Australia skipper Pat Cummins believes that the 2018-19 Test series loss to India was more hurtful than the 2020-21 debacle under his captaincy as the home team was simply outplayed in that engagement.
Kohli, once dismissing bowlers with ease, now struggles to stay at the crease, while Rohit, a guide for younger players, finds himself confronting his own form.
Saurashtra all but ensured Delhi's exit from Ranji Trophy with a 10-wicket victory inside two days in Group D, in Rajkot, on Friday.
Despite the challenging build-up, Gambhir said he is "extremely confident" of retaining the Border Gavaskar Trophy. The players will hope to be as confident as they prepare for the fight to keep their World Test Final chances alive.
'Shami has been India's best bowler for a while. He may not get the amount of wickets Jasprit Bumrah gets, but he's the full package and is more consistent than the rest.'
Australia have typically struggled in sub-continent conditions and a pitch which could assist the spinners is expected at the SCG, keeping in mind the upcoming tour of India in February.
'Even if we had won the New Zealand series 3-0, it would have meant little because the conditions in Australia are very different, and the team there is very different.' 'In Australia, you just go with a clean slate and start fresh. It doesn't matter what has happened on the previous page.'
However, in 950 booths, voting will end at 4 pm, though people standing in the queue at that time will be able to exercise their franchise.
Australia's assistant coach Daniel Vettori said he does not mind the spin-friendly pitches on offer in their series in India as they have challenged the batsmen and brought their skill and perseverance into play.
The 33-year-old from Uttar Pradesh emphasised the need for India to focus on bowling all-rounders.
The 22-yard strip at Green Park in Kanpur, which will be used for the first Test between India and New Zealand, may be devoid of any grass but won't show ready signs of wear and tear, insists local curator Shiv Kumar.
Pakistan's Shan Masood is likely to be retained captain for the upcoming home Test series against England, while Babar Azam is also assured of keeping his white-ball captaincy when the team flies to Australia and South Africa later this year.
CSK coach Stephen Fleming said the former champs are better prepared for this final.
'To be fair to curators, they hardly got time to prepare the wicket. They had a Ranji season here and it was pretty late that it was decided the game will be shifted from Dharamsala. They did not get enough time.'
Vaughan has been quite vocal in his criticism of the pitches used in the series
The French fans will be largely outnumbered by the Morocco supporters
Laxman said he was confident India can turn the tables on New Zealand in the ongoing Test even as the team was 125 runs behind at the close of play in the second essay with seven wickets in hand.
Pakistan red-ball coach Jason Gillespie on Wednesday confirmed the PCB's decision to strip him of powers in selection matters, much against the assurance of a free-hand that he was promised of while taking charge of the team.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday called upon the top military brass to analyse the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza as well as the current situation in Bangladesh to "predict" any future problems and stay prepared to deal with the "unexpected".
The high-powered International Cricket Council's Cricket Committee, chaired by former India captain Anil Kumble, on Friday expressed concerns about the "quality of Test pitches", especially the tendency of home teams to prepare tailor-made strips that suit them.
There was poor communication and complete mismanagement between the stadium authority and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). Rain had affected the buildup to the Test, the first between the two nations, with New Zealand not being able to complete a single practice session properly.
The dream run began with the pair of Ashwin, who made his debut in November 2011, and Jadeja, who played his first Test in December 2012, coming together to form a lethal spin combination.
Shah, the leading run-scorer for Afghanistan in Tests and ODIs, wanted to give the Kiwis, the inaugural WTC champions, a tough time.
In recent years, India's batters have struggled against spin.
Fawad Alam, a former Pakistan all-rounder, believes Babar Azam's team must neutralize Indian batting star Virat Kohli and pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah to win their crucial T20 World Cup match on Sunday
A turner in Pune exposed the soft underbelly of Indian batters' technique against slow bowling but as per the current team's philosophy, it has decided to take the bull by its horns by asking for a turner where the ball might turn at right angles from first hour.
Rahul Dravid gave Green Park's groundstaff, led by Shiv Kumar, Rs 35,000 for preparing a sporting pitch for the first Test against New Zealand.
The 21-year-old consistently bowled in the range of 150 kph and stood out as the star performer in Bangladesh's 2-0 series sweep in Pakistan.
'I feel sorry for the spectators who have travelled and paid hefty prices having to watch this lottery on a very substandard pitch. It's a disgrace.'
Disappointed by the "lifeless" pitch which produced a draw in the opening India-England Test, former captain Geoffrey Boycott said decks like the one in Nottingham will turn the home pacers into a bunch of "midgets" with little or no belief in their abilities.
It was good fortune for India to have Atal Bihari Vajpayee lead the government at a crucial moment in our history. He avoided India meeting the fate of Iraq or Ukraine, asserts military historian Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
'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.'
For India's current head coach, the Test series defeat against New Zealand at home, a first in 12 years and after 18 victories on the trot, would be a bitter pill to swallow.
Barcelona's Raphinha scored deep into stoppage time to hand his side a dramatic 5-4 comeback win at Benfica and a place in the Champions League last 16.
Veteran pitch curator Daljit Singh's job as chief curator of the Board of Control for Cricket in India is in line after the scathing report by the International Cricket Council which rated the Pune pitch, prepared under his guidance, as "poor".
Head coach Gautam Gambhir put up a stout defence of under-pressure skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli ahead of tour of Australia.
Curator Daljit Singh has retired a happy man after 22 years of service to Indian cricket. The groundstaff are no longer seen as gardeners and are getting due respect, a change that pleases him the most.
'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 managed to win the game comfortably on day five despite two full days were lost due to wet outfield at the Green Park Stadium. Even on day one, only 35 overs possible.
Jaishankar described as a "reasonable supposition" to expect some improvement in the relations between India and China following the last round of disengagement but hesitated to say that there could be a reset of the ties.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances