Root said that spinning tracks will throw challenges to the visiting team but they are adapting to the conditions quickly.
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur says his team is calm ahead of the big match against arch-rivals India and says he will field a wicket-taking attack on Sunday
Shami will be given adequate rest in between matches, said Kings XI Punjab coach Mike Hesson
Spin legend Shane Warne has rated Steve Smith as a better Test batsman than India captain Virat Kohli, saying when it comes to five day game the Australia skipper "is the man".
Swing bowler Vernon Philander sent a strong message to the South African one-day international selectors about his prowess in the 50-over game with a superb performance as the Proteas defeated Pakistan by four wickets in the final match of the series in Centurion on Saturday.
Former South African batsman Jonty Rhodes, who has plied his trade in India both as a cricketer and a coach, feels England will find it difficult to cope with the Indian conditions during the upcoming Test series.
Du Plessis had a tough time in 2015, scoring just 60 runs in seven innings.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
Images from Friday's IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore, in Kolkata.
Perhaps for the first time, India's pace strength is not centred on any one individual, or set of individuals.
Umesh Yadav has expressed his surprise at the ultra-defensive strategy employed by the South African batsmen in the fourth and final Test but reminded them that one cannot last an entire fifth day by "just blocking" deliveries.
Images from Sunday's World Cup match between Pakistan and South Africa, at Lord's.
India was ranked 12th among the large economies in 2008, and moved up to 10th by 2013, overtaking Canada and Spain.
'In the future, you will get pacers who will bowl even faster than the current lot because these guys are currently setting new standards.'
When he's got his rhythm and his form is good, he's definitely the best around -- I think that is without question, says former Australia captain Allan Border.
Factbox on major ball-tampering incidents in cricket
Getting whacked on the hand by a Cameron Bancroft shot would not keep Steve Smith from the Boxing Day Test against England, the Australia captain said on Monday.
Former South African fast bowler Fanie De Villiers has praised Mohammed Shami as India's best Test bowler and added that the Proteas could easily fit him in their highly-competitive pace attack.
There was no shortage of quotable quotes. Here's some of the more memorable ones.
South African skipper Faf du Plessis ratcheted up the rhetoric on the eve of the much-anticipated opening Test against India, saying they have a 'score to settle' with the World No 1.
A look at how the Indian players rated in the Test series against South Africa.
South Africa's pace bowlers laid the foundation for a crushing nine-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first Twenty20 international at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis described Kagiso Rabada's performance as "phenomenal" after the young paceman helped turn a parlous situation on day two of the first Test against Australia into a thumping 177-run victory on Monday. The tourists had done well to get to 242 all out after being 5-81 on day one but were looking down the barrel of a heavy defeat when Australia raced to 158 without loss on day two. Matters got worse when, having finally broken the opening partnership, South Africa's pace spearhead Dale Steyn was forced off the field with a shoulder fracture that ruled him out of the series.
India coach Ravi Shastri on Monday defended the team management's decision to leave out Ajinkya Rahane from the first two Tests in South Africa, saying Rohit Sharma was the best option going by form.
Was any cricketer missing at the skipper's wedding reception in Mumbai?
'In what could be a watershed series, they have also caused a change in the way Australia will play their cricket in the future following the ball-tampering furore for which this series will long be remembered.'
Opener Aiden Markram led the way with a career-best 152 as South Africa had the better of the opening day of the fourth Test against a much-changed Australia, reaching the close on 313 for six on Friday.
Bharat Arun is focussed on his next goal -- preparing the talented back-up pacers keeping an eye on the 2019 World Cup in England.
The home side have a narrow advantage of 20 runs with the brilliant De Villiers on 74 from 81 balls and all-rounder Vernon Philander to resume on 14 in the search for what could be crucial first innings runs in an engrossing contest.
Virat Kohli and Indian cricket remained an enduring love story and Sourav Ganguly held out promise for a path-breaking reign off the field in a year during which the country finally embraced pink ball Tests. There were the heartbreaks, the biggest one being a World Cup semi-final exit, and not to forget the anxious wait on what Mahendra Singh Dhoni might do next after being on a sabbatical for half the year.
'Bhuvneshwar can swing the ball, Bumrah has a difficult action to pick, Shami's seam position is outstanding, one of the best probably in world cricket and his rhythm is outstanding.' 'Umesh is fantastic as well and so is Ishant.' 'So we have all the tools.' 'It is just about them hitting the right length as quick as possible.'
'Not having the best bowler in the world is never a nice thing.' 'It is not the name that we play, it is a cricket ball that we face.'
South Africa cricket captain Faf du Plessis expressed disappointment on Wednesday that his sanction for ball-tampering had taken the "shine" off the Proteas' series-winning triumph in Australia and denied he had intended to cheat.
A keen contest is on the cards as Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals cross swords in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Bengaluru, on Sunday.
The ballooning of crude prices has significantly increased the country's oil import bill and it can also lead to a worsening of the current account deficit and fiscal deficit for the domestic economy.
South Africa opener Dean Elgar reckons that the toss will play an important role in tougher Indian conditions during the four-Test series and said they will look to put the Indian new ball bowlers under pressure early on.
Australia coach Darren Lehmann has been rewarded for his integral role in turning around the fortunes of the team with a one-year contract extension until June, 2017, Cricket Australia said on Friday.
What has changed to make our team so much more lethal, asks Aakar Patel.
Dhoni has turned back the clock with his last three innings, two of them half centuries, adding to the fine run of imposing all-rounder Shane Watson.
The 22-yard strip at the Feroz Shah Kotla will be the cynosure of all eyes as a buoyant India seeks their biggest series triumph against South Africa when they square off in the final Test of the four-match rubber in Delhi on Thursday.
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