Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and South Africa, in Kolkata, on Friday.
India captain Shubman Gill admitted that dropped catches and a total which was just adequate cost his side dearly as Australia clinched the ODI series with a disciplined all-round performance in Adelaide on Thursday.
Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh on Friday etched his name into the record books by becoming the first Indian bowler to claim 100 wickets in T20 internationals.
West Indies trounced Nepal by 10 wickets in the inconsequential third and final T20 International to avoid the humiliation of a series sweep.
Sunday's final can be called the ultimate stress-test day for every cricket fan's heartbeat.
Siraj was named the 'Impact Player of the Series' in Team India's dressing room honours.
The new red-soil pitch at Chepauk perfectly aligned with Indian team's vision to give more practice to their pacers ahead of the all-important tour to Australia.
Pat Cummins captured the sentiment perfectly, calling this potentially the 'last chance' for fans Down Under to witness these legends in action. With both stalwarts set to be 39 and 40 respectively by the 2027 World Cup, every appearance carries added significance. Ro-Ko have been the heartbeat of Indian cricket for over 15 years. Their return brings an emotional lift to the team and raises expectations for the series against the world champions.
From hitting the winning runs against Australia in the semifinal to taking the catch of in-form South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt in the title clash, Amanjot played her part in India's winning campaign.
Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka and open their campaign against Bangladesh on October 2, followed by matches against India (October 5), Australia (October 8), England (October 15), New Zealand (October 18), South Africa (October 21) and hosts Sri Lanka (October 24).
Mohammed Siraj's commitment to a team-first approach sets him apart from the others and the pacer has demonstrated strong leadership qualities, said former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.
India A left-arm spinner Manav Suthar picked up three wickets to leave Australia A reeling, on Day 1 of the second unofficial Test.
'The only thing is I said that make sure that be brave enough. At the most, what will happen, you know. But be brave enough to face it.'
Spinners of both sides will have a significant role to play considering that Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the only specialist pacers who will be seen in action in Sunday's match.
Australia held their nerve in a tense chase, edging past India by two wickets to seal the series 2-0 despite a late fightback from the visitors on Thursday in Adelaide.
The islanders, led by Charith Asalanka, have quietly built a formidable unit combining top-order solidity with middle-order power and a spin attack tailor-made for UAE conditions.
Pakistan's batting crumbled against New Zealand's pace attack and they were all out for 91 in 18.4 overs. In reply, New Zealand easily chased down the total, getting to 92 for 1 in just 10.1 overs.
Sutherland, Gardner sparkle as Australia outplay England by six wickets
Underdogs Nagaland showed they are made of sterner stuff as their batters fought tooth and nail all day to score 365/5 and frustrate Tamil Nadu who would be fancying their chances of enforcing a follow-on after a mammoth 512-run first-innings total in a Ranji Trophy Group A match in Bengaluru on Monday.
When there was constant criticism, Harman and Smriti kept the team together: Neetu David
Karun Nair and Ravichandran Smaran made double hundreds as Karnataka gained upper hand over Kerala on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match.
Narayan Jagadeesan missed out on a well deserved double hundred by three runs as South Zone reached an imposing first innings score of 536
I didn't like the way Pakistan players coming at us for no reason: Abhishek on aggressive batting
Prabhsimran's blazing ton, Iyer-Parag fifties guide India A to 2-1 series win over Australia A
PCB files complaint against India pacer Arshdeep Singh
In the league stage, South Africa suffered two heavy defeats and their batting came apart against spin in both games.
Perhaps, another Ranji title with Mumbai will be a fitting send off for Ajinkya Rahane.
The battle between Shaheen Afridi's pace and Shubman Gill's bat could decide the game, with former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram offering advice on how Afridi can evolve to meet the challenge.
Captain Muhammad Waseem, the UAE's best batter who is known for his aggressive approach and ability to play big shots, got into the act and fetched himself three boundaries in Aamir Kaleem's first over, the 43-year-old left-arm spinner hardly posing any threat as he ended up giving away 14 runs.
Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai made blazing fifties while the bowlers supported them with a tidy effort as Afghanistan easily tamed Hong Kong by 94 runs to start their Asia Cup campaign on a winning note
'I think everyone's shot selections at that time... we could have done better with our shot selections.'
India's recent run of victories has bolstered confidence but the women's selection panel, headed by Neetu David, will face some tricky questions on the inclusion of Shafali Verma and pacer Renuka Thakur when it meets in Mumbai on Tuesday to pick the squad for the ODI World Cup.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and the West Indies, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday.
Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister of Pakistan, will be in attendance when his country takes on India in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday and it would be interesting to see how the Indian team responds to his presence at the post-match trophy ceremony.
The left-arm pacer is just one wicket away from becoming the first Indian bowler to claim 100 wickets in T20 Internationals.
The series promises a fascinating duel between the two modern-day pace greats.
'We want our girls to bring their A game on the day. We want them to take it just as a game because the World Cup is a long campaign.'
The Indian team's heavy reliance on all-rounders will be tested by a plucky Australia in the second ODI but the spotlight will continue to stay firmly on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom would look to turn back the clock with series-saving knocks in Adelaide on Thursday.
India has filed an official complaint with the International Cricket Council against Pakistan cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for their provocative gestures during the two sides' Asia Cup Super 4 game in Dubai on Sunday.
India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate is extremely proud of a young team which didn't lose its mind despite Pakistan players indulged in controversial over-the-top celebrations and uttering not so respectable words during the Asia Cup Super 4s game last Sunday.
