Successful in keeping opponents and vitriol at bay so far, India will have to rise above traditional bugbear New Zealand and a rigmarole of emotions surrounding stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to reclaim the Champions Trophy after 12 years in Dubai on Sunday.
The Men's Selection Committee has picked India's 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match IDFC FIRST Bank Test series against New Zealand.
With the series locked at 1-1, Brisbane could well decide the course of the rubber and whether Rohit's men would continue to be the master of their fate in the ongoing World Test Championship.
'When you are scoring runs and taking wickets, everyone is standing with you.' 'But the real test is to realise who is with you during your tough times.'
The bowlers who bowled the best spell in Bengaluru on Friday, March 29, 2024.
Kapil Dev believes the injury-enforced absence of key players like Jasprit Bumrah can hamper any team and hopes India's pace spearhead will return to action soon.
'I never expected a very easy run for me. I know that we lost in Sri Lanka and against NZ and it is not a good place to be. All we can do is keep working hard and we will try winning every game that we play to represent the country.'
India included two debutants -- Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy -- while leaving out Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Magnificent fifties by openers Virat Kohli and Phil Salt guided RCB to a comfortable seven-wicket win over defending champions KKR.
India's batting is a major concern with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggling for runs ahead of the tour of Australia.
Their pre-tournament decision to fill the squad with five spinners drew a lot of flak from all corners, but it is now proving to be a masterstroke on the slow pitches in Dubai.
Pace sensation Mayank Yadav is expected to unleash his raw speed while the absence of India's T20 regulars will provide another opportunity to the fringe players in the three-match series against Bangladesh, beginning in Gwalior Sunday.
Rohit hinted that the 64-Test veteran could still play a part in the remainder of the five-Test series in Australia.
A seemingly invincible India will be eager to sharpen their game against spin and give a run to second-line players ahead of the semi-final when they take on New Zealand in their last group match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for their first Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh on Thursday?
India will have to wait until day two to show their skills and may need early wickets to force a third consecutive result in the series.
Marnus Labuschagne arrived at the crease in Perth with a plan: channel his inner Cheteshwar Pujara.
India pacer Mohammed Shami has apologised to the fans and the BCCI after the board decided against rushing his return to the team for the high-profile tour of Australia as he is yet to attain match fitness.
Preparation of a turning pitch for the Mumbai Test, resting Jasprit Bumrah and Gautam Gambhir's coaching style were discussed threadbare.
Varun Chakravarthy had a second coming in international cricket with 17 wickets in his last seven T20Is and 12 of them in South Africa in batting-friendly conditions.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Australia and India in Perth, on Friday.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI against Pakistan on Sunday?
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji list the 50 Most Valuable Players in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
'Going into Brisbane, India need a tight strategy for Travis Head and they need to get Akash Deep in and maybe Ravindra Jadeja for Ashwin.'
Mystery spinner bowls in nets as India prep for three-match ODI series vs England.
No Shubhman Gill or Hardik Pandya either in Sanjay Manjrekar's T20 World Cup team.
Kohli was seen remonstrating with the umpires after a controversial dismissal.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the third Test against Australia in Brisbane?
Former India all-rounder Suresh Raina feels middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav will be sorely missed in the upcoming Champions Trophy, as he could have provided the 'X-factor' in Dubai, where Rohit Sharma's side will play all its matches.
India is facing form concerns and selection dilemmas as they enter the final phase of their Champions Trophy preparations.
Since Suryakumar took over as captain last year, India have hardly put a wrong but his own form has dipped.
Starc was the standout performer on a lively Adelaide pitch, returning excellent figures of 6/48 to dismiss India for a mere 180 runs.
Playing as the opener, Sanju Samson has made just 39 runs in the first two T20 Internationals against Bangladesh.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy Group A match played between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in Dubai on Sunday.
India will look to extend lead against England
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes K L Rahul's impressive ODI form has cemented his position as the team's first-choice wicketkeeper.
Sanju Samson's technical weaknesses against express pace along with Rinku Singh's dip in form and fitness issues will be a concern for India
Rohit had missed the opening Test due to the birth of his second child.
India will be under tremendous pressure when they face an equally circumspect Australia in a battle of two out-of-form batting units in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth
Shami has been steadily rebuilding his form through domestic cricket. Making his Ranji Trophy return last November, he guided Bengal to a season-opening victory with a match haul of seven wickets.
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