The dawn of a new era had begun under Sourav Ganguly's aggressive leadership. With Ganguly and Coach John Wright at the helm India had transitioned into a force to be reckoned with.
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan on Thursday termed the non-selection of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the Indian lineup as "madness". "The non selection of @ashwinravi99 has to be greatest NON selection we have ever witnessed across 4 Tests in the UK !!! 413 Test wickets & 5 Test 100s !!!! #ENGvIND Madness," tweeted Vaughan.
Ashwin ended with nine wickets in the ongoing first Test, including 6 for 61
Premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah was on Friday named vice-captain of India for the upcoming three-match home Test series against New Zealand, strongly indicating his possible elevation to the leadership role when the team travels to Australia from next month.
'Every game that he has been part of, where India has won across formats, you will see that Bumrah has left a big imprint on that game.'
IMAGES from Day 2 of the first Test between India and Bangladesh, played in Chennai, on Friday.
He was referring to his Twitter posts after that game in which he asked Morgan and Tim Southee to not use "derogatory" words and lecture him on 'Spirit of Cricket' by taking a moral high ground.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the first Test between India and Bangladesh, played in Chennai, on Saturday.
Only once in the history of Test cricket has a team bounced back to win after being bowled out for less than 50.
India were still staring at a daunting challenge despite a much more assured performance in their second innings, trailing by 125 runs at the close with Sarfaraz Khan on 70 not out after Virat Kohli fell for the same score on the day's final ball.
Shubman Gill believes that revisiting all the technical work that he did before the five-Test series against England earlier this year helped him find his bearings during an impressive knock of 90 on a rank turner that has put India in an advantageous position against New Zealand in the third and final Test in Mumbai on Saturday.
'Firstly, I had this fear... personally I had thought that I won't lose a series in India as long as I am playing. But that too has happened.'
India's 40-4 (win-loss) home record in the last decade is awe-inducing but there is an ever-little crack, which is getting more pronounced in the past three years, particularly in the case of star batter Virat Kohli.
Images from Day 3 in the first Test between India and Sri Lanka, in Mohali, on Sunday.
RR became the first team in IPL history to employ the 'retired out' tactic
Anil Kumble expressed his disappointment with India's humiliating 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand, particularly criticising the team's top-order batting and the questionable pitch preparation.
The sight of a pitch with a fair smattering of grass and premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah putting in hard yards at nets might be the early signs of India sticking to the three pacers theory for the first Test against New Zealand
'It was during Covid that Ashwin realised that family can also be a part of his life. So he expanded a little bit to give us space which gave him more happiness and stability to deal with a lot of things on the field. That is why he has had a detached attachment over the last few years.'
With his four-wicket tally in the WTC final, Ashwin surpassed Australian pacer Pat Cummins who had 70 wickets to his name from 14 Tests
Mominul Haque was batting on 40 with Mushfiqur Rahim on six at the other end when bad light forced players off the pitch and rain followed soon after.
India managed to win the game comfortably on day five despite two full days were lost due to wet outfield at the Green Park Stadium. Even on day one, only 35 overs possible.
An angry Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday asked Eoin Morgan and Tim Southee to not use 'derogatory' words and lecture him on 'Spirit of Cricket' by taking a moral high ground after their on-field bust-up over an extra run during an IPL game.
'What is the use of talent if that player plays so many Tests and averages below 35 after a few years of being in the Indian team?'
Ashwin spoke about his early days in the IPL and how the event exceeded all expectations.
India spared Bangladesh the ignominy of a follow-on but grabbed an overall lead of 308 with seven wickets in hands to seize control of the opening Test in Chennai on Friday.
Ravichandran Ashwin took no time to switch to the red ball format as he got cracking in the nets in Sydney.
This crushing defeat is a major wake-up call for Team India. They now face the real possibility of losing a home series for the first time in over a decade, warns Harish Kotian.
Does Riyan Parag get your vote?
Images from Day 2 of the second Test between India and New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday.
Currently listed at number nine among top-10 wicket-takers in world cricket, in Rohit's eyes, Ashwin is an all-time great.
In-form Sri Lanka right-hander Kamindu Mendis is another player on the move, with the 26-year-old improving five places to 11th and reaching a new career-high rating after he scored another century in the second Test of his side's recent series with New Zealand.
Images from Day 3 of the fifth and final Test between India and England in Dharamsala on Saturday.
IMAGES from the Day 1 of the third Test played between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday
Ashwin picked up a five-wicket-haul in just 13 overs representing Surrey against Somerset
Save Jasprit Bumrah, whose injury-prone body and exceptional skills demand workload management, questions are now being raised as to why the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja opted out of Duleep Trophy.
The Indian team will have a five-day training camp in Chennai ahead of the Test series.
Ravichandran Ashwin feels the IPL is already late in using "retired out" as a tactical move and after becoming the first one to do so, the Rajasthan Royals spin all-rounder expects to see a lot more of it in the near future.
The ICC Awards will comprise a total of 13 individual recognitions in all, as well as five Team of the Year announcements for each format across both men's and women's cricket.
'After the eight-over mark, we felt the wicket was a good one. In our view, we were ten (runs) short. It was a good pitch; it tends to get better here.'
Senior India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin exuded confidence of returning to action following his shoulder injury, saying the pain has subsided considerably and scan reports are encouraging.
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