Not just the 40 points, India will also be eyeing a 3-0 whitewash in the Gandhi-Mandela series.
Operating like a well-oiled unit, Chennai Super Kings will start as overwhelming favourites when they clash with struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL match in New Delhi on Wednesday.
India will aim to soar higher with the return of Virat Kohli against Joe Root's England
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's astute captaincy will be Chennai Super Kings' biggest weapon against a clinical Kolkata Knight Riders, whose troika of top-notch spinners promise to hold the aces in the high-octane Indian Premier League final in Dubai on Friday.
Pujara, on his part, thanked all the front-line warriors including doctors, para medical staff, and police, who are doing selfless service at this critical juncture.
India opener Rohit Sharma has progressed six places to a career-best eighth position in the MRF Tyres ICC men's Test player rankings after a fine performance in the low-scoring third Test against England in Ahmedabad.
The BCCI tweeted photographs of the Indian contingent before departure with the players sporting customised PPE kits for travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pat Cummins said the Adelaide wicket had played a part in the humbling of India in the first test and the Australia paceman is hoping for another good track when the teams meet again in the second Test in Melbourne on December 26.
After stumps on Day 1, the England captain Joe Root and coach Chris Silverwood spoke to the match referee calling for 'consistency in the process'.
India suffered the ignominy of being restricted to its lowest-ever total in Test cricket, collapsing to 36 for 9 in a terminated second innings against Australia on the third morning of the Day/Night first Test, in Adelaide, on Saturday.
'I couldn't even hold my bat, but I still wanted to carry on batting despite the amount of pain because me staying there was important for the team.' 'It was tough, but if you want to win matches for your team, if you want to contribute, then you will have to overcome such challenges.'
The BCCI on Monday shared a clip of the team's gym session on Twitter.
Rajneesh Gupta presents some interesting numbers from Day 1:
It was a dream come true moment for Tamil Nadu bowlers Thangarasu Natarajan and Washington Sundar as they made their Test debuts at the Gabba.
Hardik Pandya hasn't featured in Tests since 2018 and has only recently recovered from a career-threatening back injury.
Cheteshwar Pujara's masterful 193 and Rishabh Pant's magnificent unbeaten 159 extinguished Australia's hopes of winning the SCG Test.
India retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy with a historic three-wicket win over Australia in the fourth and final Test, in Brisbane, successfully chasing a 328-run target to seal the four-match series 2-1.
Labuschagne said Australia were expecting a little more help from the fifth day pitch but credited India for hanging on for a remarkable draw.
Cheteshwar Pujara stood firm to guide India to 151 for three at stumps on Day 3 for an overall lead of 166 runs.
India opener Rohit Sharma has revealed that he has made some technical changes in his batting, like staying steady at the crease and playing the ball closer to his body, in his bid to be successful in the challenging English conditions.
Opener Shubman Gill scored an elegant 50 but India struggled against James Anderson's (3-17) reverse-swing mastery, while left-arm spinner Jack Leach (4-76) ran through the lower order.
India captain Virat Kohli will end the year as the top ranked batsman while Ajinkya Rahane slipped a rung to be seventh in the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Tuesday. Kohli (928) remained 17 points ahead of Australia's Steve Smith who occupied the second spot while New Zealand skipper Kane Willamson (864) ends the year at number three.
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between India and England, at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai.
No sooner had the match ended, social media was abuzz with congratulatory messages for the team.
Images from Day 2 of the first Test between India and England, at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai.
Kohli didn't name anyone but expressed his displeasure at some of the players not showing enough intent to score runs
Ajinkya Rahane brought calmness in the dressing room in the absence of regular captain Virat Kohli, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said on Tuesday after India recorded an epic series-levelling win in the second Test, in Melbourne, on Tuesday.
Opener Desai was well-supported by Snell Patel (72), Cheteshwar Pujara (67 not out) and Sheldon Jackson (73 not out) as Saurashtra pulled off the 372-run chase by losing just four wickets in 115.1 overs.
Warne believes the Australian pace battery deserves more credit for the win in the series-opener than the criticism faced by the Indian batsmen.
Capitals were the best team in the league and their 20-point finish at the group stage was an indication of their consistent performances which didn't dip due to the COVID-19 forced break. CSK, over the years, have been in final eight times and won on three occasions which speak volumes of the team's ability to lift their game just when it's required most.
The three-day practice game will give a chance for the players who are already in the West Indies to shift from limited overs to the five-day format.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said ECB should consider shortening the County Championship this season along with scrapping of overseas recruits for the next two years to reduce costs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has already suspended all cricket activities till July 1 due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than three million people globally.
Rahane also pointed how the coach's contribution was the key to the team's success.
Virat, Ishant set to return for England series starting Feb 5 as selection for first two Tests takes place on Tuesday.
New Zealand's 6-foot-8-inch pace sensation Kyle Jamieson's father savours his son's memorable Test debut against India in which he snared 3 for 38 on Day 1 of the first Test.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Sri Lanka and India in Galle, on Wednesday.
Images from Day 3 of the fourth Test between Australia and India, at the Gabba, on Sunday.
India will need to bat 90 plus overs on the final day of the third Test and score another 309 runs with Pujara and Rahane aiming to save the match
India captain Virat Kohli described Cheteshwar Pujara's 132 not out against England in the first innings of the ongoing fourth Test as the Saurashtra batsman's best innings that deserves to be at the top.
India finished the penultimate day on 39-1, still 381 behind the target
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