Daryl Mitchell becomes only the second player from New Zealand to hold the top the ICC ranking for ODI batters.
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.
Noor Ahmad excelled on his Chennai Super Kings debut before Rachin Ravindra and Ruturaj Gaikwad stuck sublime half-centuries to set up a four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians.
Grind pays off for Ruturaj Gaikwad, now upto him and luck to prove his 50-over mettle.
The Proteas arrive high on confidence, having fought out a hard-earned 1-1 draw in Pakistan last month under challenging conditions.
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.
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.
KKR, CSK to engage in bidding war in IPL mini-auction with big purse in hand
India's strategy of playing two fast bowlers, one pace bowling all-rounder, and three spinners could possibly come in handy on this surface.
The home side, chasing a 2-0 series sweep, reduced West Indies to 140-4 with left-armer Jadeja (3-37) leading the way.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was seen greeting Lara with a handshake and a hug.
Jadeja said he doesn't think too much about records but is always conscious of performing strongly with both bat and ball to justify his role in the team.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi 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.'
Shubman Gill struck his 10th Test century, while Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets as India dominated Day 2 of the second Test against West Indies, in Delhi, on Saturday.
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.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi on Sunday.
Responding to India's squad selection for the home series against West Indies, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan opined that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah could have been rested for the series in order to groom a young fast bowler.
India bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted his side was "surprised" by how quickly the Eden Gardens surface "deteriorated" after a dramatic second day in which 15 wickets fell and the opening Test swung sharply in India's favour.
John Campbell, who registered his maiden Test century, had mixed emotions after the end of day four in the second Test against India, in Delhi, on Monday.
The series promises a fascinating duel between the two modern-day pace greats.
Mohammed Shami was once ignored for the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa, despite having proved his fitness in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
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.
India's awe-inspiring batting depth will face a stern test against South Africa's quality spin attack in the first Test, starting in Kolkata on Friday.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi on Tuesday.
We didn't ask for rank turners so need to put in more effort to get bounce and turn: Jadeja
Skipper Shubman Gill acknowledged that the choice between a spinner and an extra seamer for the first Test against South Africa is nothing short of a "conflict".
India crushed West Indies by an innings and 140 runs inside three days in the first Test to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, in Ahmedabad, on Saturday.
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.
Ravindra Jadeja's standout performance in the first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad has helped him reach a career-best 25th position in the ICC men's Test batting rankings.
Rishabh Pant's return to competitive cricket after a three-month injury-enforced hiatus will be the primary focal point of India A's four-day match against South Africa A.
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.
College students in Bihar, many first-time voters, express concerns about job opportunities and education quality ahead of the state elections, desiring a government focused on employment and strengthening the education system.
While many captains have buckled under the pressure, the responsibility to lead a team followed by a billion-plus fans appears to have brought the best out of Gill.
'Rishabh Pant is not fit for West Indies series, hopefully he will be available for home Tests against South Africa.'
With no ODI series in Australia in the next two years, it is impossible to think that the legendary duo will again be seen Down Under in India blues.
'To take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible, but he is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is.'
South Africa will aim for their first Test victory in India in more than 15 years.
Ten police personnel, including a sub-divisional officer, have been suspended in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district for allegedly looting hawala money being transported to Maharashtra.
'I think it's an ongoing process, just continuously putting in hours of work and speaking to people that have played in these conditions, have done well in these conditions.'
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