For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
Senuran Muthusamy and Marco Jansen made Indian finger spinners' look ordinary in good batting conditions with invaluable lower-order contributions as South Africa seized control of the second Test.
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
'Jassi bhai just told me that the wicket-taking option was if you bowl at the stumps...'
As India gear up for the T20 World Cup at home, the selectors have backed a squad built on impact, and versatility.
The Proteas arrive high on confidence, having fought out a hard-earned 1-1 draw in Pakistan last month under challenging conditions.
'Raising the retrenchment, layoff and closure threshold to 300 workers for prior government permission enables hire-and-fire in more than 90 per cent of the Indian workplaces. More than 12,00,000 disputes are now pending for adjudication with an average disposal period ranging from 3 to five years for more than 75 per cent of the disputes.'
Rohit Sharma shared a few words of encouragement before presenting the cap to the youngster.
Little-known ambidextrous Bengal spinner Kaushik Maity seamlessly doubled up for both roles during the optional practice session.
Washington lifted the gloom with a couple of unplayable deliveries that castled Ravindra and Tom Blundell (3) in a 10-minute spell before tea.
'We would like to believe and back ourselves to know these conditions or adapt to these conditions a lot faster even if we find them slightly different, as compared to, say, somebody who is brought up in Johannesburg and has played all his cricket at the Wanderers ground.'
It's Diwali in every home, and just like Bollywood, southern stars are celebrating too.
'It was good fun. I was obviously really nervous. Super stoked for the boys to get the win.'
Simon Harmer led South Africa's lion-hearted bowling effort as the Proteas registered a thrilling 30-run victory against India inside three days of the low-scoring opening Test.
Rinku Singh, known for his hard-hitting abilities down the order, rolled his arms over during a training session on the eve of the opening game of the 5-match T20 series against Australia in Canberra on Thursday.
Gill may miss ODI series due to unhealed neck injury; Rahul, Pant in line for ODI captaincy
Rishabh Pant back in full flow as India step up nets ahead of SA opening Test
Cheteshwar Pujara refuses to believe India's recent poor record at home is because of transition.
India have long curated home tracks that accentuate turn, but the assumption their own batters would master such conditions no longer appears safe following their defeat in the opening Test against South Africa.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and South Africa, in Kolkata, on Friday.
The track is historically a high-scoring one and the outfield is quick. But on a red soil surface, the ball grips and can surprise the batters.
'You saw Yashasvi Jaiswal start in the second innings, did you see the first three balls, the kind of shots that he attempted?'
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.
India will look to overcome batting inconsistencies and finish the tour of Australia with authority when the two sides clash in the fifth and final T20 International in Brisbane on Saturday.
Washington Sundar was recognised for his exceptional fielding performance during India's recent T20I series sweep against Bangladesh.
Grind pays off for Ruturaj Gaikwad, now upto him and luck to prove his 50-over mettle.
The T20 WC champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
Shubman Gill's form in the series is a concern for India as he has now gone six games without a half-century.
Rishabh Pant's place in the playing eleven is far from guaranteed, while Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy are locked in a tight contest for the additional all-rounder's slot as India confront several selection dilemmas ahead of the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi.
Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh expressed disappointment at the loss but praised India's all-round performance.
Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad hundreds help India set 359-run target in second ODI
Washington Sundar has known Nitish Reddy as a "mentally strong man" whose philosophy in life is to give his 120 percent, be it on the field or off it.
While India left out Kuldeep Yadav for the second match in a row, Australia's leg-spinner Adam Zampa took a four-wicket haul and was named the man of the match.
Application required in Test cricket was missing, says Kumble after India's batting collapse
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.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
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.
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Ravindra Jadeja said the looming series defeat to South Africa will have no bearing on India's next Test assignment in Sri Lanka in August next year.
India's strategy of playing two fast bowlers, one pace bowling all-rounder, and three spinners could possibly come in handy on this surface.
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