This isn't just a Test match - it's a test of Shubman Gill's leadership, temperament, and decision-making.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the fifth Test against England?
A dejected Rishabh Pant, who captained India in the second and final Test in Guwahati, apologised to the fans for the team's poor showing against South Africa.
India will kickstart their campaign on September 10 against the UAE. Media reports suggest that Gill could make his return to the T20I team, possibly as vice-captain.
Fans also took to X, calling for Head Coach Gambhir's sacking.
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India will look to address several lingering selection puzzles when they take on South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday in the first ODI of the three-match series, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the set-up for a short audition that could well shape their 2027 World Cup fate.
The indefatigable duo of Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Siraj is expected to be the big talking point on Saturday when the selectors pick a 15-member Indian ODI squad for a three-match series against New Zealand starting January 11 in Vadodara.
'He will have no problems playing under any captain, he will still give his 100 percent for the team.'
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India registered just three victories in 11 Tests, worse than even Zimbabwe and the West Indies...
India's T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill will be reporting at Bengaluru's Centre of Excellence on Monday for his mandatory fitness assessment protocols, which will determine his return to action for the upcoming five-match series against South Africa starting December 9.
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'Five spinners, Siraj ignored for Rana, and Jaiswal dropped. Brain-faded captain and coach combo!'
India lead the five-match series 2-1 and the contest in Ahmedabad on Friday will be their last assignment for the calendar year.
'It is a passing phase'. 'He will bounce back'. 'He is a run machine; poor form is just temporary'. The vote of confidence in Gill was inspiring and reassuring, notes Sandeep Goyal.
The Indian team for the last two matches of the four-Test series against England will be picked in Mumbai, on Tuesday.
Iran is fighting a different war: Older, slower, and in some ways more dangerous. Iran doesn't need to shoot down an F/A-18. It only needs to make the Strait of Hormuz feel dangerous long enough for insurance markets, shipping companies, and oil futures traders to do the rest. Prem Panicker continues his must-read daily blog on the war in the Middle East.
'I knew the finger was broken but I told the physio that I don't want to take any painkillers.' 'I was in very good rhythm and I just wanted to carry on.'
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Despite having an impeccable domestic record and a decent start to his international career, he was not picked for the England tour as selectors preferred Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair over him.
'Gursharan came and helped me reach my hundred and I got selected to play for India after that.'
It took eight years for Karun Nair to don India jersey again but 25 days into his second coming in Test cricket, the Karnataka batter could well have played his last international game
Amid speculations surrounding his participation in the second Test against England in Birmingham, India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah returned to the nets on Saturday and rolled his arms for about 30 minutes.
'They discuss with Gautam the ODI format, the matches that we have and our plans for South Africa.'
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'The real risk is not that AI will fail to transform India's economy.'
'The risk is that it already is -- while our measurement systems continue to look the other way,' observes Nishant Sahdev, a theoretical physicist at the University of North Carolina.
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Australia all-rounder Cameron Green has confirmed that he will be fully available to bowl in the Indian Premier League's 2026 season, clarifying that his listing as a batter rather than an all-rounder ahead of Tuesday's auction was due to a "stuff-up" by his manager.
But Rohit's deplorable form in red-ball in red-ball cricket may have forced this decision.
'As a captain and a player, he never played for a draw, he always wanted to win.'
'The IPL should form the selection basis for the T20 team and at the most the ODI team.'
The track is historically a high-scoring one and the outfield is quick. But on a red soil surface, the ball grips and can surprise the batters.
Quinton de Kock seems to have found another gear since his return to cricket and the South African attributed the new-found freedom in his batting to a mind without any 'baggage'.
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Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is "ready to start" ahead of the first T20I against South Africa of the five-match series, which will take place on December 9.
