by their crushing 157-run victory in the fourth Test at The Oval on Monday, a confident Indian team will seek to continue their winning momentum in the fifth and final Test against England at Manchester.
Ajinkya Rahane brought calmness in the dressing room in the absence of regular captain Virat Kohli, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said on Tuesday after India recorded an epic series-levelling win in the second Test, in Melbourne, on Tuesday.
Shreyas Iyer returned to defending champions Mumbai's 16-member side for the Ranji Trophy Elite Group A clash against Odisha
India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar fetched a winning bid of Rs 10.75 crore from Royal Challengers Bengaluru on a largely predictable second day of the mega auction, in Jeddah on Monday.
Rahane and his teammates are enjoying the phase where the current batch under Virat Kohli is expected to win Test series outside sub-continent following their historic triumph in Australia last year.
Rahane said Virat Kohli and his men are taking the match as just another game.
Facing Anderson in English conditions was the toughest for Ajinkya Rahane by his own admission. Rahane, who has amassed over 4000 runs in Test cricket and has a century in England, the West Indies apart from India, emphasised on the need to be mentally fit during the coronavirus-forced lockdown period.
Rahane also played a good hand of 27 not out in the second innings as he along with debutant Shubman Gill (35 not out) steered India to an easy victory on the fourth day of the Boxing Day Test.
Back-to-back Test series wins over Australia are almost unheard of but India have won the last four they have played.
India failed to bowl out New Zealand on a deteriorating track on the fifth and final day of the first Test but skipper Ajinkya Rahane praised his players saying they tried their best and couldn't have done 'anything different'.
A stampede at the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh early Wednesday morning resulted in several deaths and injuries as devotees jostled for space to take a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya. Eyewitness accounts describe a sudden surge of pilgrims, leading to a chaotic situation where many were trampled as barricades collapsed. Scattered shoes, slippers, and clothes at the site speak to the intensity of the stampede. Authorities are investigating the incident and have urged devotees to prioritize their safety.
Chappell still believes that Australia might have a slight edge in Test matches
Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan stroked solid half-centuries to power Delhi Capitals to a six-wicket victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore and qualify for the play-offs.
All about IPL 2025 which kicks off on March 22, Saturday.
Skipper Ankit Kumar's brilliant century put defending champions Mumbai on the back foot as Haryana reached 263 for five at stumps on the second day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final.
Rohit Sharma's poor form in red-ball cricket continued as he fell for a 19-ball 3 before Mumbai conceded a first-innings lead against Jammu and Kashmir
Mitesh Patel and Atit Sheth staged a spirited recovery for Baroda, taking them to 241 for six against defending champions Mumbai on day one of their Ranji Trophy opener in Vadodara on Friday.
Jammu and Kashmir caused a major upset in the Ranji Trophy as they shocked defending champions Mumbai by five wickets on Saturday.
Ajinkya Rahane announced his return to form in Monday's Indian Premier League match against Royal Challengers Bangalore and India captain Virat Kohli will be happy with the timing, despite being at the receiving end in Abu Dhabi.
Controversial keeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha, who has been dropped from the Test team, will still earn Rs 1 crore in annual income after being demoted from group B to C.
Rahane fell short of the three-figure mark again when he was bowled by paceman Shannon Gabriel
According to PTI, the chairman of selectors, Chetan Sharma has asked the duo to regain form by playing Ranji Trophy.
'The boys deserve all the credit for the character they showed, real character.'
Ajinkya Rahane's slump in form can't be 'judged' by anyone, not even skipper Virat Kohli, who feels that his Test deputy needs an arm of assurance around his shoulders as he figures out what exactly is he going through.
Despite being locked in their hotel rooms, the Indian players are keen not to let their guard down as they prepare for the Test series against England.
Ajinkya Rahane said it is a proud moment for him to captain India ahead of the the second Test match against Australia, starting in Melbourne, from Saturday.
'But yes, Melbourne Test hundred was really special. I said in Melbourne that my Lord's hundred was special but many people told me that I think Melbourne hundred was better than my Lord's hundred.'
Rahane returns to lead Royals for the game against Delhi Capitals on Saturday after Smith replaced him as captain in the middle of the season following the team's disappointing run which saw them lose six out of their first eight games.
India's Ajinkya Rahane has his own personality and it would be a mistake for him to try and copy Virat Kohli's leadership style in the final three Tests against Australia, former test spinner Harbhajan Singh has said.
Indian team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, senior batsman Rohit Sharma and pacer Shardul Thakur arrived in Chennai on Tuesday for the first two Tests against England.
Mumbai clinched their 15th Irani Trophy title, ending a 27-year wait with a commanding performance that reaffirmed their status as a powerhouse in Indian cricket.
Two more failures in two home games could effectively mean end of the road for Ajinkya Rahane, who is leading India in the first Test in Kanpur, starting on Thursday.
Ajinkya Rahane has such calmness that bowlers don't feel scared when they fail to execute a plan under him while regular skipper Virat Kohli's energy is sometimes mistaken for anger, India's bowling coach Bharat Arun said on Wednesday, describing the two contrasting leaders of the side.
'We still prepare the pitch the exact same way every time to try and get the same good carry, pace and bounce that the Gabba is known for.'
Australia's fielders spilled a few chances offered by Ajinkya Rahane as India took a 82-run lead by the end of Day 2 in the second Test.
Ajinkya Rahane's meticulous planning and execution of his training sessions during the COVID-19 induced break is helping him immensely on the ongoing tour of Australia, believes his coach Pravin Amre.
