The absence of two frontline bowlers, Matheesha Pathirana and Tushar Deshpande, and copious amount of dew at the Chepauk Stadium hurt Chennai Super Kings in their seven-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings on Wednesday, reckoned skipper Ruturaj Gaikward.
Rajneesh Gupta gives us all the important numbers from Day 4 of the 4th Test,
Ravindra Jadeja's superb all-rounder show powered Chennai Super Kings to a thumping 28-run victory against Punjab Kings.
'I'm sure there's some niggles. He just has that ability to ignore what it is and do what needs to be done. We're more concerned about his injuries. When I say we, I mean the public (which) is more concerned about his injuries than he is.'
Javagal Srinath of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction
Over the past few years, Shardul Thakur has been in and out of the Indian team but the lack of consistent run hasn't dented the pace bowler's determination to do well whenever he is handed the ball.
'If there had been 10 teams in IPL 1, 2 or 3 the talent pool would have been stretched thin but now the depth in Indian cricket alone means you have seven world class players as the local Indian player and the overseas players complement them.'
Images from the second One-Day International between India and the West Indies, at Port of Spain, on Sunday
VIn a dramatic turn of events on Day 3, India faced a resounding defeat against South Africa in the first Test as their batting lineup crumbled, managing only 131 runs in the second innings after the hosts posted a formidable 408 in their initial essay.
Images from Day 4 of the first Test between England and India, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Saturday.
Having done exceedingly well to not just turn up but run roughshod over a hapless Zimbabwe on all fronts in the preceding two One-Day Internationals, India goes into the third and final match of the series knowing well that the script is unlikely to change when the teams meet again at the Harare Sports Complex on Monday.
India's batters will have to counter a potent Pakistan bowling attack that can make an impact irrespective of the nature of the pitch.
Dhoni, who took two catches in the IPL final against Mumbai Indians, has now taken 94 catches and 38 stumpings.
A belligerent 56 off 32 balls from debutant Ishan Kishan and an unbeaten 73 from captain Virat Kohli steered India to an easy seven-wicket victory over England in the second Twenty20 International, in Ahmedabad, on Sunday.
A summary of Friday's action in the Ranji Trophy matches across the country.
Harbhajan Singh was CSK's third-highest wicket-taker last season.
On paper, though, PBKS looks a tad more stronger than KKR.
Jasprit Bumrah and Shikhar Dhawan are also back in both the squads, while pacer Mohammed Shami got a break from the T20 series.
Sri Lanka are no pushovers but they have faltered more often than not in this World Cup after an superlative show in the qualification round.
Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Shivam Dube has the ability to control matches and teams are "scared" to bowl spin against him, said bowling coach Eric Simmons after the left-handed batter hit 38-ball 66 not out in CSK's 20-run win over Mumbai Indians in their IPL match in Mumbai.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second ODI against South Africa?
The fast bowler could also miss the upcoming two-Test series, beginning in Chittagong on December 14.
India skipper Rohit Sharma explained the rationale behind Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin's exclusion leaving the team with no right hand off-spin option.
Left-arm India seamer Jaydev Unadkat will join his Saurashtra teammate Cheteshwar Pujara at Sussex for three games in the County Championship in September.
The duo pulled off a superb chase beat Mumbai with 10 balls to spare.
Sans Hardik, it's starting all over again for dominant India
West Indies are smarting from their 0-3 loss at home in the ODIs against Bangladesh. All-rounder Jason Holder has made a comeback and will give much needed balance to the side, led by Nicholas Pooran.
Like all cricketers, Krunal had been confined to his house in Vadodara since March 25, when the centre enforced a nationwide lockdown to curb the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
CSK are coming into the game with back-to-back wins, LSG have endured a mini-slump with two successive defeats.
It is understood that Kuldeep, who had lost his mojo in the Kohli-Ravi Shastri era, has been called back as the current team management and selectors feel that he has the X-Factor to contribute to team's cause.
Virat Kohli joined the national team's training session on Monday at the picturesque Arundel Castle Cricket Club.
On a high after Rinku Singh's phenomenal knock, Kolkata Knight Riders will be gunning for a hat-trick of victories when they face a resurgent Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Rishabh Pant understands the value of his wicket and the reason why the team management often asks him to use his discretion in shot selection during important phases of various matches.
Images from Day 4 of the third Test between South Africa and India, in Cape Town, on Friday.
'The environment has been great and the guys are having fun in the last four weeks. There is absolute clarity when we were chasing it down and there was total belief.'
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has gained a place to be ninth in the latest ICC Test rankings for bowlers following his match-winning spell in the fourth Test against England at The Oval.
SunRisers Hyderabad has the biggest purse while Kolkata Knight Riders has the slimmest purse.
Sundar went on to play a knock of 62 runs in his debut Test
It remains to be seen if Rishabh Pant retains his place in the team after his shocking dismissal at a crucial stage in the second innings of the second Test.
Prasidh Krishna made a comeback to competitive cricket at the RSI grounds in Bengaluru on Monday during the KSCA T20 tournament.
