Nine years after he first made his India debut, Sanju Samson finally made it count with three centuries in eight innings against Bangladesh and South Africa last year.
Rishabh Pant is yet to recover from the injury suffered during the fourth Test against England in Manchester in July.
Indian batter and former ODI skipper Rohit Sharma expressed his excitement for the tour to Australia and how much he loves playing against the current 50-over world champions.
'Sanju was playing because Shubman and Yashasvi were not available at that point (and) so was Abhishek. (But) Abhishek's performances clearly make it hard to leave him out. Plus, his bowling (left arm spin) is handy.'
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The architects of the win were Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, who blasted a 105-run opening stand that left Pakistan's bowlers gasping.
The short turnaround time from the high of winning a controversy-marred Asia Cup notwithstanding, Shubman Gill's India will be outright favourites against a struggling and under-strength West Indies when the teams face-off on a green-top in the first Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Images from Day 2 of the 1st Test between India and West Indies in Ahmedabad
'Many things that are happening are not good for Indian cricket.'
'If they have picked him ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal, and as many felt, Sanju Samson, you can imagine how extremely privileged he is.'
'Australia is his favourite hunting ground, and now he is making his comeback after the IPL. I am really looking forward to seeing him bat in those three ODIs, and hopefully, out of those three, he gets at least two centuries for India.'
The Indian team's heavy reliance on all-rounders will be tested by a plucky Australia in the second ODI but the spotlight will continue to stay firmly on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom would look to turn back the clock with series-saving knocks in Adelaide on Thursday.
Test captain Shubman Gill divulged that India is still mulling over its combination ahead of the opening Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad on Thursday, hinting at the possibility of Kuldeep Yadav being sacrificed for batting depth and team combination.
Kuldeep Yadav's artistry was too much for a clueless UAE to comprehend as India hardly broke a sweat in an emphatic nine-wicket victory in their Asia Cup opener in Dubai on Wednesday.
India will be keen to get the job done against Bangladesh and seal their place in Sunday's final before considering resting their players.
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The India vs Bangladesh rivalry has gotten bitter in recent years, thanks to the partisan young fans, many of whom perceive India as an adversary.
The grand comeback party of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma endured a quick 22-ball ending, and their lowkey outing reflected in India's seven-wicket defeat against Australia.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav made optimal use of available resources in both departments as India did enough to beat a spirited Oman by 21 runs to end their league stage commitments in Asia Cup with a hat-trick of victories.
Under Rohit Sharma, India won the 2018 and 2023 ODI Asia Cup, runners-up position in the 2023 World Cup at home and triumphed in the the ICC Champions Trophy in March.
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Since he took over, head coach Gautam Gambhir has stressed on multi-skilled players across formats, especially those who can add batting depth.
Tempers flared, words were exchanged, and emotions spilled over in a heated contest that India ultimately dominated.
Rohit Sharma hit an unbeaten century, while Virat Kohli returned to form with a fluent fifty as India cruised to an emphatic nine-wicket victory in the inconsequential third and final ODI against Australia.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and the West Indies, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday.
Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
Australia held their nerve in a tense chase, edging past India by two wickets to seal the series 2-0 despite a late fightback from the visitors on Thursday in Adelaide.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi on Friday.
India captain Rohit Sharma has climbed to second place in the ICC men's ODI batting rankings, closing in on top-ranked Shubman Gill.
One can't say with a degree of certainty that Rinku Singh is an automatic choice going into the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next year.
'My focus is to keep motivating the guys so that we continue playing positive cricket and turn around our current situation.'
Former World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh led the accolades, hailing the team's 'serious temperament' and singling out the standout performers who defied the odds.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for Thursday's second ODI against Australia?
Gill will try to prove a point with aggressive cricket in Asia Cup, says Irfan Pathan
Abhishek Sharma got into a war of words with Haris Rauf with Shubman Gill also stepping in to protect his younger team-mate.
'...If Shubman Gill had that kind of a fiery side to him, we would have seen it a little earlier. You don't have to show it when you're the captain.
According to sources, the ICC fined Pakistan tearaway, Rauf, while opening batter Sahibzada Farhan received a warning for his controversial celebration gesture during the Super Fours fixture against arch-rival India at the ongoing Asia Cup.
'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.'
The likes of Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel would all like to get some decent hit out there in the middle ahead of Sunday's clash against Pakistan.
Kuldeep was the architect of the collapse, producing a clinical spell of 4/7 in just 2.1 overs.
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