'The fact is he always needed a challenge. That's what got him going.'
South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad wholeheartedly admitted that the use of the word 'grovel' took the sheen away from his team's landmark Test victory over India.
South Africa batting coach Ashwell Prince said the Proteas' ODI side still needs to sharpen its temperament in "clutch moments".
Virat Kohli smashed record-extending 52nd ODI to guide India to a 17-run win in the series opener, getting India off to a winning start in their three-match series.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who returned to international cricket for the three-match ODI series against Australia recently, were not considered for India A's three-match one-day series against the touring South Africa A side, beginning in Rajkot on November 13.
India have been served well by Shreyas Iyer in ODIs at No. 4 but with the Mumbai batter unavailable due to injury, the team management entrusted Gaikwad with the job to build the innings and he did it with aplomb, hitting his maiden century in the second ODI against South Africa on Wednesday.
Rohit won the 'Player of the Match' award and the 'Player of the Series' award as well for top-scoring in the series with 202 runs, including a century and a fifty each.
Afghanistan keeper batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz has no hesitation in admitting former KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir as the "best coach" that he has played under.
Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, may have expressed support for the Kolkata pitch, but it continues to draw criticism from all quarters.
At this moment, the Indian think tank is doing a tough balancing act of building the team around a new set of players without completely cutting ties with the old guard.
India can draw inspiration from their stunning comeback in the 2016 Chennai Test against England when they triumphed despite conceding 400-plus in the first innings.
'It is really special for me, for Virat Kohli, and all the fans.'
The cricketing fraternity on Monday paid glowing tributes to veteran actor Dharmendra, who passed away in Mumbai at the age of 89.
Virat Kohli and wife Anushka Sharma arrived in Mumbai on Thursday, a couple of days after winning the IPL title.
Kohli's Test retirement makes Tendulkar's record of 100 centuries 'safe'
Rohit finished the ODI part of the tour as the highest run-getter with 202 runs, averaging 101 and was rightfully named Player of the Match and Player of the Series.
'I would say Swastik Chikara, because he does not leave me alone, so, definitely not him (Swastik).'
Pant boost for Delhi as keeper-batter returns for Vijay Hazare Trophy
Dhumal believes 'Ro-Ko' is here to stay in the 50-over format and also appreciated Hitman Rohit's batting masterclass in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Australia, during which he was awarded the Player of the Series.
The focus is to bring momentum back into the Indian dressing room: Morne Morkel
Earlier this week, the duo arrived in Perth with the first batch of the team and practised relentlessly in the nets.
Spin great Ravichandran Ashwin praised Rohit Sharma's remarkable transformation after he surpassed Shahid Afridi's record for the most sixes in ODIs.
K L Rahul takes over the captaincy after regular skipper Shubman Gill missed the series because of a neck injury.
Former India batter Suresh Raina has backed under-fire national head coach Gautam Gambhir, saying the team's recent poor run in home Tests cannot be attributed to the support staff, as players must shoulder responsibility for the results.
Following a disappointing return to international cricket in the first ODI at Perth, Virat Kohli spent a considerable time in the nets on Tuesday, firing some of his trademark shots during the Indian team's first training session ahead of the second ODI in Adelaide on Thursday.
Indian batting icon Virat Kohli hailed the national women's team for the first-ever ICC Women's World Cup win, saying that they deserve all the applause for their historic feat, which saw "years of hard work come to life finally".
Rajat Patidar understands what it would mean for the team to win the coveted Indian Premier League title for one of country's bonafide cricket legends.
Shubman Gill said the masterly innings of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli helped him register his maiden win as India's ODI skipper.
India will be bolstered by the return of former captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - both of whom have retired from Test cricket - adding more depth and experience to the side.
To be or not to be could well be the dilemma in Shubman Gill's mind as he crisscrosses formats, having tweaked his technique from an unorthodox style to a more classical one that is not quite yielding the returns he may have envisaged in T20 Internationals.
Having overseen Kohli's most prolific years as coach, Shastri knows the batter better than most.
SMAT: Haryana beat Bengal to enter Super 8s, Punjab also qualify
"He needs to rotate strike, keep the scoreboard moving": Pathan on Virat ahead of 3rd Sydney ODI
Before this game. Kohli after three poor outings across which he made just 30 runs in RCB's home matches.
Jharkhand-Baroda match ends in draw
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
There is a slight desperation to win ODI series after below par Test outing: Ten Doeschate
I won't be able to play freely if I focus on criticism: Harshit Rana
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli turned a dead rubber into a spectacle, producing a masterclass of batting.
Shining sun, gentle breeze, excited fans in Sydney await India's third ODI against Australia
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