A 3-0 lead in the five-match series will be a perfect parting gift for Ranchi's favourite son, who, in all likelihood, will be seen wearing the India Blues for the last time at his home ground.
There are 19 players available for selection and with two in contention for each slot
'I don't have to prove anything to anyone. What my ability is, I need to sharpen it. I don't have to show anyone what I can do. I need to challenge myself'
Delhi's young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant got his maiden Test call-up as he was picked up as the additional glovesman along with Dinesh Karthik after Wriddhiman Saha was ruled out with injury for the upcoming five-match Test series against England.
A win for either side will help it consolidate its position at the top and also seal a spot in Qualifier 1.
# Ravindra Jadeja is the first Chennai bowler to bag 10 wickets in the IPL 2012 at an average of 20.80 in 13 matches.
Bowlers gave India the upper hand as Sri Lanka were bowled out for a below-par 205 in their first innings against India after opting to bat on the first day of the second Test in Nagpur on Friday.
Rajneesh Gupta presents the numbers from the first Test.
Team India, on Wednesday, arrived in London to participate in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's Cricket World Cup, beginning May 30.
Images from the opening day of the first Test match between India and New Zealand in Kanpur, on Thursday.
The focus will be on K L Rahul and Vijay Shankar, contenders for the number four slot, in the World Cup warm up match against New Zealand, in London, on Saturday.
Karthik is a certainty if it's a 40-over-plus per side game.
KKR with 12 points from 12 games would like to win the next two encounters to ensure a smooth passage while CSK, currently at the bottom of the eight-team table, are only playing for pride.
After eight defeats in 11 outings, Chennai Super Kings will look to give their forgettable campaign a semblance of respectability when they take on in-form Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League in Dubai on Sunday.
Mumbai Indians have been in ominous form and the varied bowling attack could prove a challenge for the CSK batters, who are low on confidence.
Considering Hardika Pandya's heavy recent workload, the decision was made to negate any possibility of a major injury concern, the BCCI said on Friday.
Despite being the world's top-ranked Test side India have struggled with their opening combination, which, in turn, has heaped pressure on the middle order.
The two areas where India's team management and selectors need to do a lot of brainstorming are the No 4 slot and an extra fast bowler.
India failed to make the best of first use of the wicket, their batsmen capitulating against both pace and spin as they were dismissed for 215 in the first innings in the third Test against South Africa at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium, in Nagpur, on Wednesday. However, the hosts hit back immediately, claiming two early scalps, leaving the Proteas reeling on 11 for 2 after nine overs at the end of Day 1.
Chennai Super Kings will be aiming to tie up loose ends ahead of the play-offs when they take on a listless Delhi Daredevils
CSK have better resources but they must utilise them to the hilt. Teams:
Pant is likely to do simulation training in Bengaluru by keeping on tracks that offer turn, in order to get ready for the decks that will be on offer in Rajkot and Hyderabad.
The home team's bowlers will be wary of Chris Gayle's power-hitting.
India will look to ensure a smooth passage into the semi-finals with yet another victory.
The needle clash, expected to be watched by a capacity crowd at the Wankhede Stadium, looks set to raise the curtains on the decade-old T20 League in grand style after a formal opening ceremony.
The Elite list is set to comprise only three players ---skipper Virat Kohli, his limited overs deputy Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah.
Chennai Super Kings will aim to maintain their pole position with a victory over a struggling Kings XI Punjab
Dinesh Karthik's experience got him the nod, says Harish Kotian, but Ambati Rayudu's exclusion is puzzling.
Pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar was promoted to Grade A, but Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir, who have lost favour with the selectors, were dropped from the list of BCCI's contracted players for 2014-15.
R Vinay Kumar and Murali Vijay are the new faces in India's 15-man squad for the Twenty20 World Cup, beginning in the West Indies, on Friday.
Chennai Super Kings will look to continue their winning streak when they lock horns with Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL), in Mohali, on Sunday.
Spoilt for choice with a pool of top quality performers in their ranks, formidable India are overwhelming favourites against minnows Bangladesh in a proverbial 'David vs Goliath' one-off cricket Test that starts in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Dwyane Bravo recorded his best IPL figures with a four-wicket haul before Aaron Finch smashed 74 runs off 47 balls as Gujarat Lions thumped hosts Kings XI Punjab by five wickets to make a winning entry into the Indian Premier League match in Mohali.
There has been debate over Shankar being picked in the England-bound India team ahead of Ambati Rayudu, with the selectors saying they went for the 'three-dimensional skills' offered by the Tamil Nadu player.
The mood in the Indian camp was summed up best by the skipper after a green pitch was unveiled on eve of the maiden Test at the new facility.
The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators announced a new category 'A+' with an annual retainership of Rs. 7 crore. The top category includes the likes of captain Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah.
Images from the India v SA, second Test, day 1, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru.
Looking to salvage pride in the third Test beginning, in Johannesburg, on Wednesday, team India got down to business at the Wanderers with a practice session that lasted just under four hours.
Former India speedster Ajit Agarkar hailed the balance of India's bowling attack and said one of the positives for the team is that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah rarely has a bad day in office.
'The confidence and the kind of cricket India has played in the recent past will be a big factor.'
