'I think the partnership between me and Washington was very important.'
All-rounder Axar Patel was named vice-captain of the squad, which also saw the return of in-form Ishan Kishan, who pipped Jitesh Sharma as the second wicketkeeper behind Sanju Samson.
Spin great Harbhajan Singh said India don't have a specialist off-spinner for Test cricket.
'It could be a slightly unpopular choice because he hasn't scored even 1,000 runs in List A cricket.'
Ishan Kishan displayed the menacing form he has shown of late in the India nets on Wednesday until being hit by a sharp Jasprit Bumrah yorker.
Sai Sudharsan spoke on how Tamil Nadu team-mate Washington Sundar has been an 'inspiration' for him, motivating him to rise up the ranks and break into the Indian team.
In this rivalry, numbers fade and national pride takes centre stage.
India's cricket team intensifies spin practice, with Abhishek Sharma leading the charge, as they prepare for Wednesday's T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands.
Steyn, however, argued that once the draw had been secured, personal milestones should have been secondary to the spirit of the game.
India's young fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy should be persisted with and the cricket fraternity must not rush to pass judgement, former players Aakash Chopra, Robin Uthappa, and Manoj Tiwary said on Thursday.
India and Pakistan clash in a highly anticipated T20 World Cup match. India needs middle-order stability and a fit Abhishek Sharma, while Pakistan's spin attack poses a threat. The weather forecast predicts a high chance of rain.
'I had specific plans coming into this Test, and Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) helped me shape and refine them in the lead-up.'
'We are fully focused on this series. Every series is important. Individually for these players, there's a lot at stake.'
'Even if Reddy fails, the management should persist with him, and India will eventually get a good all-rounder.'
Pakistan is expected to field four specialist bowlers, including two spinners and two pacers, in their crucial T20 World Cup match against India in Colombo.
Dhruv Jurel on Sunday replaced an injured Rishabh Pant in India's ODI squad for the three-match series against New Zealand in Vadodara.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to introduce a revised central contract system, under which the Grade A+ category will be discontinued.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, arrived in Delhi on Tuesday and linked up with rest of the Indian team, many of whom were playing in the two-Test series against West Indies.
Shivam Dube's explosive innings helped India recover from a slow start against the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup, after the top order struggled against Aryan Dutt's spin bowling.
'The game a couple of days ago was very, very close. So it was good to get here today. And, you know, beautiful practice wicket. So hopefully another cracking game tomorrow.'
Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj is likely to replace Harshit Rana in the T20 World Cup squad after Rana sustained an injury during a warm-up match against South Africa.
Sunil Gavaskar believes Abhishek Sharma is struggling with expectations in the T20 World Cup and advises him to avoid risky shots early in his innings. Gavaskar also praises Shivam Dube and Varun Chakravarthy's performances and suggests potential changes for the Super 8 clash against South Africa.
'It was all about having a good partnership, and we said once we are set, we will take it from there.'
In India's first innings, only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 97 balls) and Washington Sundar (48 off 92 balls) could contribute substantially as the home team suffered a batting collapse after starting the day at 9 for no loss.
Ten Doeschate admitted that, in hindsight, India would have preferred playing a third spinner instead of Reddy, given how effectively New Zealand's spinners exploited the conditions.
'I mean, KL Rahul is certainly good enough to be a number five.'
Former all-rounder and head coach Ravi Shastri has thrown his weight behind young Washington Sundar to be a 'genuine all-rounder for many, many years for India'.
Boycott defends Jadeja, Sundar for declining draw offer; slams England's bowling
Indian team management will heave a sigh of relief with Tilak Varma ticking all the boxes on his return to competitive cricket after a lower abdominal surgery as the 'A' team, comprising mostly of IPL stars, comfortably defeated the United States of America by 38 runs in a high-scoring warm-up game in Navi Mumbai on Monday.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir mounted a strong defence of the tough Eden Gardens pitch despite losing to South Africa in the first Test.
India should seriously consider playing Kuldeep but it will be selection dilemma: Harmison
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill's indifferent form is a massive concern but the national selection committee is unlikely to make any shocking changes when it picks the 15-member squad for next year's T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Saturday.
Later, priests honoured the visitors with the temple's Shesha Vasthram (sacred cloth) and presented them with the deity's portrait and prasadam on behalf of the Devasthanam.
Even as the focus remains on the T20 World Cup which is less than a month away, Kohli and Rohit will hog the limelight in the three ODIs over the next seven days.
'One who was aggressive in the Powerplay, and the other after the Powerplay when wickets were falling he turned into an adamant batter, who batted sensibly and was not ready to give away his wicket.'
Images from Day 5 of the second and final Test between India and South Africa, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, on Wednesday.
Gautam Gambhir's penchant for shuffling cricketers has often come under sharp scrutiny, but the head coach insisted that "batting order is overrated" in white ball cricket, strongly hinting of him sticking to his trusted ways.
India will be hoping that Abhishek Sharma returns to his destructive ways and the other batters up their game against spin when the side takes the field for its final T20 World Cup league fixture against the Netherlands.
Pathan also lauded young Harshit Rana's all-round contribution, insisting the pacer is earning his place purely on merit.
Washington Sundar is ready to bowl 50 in an innings if that's what the side wants of him.
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