Mark Wood and Alzarri Joseph scarred the likes of Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan in Delhi's line-up in the first two games. Now, when these talented but low on confidence willow wielders face an attack comprising Trent Boult, KM Asif and Jason Holder they will have to negotiate speeds of mid-130 kmph.
Delhi Capitals will need their under-performing Indian batters to deliver when they take on the mighty and versatile Gujarat Titans in the IPL match in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid have enough options to choose from with selectors adding three players to the squad -- Sarfaraz Khan, Sourabh Kumar and Washington Sundar.
Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who entered the elite 500 Test wicket club at Rajkot, climbed a rung to the second position behind pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
India's 40-4 (win-loss) home record in the last decade is awe-inducing but there is an ever-little crack, which is getting more pronounced in the past three years, particularly in the case of star batter Virat Kohli.
Legendary Sachin Tendulka's presence on the second day served as a huge motivating factor for 19-year-old Mumbai batter Musheer Khan.
He along with Sunrisers' bowling coach and spin legend Muthiah Muralitharan were seen engaging in an intense planning from the dug-out when Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers were batting in full-flow at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday. Sunrisers batting coach VVS Laxman may be disappointed with his team's defeat in the first game of IPL 9, but the legendary Indian batsman had special praise for U-19 star and RCB finisher Sarfaraz Khan. Laxman also feels that it was Sarfaraz, who took the game away from them, when the 'enormously talented' Mustafizur Rahman had pulled it back by dismissing AB and Watson in quick succession. Here is what Laxman had to say after the match.
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings, in Sharjah, on Sunday.
"He (Sarfaraz) has shown himself to be a fine captain and yes he was struggling a bit for form but when a senior player is under pressure you have to encourage and back him, not dump him like this".
We have plans to counter England's aggression, worked on sweep shot: K S Bharat
The last time India fielded five or more debutants in a Test series was during the 1996 tour of England when current Head Coach Rahul Dravid, Batting Coach Vikram Rathour, Bowling Coach Paras Mhambrey all made their debuts along with Sourav Ganguly, Venkatesh Prasad and Sunil Joshi.
'They need batters who can bat out a full session in Australia.' 'You have seniors like Pujara and Rahane, who are scoring runs in domestic cricket. They have experience of Australian conditions too.' 'They should be given a chance to make a comeback, no harm in trying especially when your batting line-up is not even lasting a full session.'
Saha said a cricketer should treat every match with equal importance citing his own example.
Hurt India eye sweeping changes in approach against England's 'Bazball' in second Test
Saurabh Kumar grabs his 22nd five-for as India 'A' close-in on victory over Lions
Sacked Sarfaraz Ahmed had the chance to make a graceful exit as PCB had advised him to step down as captain in all three formats but the wicketkeeper-batsman turned down the suggestion.
Bengal too good for Uttarakhand
Images from Day 4 of the fourth Test between India and England in Ranchi on Monday, February 26.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood and head coach Jason Gillespie will no longer have a say in selection matters after the PCB selectors cut down their powers, according to a source.
Images from Day 2 of the fourth Test between India and England in Rajkot on Saturday, February 24.
For the 'Bazball' inspired England, the win in Hyderabad has become a distant memory and a repeat of 2021 looks likely when India bounced back to win the four-Test series 3-1.
Rohit has managed just one half-century in his last eight innings in which he has tallied 104 runs. Kohli's freefall in Test cricket continues. He has fallen to spin three times in the first two Tests. Ashwin, usually, dominant at home, managed just six wickets in the first two Tests at an average of 43.
Pakistan have dropped plans to conduct "major surgery" on the national team as it included senior players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi in the Test squad for the two-match series against Bangladesh.
Chahal's figures of 3 for 29 spun the game in RCB's favour and was a reminder to the selectors about what India will be missing come the T20 World Cup later this month.
India skipper Rohit Sharma on Sunday credited the young and inexperienced members of his side for their role in delivering the team's biggest ever Test win, in terms of runs, in Rajkot on Sunday.
Job is far from done for Mumbai against Vidarbha, says Shams Mulani
Batsman Fawad Alam, who was also named in the 20-member squad along with two specialist spinners could make a comeback to Pakistan's Test team after 11 years.
Jasprit Bumrah emerged as the lone bright spot with a record haul of 32 wickets.
Skipper Rohit Sharma stressed on the Indian team's ability to win games on any surface including rank turners, following its record 434-run win over England on a flat track in Rajkot on Sunday.
Delhi Capitals are looking like an outfit that is bereft of a Plan B as it became apparent in their 50-run thrashing at the hands of Lucknow Super Giants.
Durham pace duo of Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse wreaked havoc on a depleted India A side as they bowled the hosts out for a modest 192 to give England Lions upper hand in the third and final unofficial Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Uncapped pace bowler Akash Deep has emerged as the frontrunner to partner Mohammed Siraj in the fourth Test against England after he was seen sweating it out during optional training in Ranchi on Thursday.
India will secure a series victory with a win against England in the third Test beginning in Ranchi on Friday but they must do so without their pace spearhead against a touring side looking to uphold their aggressive style of play.
Delhi Capitals will look to do the double when they host Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL contest at home on Saturday.
A summary of the opening day's play in the Elite Group Ranji Trophy matches across the country.
Pace sensation Umran Malik, 22, has also been named in the squad.
Kuldeep Sen blew away the last two batters with scorching pace and steep bounce to finish with a match haul of eight wickets as Rest of India won their 29th Irani Trophy with a walk-in-the-park eight-wicket victory over Saurashtra.
'Even if we had won the New Zealand series 3-0, it would have meant little because the conditions in Australia are very different, and the team there is very different.' 'In Australia, you just go with a clean slate and start fresh. It doesn't matter what has happened on the previous page.'
How India's players fared in the England series.
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