India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar feels the debate over preparing a spin-friendly track at the Eden Gardens for the opening Test against South Africa is pointless as the country has been laying out such wickets for ages.
Grind pays off for Ruturaj Gaikwad, now upto him and luck to prove his 50-over mettle.
Not handing the ball to lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah to start the third day's play on a challenging Eden Gardens surface was "questionable", said the legendary Anil Kumble.
This was India's fourth defeat in the last six Tests at home and in all four Tests -- including three against New Zealand -- their batters have flopped against spin.
A good batting surface is in store for the second and final Test between India and the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with curators expecting the pitch to aid strokeplay for the first two days before offering only slow turn as the game progresses.
The former India wicketkeeper believes the game still had some cricket left in it and that India had earned the right to continue batting.
The IPL consistently rewards smart squad building, tactical flexibility, and balanced team composition over individual star power. So what exactly are franchises paying for when the bidding war begins?
Despite India's seven-wicket win in Delhi, Gambhir called the surface 'alarming' and stressed the need for more balanced wickets to keep Test cricket alive.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Shubman Gill said he could not have asked for a better all-round performance from his team after they hammered the West Indies by an innings and 140 runs in the first Test.
Kuldeep slips to third in ODI rankings, Maharaj regains top spot
Uncapped players who cashed in at the IPL auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel allocated portfolios following a major cabinet reshuffle, with Harsh Sanghavi becoming Deputy CM and receiving Home and Industries. New ministers, including Rivaba Jadeja, were also assigned responsibilities.
India outclassed New Zealand by four wickets to win their third Champions Trophy title at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
The Indian team's valiant fight did not go unnoticed with Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar patting the players for their effort.
Ravichandran Ashwin exposed India batters' lack of quality to battle ball tweakers by claiming that if legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar or past domestic heroes Amol Muzumdar, the India women's team head coach and Mithun Manhas had played against spinners on such a track, the Test would have gone to four days, unlike India's harrowing 30-run defeat against South Africa at Eden Gardens.
India's strategy of playing two fast bowlers, one pace bowling all-rounder, and three spinners could possibly come in handy on this surface.
India beat West Indies by seven wickets in the second and final Test to complete a 2-0 series sweep at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
There is a school of thought that having done the hard yards in the England series, Karun Nair deserves an opportunity against a weaker opposition where a century could boost his career.
A record-extending 52nd ODI century by Virat Kohli and a rapid 57 from Rohit Sharma paved the way for India's victory in the series-opener in Ranchi.
Chasing 121 for victory, India were 63/1 at stumps and West Indies will draw solace from being able to force a final-day finish after being made to follow on.
Speaking in a video released by the BCCI, skipper Gill reflected on his second-innings century, calling it the most satisfying of his career so far.
Virat Kohli has two hundreds and a fifty in his last three innings, while Rohit Sharma has a hundred and two fifties in his last four outings.
India remained on course for a 2-0 series sweep after enforcing the follow-on but West Indies produced a much better batting display in their second innings to reach 173-2 on day three of the second and final Test in New Delhi on Sunday.
Gavaskar said India need to put their "head down" and try and get as close as possible to Australia's total. R
Ashwin, speaking on his YouTube channel, lashed out at England's actions and Stokes' apparent frustration.
Marco Jansen demolished the Indian batting line-up with a six-wicket haul before South Africa extended their lead on Day 3 of the second and final Test.
'Imagine Thala & Thalapathy in this field together!' -- a nod to the iconic duo's immense popularity.
'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.'
Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel faced spinners while wearing only one pad to counter the turning deliveries, a method that comes with an element of risk, in Kolkata on Monday.
Names of Bumrah, Jadeja should be considered for India captaincy: Ashwin
Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed his maiden ODI hundred to power India to a 2-1 series win after they thrashed against South Africa by nine wickets in the third and final ODI.
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.
'Dhoni is a very cool captain. But he was also very happy and was enjoying that moment.'
'If we play well against those two (Ashwin, Jadeja), we'll generally find ourselves in a better position compared to when they've had a field day and run through us.'
Captain Rishabh Pant conceded that India needed to get better as a Test team.
India will look to address several lingering selection puzzles when they take on South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday in the first ODI of the three-match series, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the set-up for a short audition that could well shape their 2027 World Cup fate.
Shubman Gill putting up a batting masterclass on a good pitch reflected his supreme confidence as India's new Test captain, senior spinner Ravindra Jadeja said on Thursday.
Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh moved up to the sixth and 10th spot respectively in the latest ICC T20 rankings released on Wednesday.
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