'...all we were looking for was a leg spinner and Rishad has done very well'
The charismatic presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma alongside a host of top India cricketers lends unprecedented gravitas to the Vijay Hazare One-Day Trophy beginning on Wednesday, giving all of them a chance to prove a point amid a renewed focus on domestic grind.
The South Africa bowling coach is also hopeful of off-spinner Simon Harmer, one of the heroes of the the visitors' memorable win in the first Test at Eden Gardens, playing in the final game of the short series while also ruling out any issue with his fitness.
At 29, when most fast bowlers are either established or quietly drifting out of the spotlight, Auqib Nabi Dar has finally arrived through patience, persistence and a refusal to let geography decide his fate.
Gill back in full flow, Hardik opts out of practice ahead of SA T20I series
In the chase, India lost Shubman Gill for a golden duck, while Marco Jansen got rid of Abhishek Sharma and India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, before Baartman broke the 35-run stand between Axar Patel and Varma.
'We know we're behind the game again, in the situation we currently stand.'
When players select themselves, the selectors' job becomes delightfully simple. But did the Indian selectors have that luxury while picking the T20 World Cup squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup? asks K R Nayar.
Sanju Samson boasts of a superb record in T20 Internationals, with 995 runs in 51 matches at a strike rate of 147.40, including three centuries and as many fifties.
Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes said that Team India does not need to prepare turning wickets as they can bowl out their opponents with their pace line-up and having another spin-friendly wicket for the second Test against South Africa will be a "big test of their ability".
With India conceding more than 600 runs for the first time since 2014, the case for including a wicket-taking spinner like Kuldeep Yadav is stronger than ever for the must-win fifth and final Test against England.
The hype around Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's much-awaited return to international cricket quickly gave way to disappointment in Perth, as both faltered against Australia's fast bowlers in the first ODI after an eight-month hiatus.
Beleaguered India seamer Prasidh Krishna has taken "complete responsibility" for his failure to hit the right lengths during a forgettable outing in the first Test against England, but said he was always trying to make it difficult for the English batters to score freely.
England's Joe Root conquered his final frontier with a first Ashes century in Australia as the tourists pushed past 300 on day one of the second Test in Brisbane on Thursday despite a six-wicket haul from pace spearhead Mitchell Starc.
The Mumbai Indians' paceman reveals the secret of his precision bowling
Ganguly backs fit-again Shami, says he should play for India across formats
Spin great Anil Kumble believes India can fight their way back into the second Test in Guwahati with a strong showing with the bat on the third and fourth days.
Taking his 17th Test five-wicket haul, he finished with 7 for 58 off 12.5 overs.
Was it an injury? A missed opportunity? Captain Shubman Gill has an explanation-but it's not one many are buying.
That is the level of trust we have in each other.'
West Indies' fearsome bowling attacks of old, Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph tore through Australia on Wednesday
The IPL consistently rewards smart squad building, tactical flexibility, and balanced team composition over individual star power. So what exactly are franchises paying for when the bidding war begins?
Australia have suffered another blow ahead of the Ashes opener against England after fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was ruled out due to a hamstring injury on Saturday, further weakening their bowling attack after the loss of captain Pat Cummins.
Having hit Western Australia's golf links before being beaten by eight wickets in Perth, England's enthusiasts will have access to a selection of championship courses to play a round before a refreshing dip in the Pacific Ocean.
Australia captain Pat Cummins is back bowling multiple overs on a reduced run-up and has targeted returning to the team for the second Ashes Test against England, a day-nighter in Brisbane starting on December 4.
Sachin once removed the drive in Australia; maybe Jaiswal needs to shelve the cut shot: Steyn
The focus is to bring momentum back into the Indian dressing room: Morne Morkel
'You have a lot of options if you want to see. You can remove Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill and you can open with Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad...'
With skipper Pat Cummins already out of the series opener because of a back injury, Australia are expected to send out Hazlewood with Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland as their pace attack.
Ignored by the national selectors for T20 set-up, Yashasvi Jaiswal sent another stern reminder to the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee with a blistering 48-ball century as defending champions Mumbai crushed Haryana by four wickets in a high-scoring Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League B match, in Ambi, Pune, on Sunday.
'A couple of weeks ago, did he think he was a chance (to play in Perth)? Potentially not, he was a little bit sore. Then you flip it forward two weeks and there's a lot more positivity. We've still got a little bit to go.'
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.
With Bumrah leading the charge, India prised out five wickets in the second session to snuff out South Africa's hopes of reaching the 200 mark.
Shubman Gill has been guilty of taking too much load on himself since his T20 comeback and the Indian team wants him to bat as freely as he does in the IPL, said assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.
Ruturaj Gaikwad made an unbeaten fifty following Harshit Rana's three-wicket burst as India A crushed South Africa A by nine wickets in the second unofficial ODI in Rajkot on Sunday.
Bengal will be bolstered by the return of veteran pacer Mohammed Shami who has who has been out of India contention since the Champions Trophy.
India have a mounting worry in the lack of runs so far from talismanic Smriti Mandhana, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and the energetic Jemimah Rodrigues.
India pacer Mohammed Siraj on Monday confirmed Jasprit Bumrah's participation in the fourth Test beginning at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The controversial decision to select Shubman Gill in place of a well-settled Sanju Samson as the opener has backfired for the Indian team so far.
Insipid India A go down to Bangladesh A in Super Over of Rising Asia Cup semifinals
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