The performance of openers Rohit Sharma and K L Rahul has been the biggest plus for India in the batting department. Both have showed remarkable temperament and technique in testing conditions to give the team a solid start.
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings, in Dubai, on Thursday.
Virat Kohli's top-ranked team, with 360 points in its kitty, is certainly the favourite on paper but the Black Caps under Kane Williamson are experts at wearing down opposition with their patience
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane's position in group A of the BCCI central contracts could be up for deliberation
With two senior pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (thigh injury) and Ishant Sharma (side strain) all but ruled out, Navdeep Saini will certainly be the fourth pacer after Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav.
All the injuries that happened to top Indian cricketers prior to and during the Australia series along with their current status.
The 18-year-old right-hander was named in a 12-man squad on Wednesday for the first of the two-Test series and is expected to open alongside Lokesh Rahul.
Images from Day 4 in the first Test between India and New Zealand, at Green Park in Kanpur, on Sunday.
Picked for the ongoing tour of England as a back-up middle-order batsman the talented K L Rahul did well to open the Indian innings and put his hand up in adverse conditions.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI in the first Test against England, starting on Wednesday?
Should Shikhar Dhawan open with Mayank Agarwal or Shubman Gill? Should India continue with K L Rahul in the middle order?
Virat Kohli's men ticked almost all the boxes during their 203-run win in the opening encounter in Visakhapatnam and they would like to maintain the same intensity in their bid to seal the series in Pune itself.
Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane hit unbeaten half-centuries to put India in firm control, on Day 3 of the first Test against West Indies in Antigua, on Saturday.
He ended his spell with four wickets for 13 runs, bowling an incredible 18 dot balls, his best-ever IPL figures.
New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson on Thursday said his team will need to make the most of the second new ball when play resumes on the second morning of the first Test against India.
'My goal initially was to play for the team (KKR) regularly and contribute to the wins. Hopefully, I will be able to perform for the Indian team. I want to thank selectors for having faith in me.'
If India's net session on Wednesday is taken into consideration, Wriddhiman Saha is starting as the wicketkeeper ahead of Rishabh Pant for the series opener beginning on Friday.
Young opener Shubman Gill and pacer Mohammed Siraj will make their Test debuts in the second Boxing Day Test against Australia, starting in Melbourne, on Saturday.
India's captain Virat Kohli will have to think overtime about the balance of his squad, with a long tail, often bushy with runs, and just two openers -- one untested (Rohit Sharma) but very capable and another supremely talented (KL Rahul) but highly reluctant starter.
Rohit Sharma is certain to replace Mayank Agarwal at the top of the order against Australia in the third Test, starting in Sydney from Thursday.
'Everyone in the contingent will be undergoing 14-day quarantine in India'
SunRisers Hyderabad has the biggest purse while Kolkata Knight Riders has the slimmest purse.
India captain Virat Kohli will end the year as the top ranked batsman while Ajinkya Rahane slipped a rung to be seventh in the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Tuesday. Kohli (928) remained 17 points ahead of Australia's Steve Smith who occupied the second spot while New Zealand skipper Kane Willamson (864) ends the year at number three.
a red-ball warm-up game will be the most welcome distraction for Virat Kohli and his men as a precursor to the two-match Test series starting next week.
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the three-match T20Is and ODIs against West Indies but has been included in the Test squad, while veteran wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is 'unavailable' for the entire tour.
Five Indian players to watch in the Test series against Australia, which begins in Adelaide on December 17:
Virat Kohli would hope for a turnaround when India take on an under-prepared Sri Lanka in the second Test in Bengaluru
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI in the second Test against England?
Suryakumar Yadav received his maiden Test team call-up as he along with opener Prithvi Shaw were called up for India's upcoming Test series in England as replacements after three players were ruled out due to injury.
IPL franchise Punjab Kings is unhappy about KL Rahul leaving the team despite getting 'all the freedom' as the captain over the past two seasons and says it would be unethical if he has already been approached by a new franchise.
According to PTI, the chairman of selectors, Chetan Sharma has asked the duo to regain form by playing Ranji Trophy.
Left-arm pacer Thangarasu Natarajan earned his maiden call-up to the Indian Test squad after he was named as the replacement for the injured Umesh Yadav for the last two games against Australia.
Shubman Gill's run-a-ball 83 was the only high point for India 'A' as New Zealand 'A' grabbed the opening day honours in their first unofficial Test, in Christchurch, on Thursday. The Indians were all out for 216 in their first innings before the hosts responded strongly as they reached 105 for two at the close of play.
Shardul Thakur's two wickets in two balls in the 18th over put the brakes on the KXIP innings.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka, at Mohali, on Friday.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar looks set for a long injury lay-off after it emerged that the pacer had been carrying sportsman's hernia all along which the doctors failed to notice, according to media reports. He is now scheduled to undergo surgery for sports hernia -- which he has been carrying for over a period of three months -- after which he will have to undergo a two-month recovery period.
Images from Day 4 of the second Test between Australia and India, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Tuesday.
The two sides experienced contrasting fortunes in their respective tournament opener.
Virat Kohli's career-best Test score of 254 came at an impressive strike rate of 75.59 as he hammered 35 boundaries, including two sixes, in his 336-ball innings.
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