Kohli congratulated Watling as both India and New Zealand stepped out to the field on the Reserve Day of the ongoing WTC final
India play their World Test Championship opener against the Windies on Thursday, but captain Virat Kohli will be in a quandary over team selection. Will they play Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma, or drop either to adopt a five-bowler strategy?
Hardik Pandya's leadership skills and India's overall World Cup preparedness will be under focus
With Virat Kohli stepping down as India's Test captain, the reign of the country's "most successful captain" in the longest format came to an end.
India finished as the number one team with 72.2 percentage points in the WTC points table, the factor that determined the final placings rather than total points won, following a change to the points system owing to the Covid-19 disruption.
'For us to come away with a drawn series would be a really good achievement'
New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson is aware that the challenge of playing Test cricket in India will be different from what it is back home, his enviable record notwithstanding.
Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme made themselves unavailable for selection due to the prospect of further time in bio-secure bubbles and Managed Isolation.
'In making such a statement, he has questioned the leadership of Ganguly who is very particular about the rules being followed where fitness of players and selection of players is concerned. It is a serious allegation to make because in doing so he is trying to cast aspersions on the integrity of Shubman and the leadership of Ganguly.'
Australia's blockbuster four-Test series against India will be the greatest challenge Pat Cummins has faced in his young captaincy as he looks to conquer the "final frontier".
'I don't think I have ever been a part of such a Test match where things have happened so quickly.'
India's bowling attack will be lead by Bumrah and will be supported by Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, and Sharma.
People cheered, clapped and held their phones up to record the event as a train rolled to a stop.
Virat Kohli would hope for a turnaround when India take on an under-prepared Sri Lanka in the second Test in Bengaluru
New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson on Thursday said his team will need to make the most of the second new ball when play resumes on the second morning of the first Test against India.
Double centurion Agarwal, meanwhile, climbed to the 11th spot after his player-of-the-match effort of 243 in India's only innings. The 28-year-old has reached 691 rating points after scoring 858 runs in his first eight Tests.
India will be without captain and batting mainstay Virat Kohli, who decided to skip the first of the two Tests, while batter Rohit Sharma, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will miss both matches.
Australia's decision to pull out of next month's three-Test tour in South Africa due to the COVID-19 pandemic is "extremely disappointing" considering the hosts had put in place a number of safety measures, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said on Tuesday.
Former Australian captain, Ian Chappell, one of the game's biggest analysts for many years now, believes India has been well served by fast bowlers such as Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
'But as we know it's harder to get out of this team than get in, so whoever they go with, I'll be well and truly happy with, as long as the person who comes in does their job.'
Spin legend Shane Warne has thanked star batter Virat Kohli for "passionately supporting" Test cricket, a day after he stepped down as skipper of the Indian Test team.
'The only issue for me as far as the Indian team is concerned is the batting.' 'When we lost in New Zealand, the batting was the major issue.'
The choice of Jayant Yadav as back-up off-spinner in Test squad, or picking Baba Aparajith over the likes of Mandeep Singh and Sheldon Jackson in India A, could raise pertinent questions as to whether enough respect has been given by this committee when it comes to selecting performers in domestic cricket.
Former opener Sunil Gavaskar predicted an India win by a 4-0 or 3-1 margin, depending on the weather, adding that the visitors would emerge victorious anyway as England is depleted without the likes of Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer.
Images from Day 4 of the second Test between India and England, at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai.
'The confidence and the kind of cricket India has played in the recent past will be a big factor.'
Boult, De Grandhomme cleared to travel to Perth for first Test against Australia
'I can confidently say there will be another financial crisis soon enough, and probably more than one global crisis within the next century, given the increasingly integrated nature of the global economy.'
