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.
Managing the senior generals has proven to be quite a headache for General Asim Munir, even as he and his team of loyal henchmen labour hard to dispel the sense of unhappiness among the public about the army's overbearing presence and interference in matters 'civilian', notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
Mayank Agarwal, vice-captain of South, Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw have come to this match riding on heaps of runs that they have made in the previous Ranji season.
India were without several frontline players and fielded five debutants in the series.
Unbeaten fifties from opener Yaseen Valli and Jean du Plessis helped South Africa 'A' earn a draw against India 'A' on the fourth and final day of the first Unofficial Test.
Saurabh Kumar grabs his 22nd five-for as India 'A' close-in on victory over Lions
>Deep was picked ahead of Bengal team-mate Mukesh Kumar after his impressive performances for India 'A' against England Lions, when he took 13 wickets in three games and for his consistent performances for Bengal in domestic cricket.
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.
Bypolls are due in Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
Hurt India eye sweeping changes in approach against England's 'Bazball' in second Test
India may not be contemplating life after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli just yet but the robust display of their fringe players against England will have eased any fears about how they will cope when the old guard steps aside.
Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel pulled off a nervy chase as India beat England by five wickets in the fourth Test on Monday to claim an unassailable 3-1 lead.
England eye lead after Bashir wrecks India in Ranchi
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the fourth Test against England?
Pakistan rode on Azan Awais' classy unbeaten century to beat arch-rivals India by eight wickets in the ongoing U-19 Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav became the first Indian bowler to register a hat-trick in the ICC Under-19 World Cup before the defending champions struggled to a five-wicket victory over minnows Scotland while chasing a paltry target of 88.
Suspended Janata Dal-United Member of Legislative Assembly Sarfaraz Alam was on Sunday arrested for allegedly misbehaving and abusing a Delhi-based couple on board Rajdhani Express.
The objection comes against the backdrop of strong rumours and the Bharatiya Janata Party claim that Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana will be the first choice for the chief minister's post in case her husband was arrested.
Keep an eye on these five players during the tournament.
Reeling at 156 for six at stumps on the fourth and penultimate day, South Zone were staring at a heavy defeat
The Indian team was just too good for the Irish and the gulf in standard was evident across all departments.
Arshin Kulkarni slammed a stroke-filled century before pacer Naman Tiwari's grabbed four wickets as India recorded a facile 201-run win over USA in their final group game of the U-19 World Cup in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
Opener David Warner brushed aside any doubts about his Test match pedigree on Thursday with a brutal 164-run assault on Pakistan's bowlers.
'The series has shown a lot of talent, for us and India. I love Test cricket and we've seen some young, inexperienced players perform and the future looks bright in this format.'
India skipper Rohit Sharma on Monday had a stern message for aspirants wanting to make the national Test team without putting in the hard yards -- opportunities will only be given to those who show "hunger for success" in the "toughest" format.
Young Indian players showed immense fortitude to tide over the absence of stars like Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami to out-punch England 4-1 in the Test series, and head coach Rahul Dravid lauded them for delivering in crunch situations.
Shashank Singh says not finding a place in the Mumbai Ranji team was a turning point for his career.
RCB wicketkeeper-batter Anuj Rawat said that the franchise will be starting its preparations for the IPL from March 10 onwards.
Wickets fell at a steady rate thereafter, with Jayasuriya striking three times, claiming the wickets of Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam and Sarfaraz Ahmed to leave Pakistan struggling at 101 for five.
Lahore Qalandars took to Twitter and shared the pictures from Shaheen's wedding ceremony.
A state association official said Ranji Trophy runs the risk of 'a slow death if it was not made mandatory for top players to compete'.
The "composed" set of newcomers in the Indian team don't need frequent advice, they need just a supportive environment to excel, said skipper Rohit Sharma after the young guns played a major part in the hosts' series-sealing win over England in the fourth Test in Ranchi on Monday.
Saurabh Kumar grabbed five wickets to play a big role in India 'A's series clinching 113-run victory
Chasing 192 for a victory that would fetch them an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, India cruised to 40 for no loss at stumps on day three.
New Zealand, who abandoned their white-ball tour of Pakistan last year due to security concerns, are looking to end a run of four straight test defeats with Southee as the new captain following the six-year tenure of Kane Williamson.
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.
Cheteshwar Pujara looked rock-solid while Suryakumar Yadav played his natural attacking game as their contrasting half-centuries put West Zone in complete control.
Chasing the modest target, Mumbai had their share of hiccups before Sarfaraz Khan once again showed what he is capable of with a timely unbeaten 36-run cameo off 31 balls to help his side cross the line with three balls to spare.
IMAGES from the Under-19 World Cup match played between India and Bangladesh on Saturday.
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