England, set a massive target of 628 in their second innings, were 56 without loss at stumps on day three, a tidy start but still facing the daunting prospect of surviving two more days in Bridgetown.
Gary Kirsten, feels that Duncan Fletcher played a 'huge role' during his four-year tenure.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni can still torment the bowlers around the world for at least two-three years and can win more matches for India if he consistently bats at No 4, former opener Virender Sehwag said.
Mumbai crushed Saurashtra by an innings and 21 runs in the final to win their 41st Ranji Trophy title, in Pune, on Friday.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli thwarted Australia in a diligent partnership to push India to a position of strength and a 166-run lead at the close of day three of the first Test.
The current fiasco now completely established that there is no communication between the selectors and senior players, who decide their own schedule. 'Dhoni feels that it would not be fair for him to join us at this stage, given that the team has done so well and reached the quarter-final stage in his absence. He does not want to upset the team balance'
Congratulating 25-year-old middle order batsman Karun Nair for scoring his maiden triple century, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur on Monday credited Rahul Dravid, India's Under-19 coach, for nurturing and 'well grooming' the youngsters through his valuable tips and vast cricketing experience.
Karun Nair's parents are ecstatic with their son's historic performance after he became the second Indian batsman to score a triple hundred in Test cricket.
However, to successfully complete his transition from a big player to a top administrator, Ganguly will need to combat a variety of challenges facing Indian cricket at the moment.
'I see him playing T20 World Cup in 2020. If I can be a fast bowler at the age of 39, so, with MS Dhoni and his fitness, he can definitely play'
Sports fraternity mourns former PM Vajpayee's demise
India's current and former cricketers took to social media to wish one of India's greatest captains and current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who celebrated his 48th birthday on Wednesday.
Former cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar, among other sportspersons, lavished praise on the Indian cricket team after the defending champions beat arch-rivals Pakistan by 76 runs in their World Cup opener in Adelaide.
India's bowling coach Bharat Arun hailed Mohammed Siraj for his impressive showing with the ball in Australia, saying that the young pace bowler has both the anger and hunger to succeed at the highest level.
While Sangakkara advises the under-fire keeper-batsman to keep things simple
Ravi Shastri, Indian cricket's man for all seasons, has returned to the spotlight by grabbing the much-coveted head coach's job.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India's Chief Executive Officer Rahul Johri will be in Jamaica to meet Indian captain Virat Kohli and his team, in an attempt to get a feedback on the appointment of the new head coach.
It will come as little comfort to India after going 2-0 down in the four-match Test series against Australia but the young touring party have already put on a much better showing than the much vaunted 2011-2012 vintage.
India's rivalry with Australia dates back to 1947-48 when Lala Amarnath's team travelled to take on the hosts, who were captained by batting great Don Bradman. The visitors were beaten 4-0 in the five-match series. A statistical analysis of the Test record between the two teams.
India's cricket fraternity was in shock and disbelief as it mourned the death of 1983 World Cup hero Yashpal Sharma on Tuesday, paying glowing tributes to the former batsman with his teammates from that historic triumph breaking down while remembering him.
The Indian team is unlikely to get a new coach anytime soon with the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee member Sourav Ganguly today saying it will take another couple of months to find a suitable candidate for the high-profile position. This means the team will be without a full-time coach during its tour of Zimbabwe beginning June 11. "It will happen in the next couple of months. I am not too sure if it happens before the Zimbabwe tour because it is not too far away," said Ganguly, who is on the advisory panel, alongside Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman. Post the short tour of Zimbabwe, India travel to the West Indies for a four-match Test series in July-August. Since Duncan Fletcher's departure, India played under the guidance of team director Ravi Shastri, whose tenure ended with the World T20 in March-April.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting on Monday backed Rahul Dravid as one of the best candidates to coach the Indian cricket team.
Opener Rohit Sharma countering Trent Boult's incoming deliveries will make for a fascinating contest, something that Virender Sehwag will be looking forward to during the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, starting in Southampton on June 18.
Dhoni, who turned a year older Sunday, shook a leg with daughter Ziva in the presence of wife Sakshi as his teammates, in his preferred minimalistic manner.
While former Committee of Administrators head Vinod Rai's recently published book gives an insight into the Anil Kumble-Virat Kohli drama and Ravi Shastri's eventual appointment as Head Coach, the book also contains a sprinkling of factual errors.
From Chandu Borde and Salim Durani -- the architects of India's first Test victory at Eden Gardens -- to Sourav Ganguly, the stadium's rich history was hailed as the Cricket Association of Bengal began its 150 years' celebrations of the stadium with a book and documentary launch on Thursday.
Wriddhiman Saha, on Tuesday, said Sunrisers Hyderabad have enough bench strength to replace Australian batsman David Warner, who is facing a lengthy ban from Cricket Australia for his role in the ball tampering scandal.
'There cannot be a batsman in the world less liable to panic than Kane Williamson'
Both Hardik and Shankar are known to hit big sixes, the former using a bit more brute power with his impeccable timing.
The cricketing fraternity took to Twitter to react to the roller coaster finale following an eventful IPL season which produced some unprecedented moments on the field.
'No 3 batsmen are very crucial in the way the team sets up a total.'
BCCI Ombudsman Justice (Retd) D K Jain sought written submissions from Sourav Ganguly and the three complainants in the alleged Conflict of Interest case against the the former India captain.
The 33-year-old last played for India in 2013 during Sachin Tendulkar's farewell Test against the West Indies in Mumbai. He played 24 Tests between 2009 and 2013 during which he took 113 wickets.
'Favourable conditions determine the slots whether it is Nos 6, 7 or 8. It can be any position as per the team management's call'
"He (Kohli) is a fantastic captain. I don't know what he does inside dressing room or what he does tactically, as I'm too far away (from the team). I don't know what he speaks in team meetings but the way he looks after his players is remarkable," Ganguly said during a book launch in Kolkata.
Senior Board of Control for Cricket in India functionary Rajeev Shukla says the decision to give Team Director Ravi Shastri an extension till the 2016 World Cup was based on his good performance and rapport with the players.
This is his 'Test' and for Kohli, a century to mark a 'century' is something he would be craving
The Virat Kohli-led team must take inspiration from the last trip to Sri Lanka, in 2010, when India beat Sri Lanka by five wickets, thanks to hundreds from Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman.
Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody has expressed unhappiness at the way the target for Royal Challengers Bangalore was revised under Duckworth/Lewis method.
The Ganguly-Shastri relationship became a topic of discussion after the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman preferred Anil Kumble over him in 2016, with both having a public fallout.
