The pitch, left unwatered for nearly a week, appeared dry and brown with faint traces of grass, conditions that could bring reverse swing and variable bounce into play later in the match.
'I have said this before... Selection is not in my hands. If there is a fitness issue, I shouldn't be here playing for Bengal.'
The Proteas arrive high on confidence, having fought out a hard-earned 1-1 draw in Pakistan last month under challenging conditions.
The 16-year-old Anvay has been the top-scorer for the state in the last edition of the tournament.
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's interesting is now fans are questioning the reasons and persons behind their retirements.
ISPL star Irfan Umair makes Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai against Jammu and Kashmir
Mumbai off to flourishing start in SMAT, beat Railways by 7 wickets
Anvay, the son of legendary India batter Rahul Dravid, was on Tuesday named in the India U-19 B squad for an upcoming triangular series also featuring India A and Afghanistan's U-19 teams.
Vidarbha won their third Ranji Trophy title after the final against Kerala finished in a draw in Nagpur on Sunday.
The event at the MCA Sharad Pawar Indoor Cricket Academy, BKC will be attended by Maharashtra governor C P Radhakrishnan and state minister Ashish Shelar, who will be the chief guest.
Harsh Dubey wants to represent India but the Vidarbha spin bowling all-rounder is in no hurry to don the national team jersey.
Akash Kumar Choudhary is hoping for an IPL opportunity, calling for greater representation of India's northeastern states in the IPL.
Those who bowl at 150 kph are kings, but I am also working on slower balls, yorkers: Umran Malik
The second Test between India and South Africa, scheduled in Guwahati's Barsapara and starting November 22, might feature a swapping of breaks
Shami, 35, was left out of India's 15-member squad for the two home Tests against South Africa, scheduled to commence on Friday at the famed Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Before his most recent snub, Shami had openly expressed his disappointment about being sidelined from India's recent Test fixtures.
Sarfaraz Khan doesn't need India A exposure tours and series to play international cricket as the middle-order India batter can find his way back into the Test side with runs in domestic cricket, said India all-rounder Shardul Thakur on Friday.
For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
The Indian team management has not asked for a rank turner for the opening Test of the two-match series against South Africa beginning at the Eden Gardens on Friday, Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly said on Monday.
'But I would say given the importance of this series and given the conditions we think we are going to face, he (Nitish Kumar Reddy) might miss out in this Test this week.'
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be assessed but it would be "silly" to put them on trial in each and every ODI that they play from hereon, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said.
Rishabh Pant is closing in on a return to competitive cricket, with a BCCI fitness clearance expected by October 10, nearly two months after a foot injury sidelined him during India's England tour.
Stead, who guided New Zealand to the WTC title, T20 World Cup final in 2021, 2019 ODI World Cup final and 2025 Champions Trophy title clash, is now entrusted with the task of giving a fillip to Andhra cricket.
'The IPL provides a different ladder in terms of recognition.' 'If you do well, you will obviously get noticed and it enhances your selection into white-ball formats.'
Mhatre's maiden ton, Dube blitz fire Mumbai to seven-wicket win over Vidarbha
14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the youngest centurion in men's T20 cricket, will once again be the player to watch out for in the Rising Stars Asia Cup.
Kotian took four wickets as India A restricted South Africa A to 299 for 9 on the first day of the opening four-day match at the BCCI CoE grounds in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Sack Gambhir before he damages any more careers, if you must. But it cannot stop there. The project ahead must be bigger, more ambitious, and far more urgent: Rebuilding the spine of Indian cricket from the grassroots up, and giving the Test team the seriousness it deserves. Only then will Indian cricket stop lurching from one crisis to another and begin, once again, to imagine greatness, suggests Prem Panicker.
Venkatesh Prasad to contest for KSCA president's post, Kumble, Srinath back ex-India pacer's panel
Shardul Thakur hasn't given up hope of a white-ball comeback after featuring in Tests on the tour of England earlier this year, with the all-rounder setting his sights on the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Prithvi Shaw's much-anticipated debut for Maharashtra began on a disappointing note as the former India U-19 World Cup-winning captain was dismissed for a four-ball duck
Karun Nair's wife Sanaya Tankariwala Nair took to social media to vent her frustration, labelling Nair's omission as pure injustice to the batter and a 'complete contradiction of the system's stated purpose'.
Easwaran has been a domestic cricket stalwart for Bengal, with 107 first-class games, 8,070 runs at an average of 48.32 with the help of 27 centuries and 33 fifties.
Vidarbha, who have remained unbeaten in the premier domestic competition this season, qualified for the summit clash after a commanding 80-run win over defending champions Mumbai.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia believes a first Women's World Cup win for India would be a seminal moment, much like Kapil Dev's team in 1983.
India A skipper Rishabh Pant will look to build on the gains from the first match, while the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav will aim for crucial red-ball game time in the second four-day match against a Temba Bavuma-led South Africa A in Bengaluru from Thursday.
Saurashtra will be bolstered by the presence of India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja against a strong Madhya Pradesh i the second round of Ranji Trophy.
The legendary B S Chandrasekhar and Brian Lara on Tuesday won the Lifetime Achievement awards.
Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, who have had a prolific career in the Ranji Trophy, know the importance of rewarding consistent performers in the domestic circuit with international call-ups.
Shubman Gill's form in the series is a concern for India as he has now gone six games without a half-century.
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