Dhoni's men will have to adapt to the conditions quickly to avoid any such hiccup in the play-offs.
Rishabh happy to buck 'win-loss' trend
For a team that looked at ease all along, it was their first defeat in the UAE leg -- and three from 11 matches this season -- as Delhi struggled to get going against KKR bowlers who made full use of the slow surface after opting to bowl.
Mumbai youngster Prithvi Shaw and Andhra batsman Hanuma Vihari were the two surprise inclusion in India's squad for the last two Tests of the ongoing five-match series against England.
Shaw knocks at selectors' doors ahead of NZ Tests with a splendid 150 off 100 balls.
While the young batsman said the wicket was not of their liking, he scored a 99 against KKR in a recent match in New Delhi.
Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting said his side planned well for the match but their execution was 'miles off' which led to the defeat against Mumbai Indians.
Ishan Kishan became the first India batsman to score fifties on debut in both T20Is and ODIs.
Images from Sunday's IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, Abu Dhabi.
DC slumped to their fourth consecutive loss in the ongoing IPL after being outplayed by Mumbai Indians
India will now lock horns with South Africa for three Tests and three ODIs, beginning December 26.
KKR are heading into the contest after an embarrassing batting performance against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
There was no room for KL Rahul in the playing XI.
Delhi Capitals have made the perfect start to IPL, with two morale-boosting victories, while SunRisers Hyderabad are the only side yet to register a win in the tournament, having lost both their games.
The BCCI on Tuesday banned the 19-year-old from all forms of the game till November 15 for failing a dope test. T
'In cricket and in life, the graph always goes up and down and it's never going to always go up. So it's a just a matter of time that I middle those balls and get those big runs again. But right now, I want to ensure that my team is doing fine and is enjoying its game.'
'I was confident that I would surely get into any of the IPL teams, but I was not picked.'
The humiliation in Adelaide has opened up 'serious wounds' for India and Australia now have a good chance of inflicting on the visitors a whitewash in the four-Test series, reckons former captain Ricky Ponting.
Mohammed Shami was ruled out of the rubber, starting Tuesday, late on Saturday night after he tested positive for COVID-19.
He looks to be in the form of his life, as Punjab had no ammunition to outmanoeuvre him.
Surya, who has been in great form, single-handedly guided the domestic giants to victory with an over to spare.
Opener Prithvi Shaw smashed six fours in the first over in a stunning batting display on his way to a blistering 82 as Delhi Capitals crushed Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets in the IPL, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday.
Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, have done an excellent job in restricting the oppositions but KKR's top-order batting has hurt them the most.
Up against Delhi Capitals, RCB will need to address their middle-order woes, to return to winning ways, in what could be touted as a battle of equals.
Images from the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday.
Yashasvi Jaiswal hit a century on debut as India seized complete control on the second day of the first Test against the West Indies.
As coach Ricky Ponting pointed out, he would expect a better "on his feet" thinking from the young captain.
India 'A' began their UK tour on a promising note, thrashing England Cricket Board XI by 125 runs following half centuries from captain Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and Ishan Kishan.
Rohit Sharma hopes Indian team bring back U-19 World Cup trophy
How the IPL teams have shaped up after the auction.
Images from Saturday's IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals, at the Wankhede stadium, in Mumbai.
The Indian team will want Sanju Samson to translate his phenomenal talent into consistent performances when they try to wrap up the T20 International series against Sri Lanka by winning the second match in Colombo on Tuesday.
Youngsters including Shreyas Iyer, Karun Nair, keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, teen sensation Prithvi Shaw will be keen to make a mark and impress the national selectors during Tuesday's One-Day warm-up against New Zealand in Mumbai.
Team India will have to choose between experimenting and continuing the winning combination
Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore go into the virtual quarter-final, having lost four and three games on the trot respectively
Rohit, who has made a comeback to the Test side, will now leave for Australia with India's T20 squad on Friday.
In the absence of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul was named vice-captain of the ODI and T20I teams. He also makes a comeback to the Test team, as Shikhar Dhawan was named only in the limited-overs' side.
Among his wards, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and Hanuma Vihari have taken to Test cricket like duck to water, all-rounder Vijay Shankar is staking World Cup claims, while Shubhman Gill broke into the ODI team in New Zealand.
Virat Kohli's top-ranked team, with 360 points in its kitty, is certainly the favourite on paper but the Black Caps under Kane Williamson are experts at wearing down opposition with their patience
Chasing the modest target, Mumbai had their share of hiccups before Sarfaraz Khan once again showed what he is capable of with a timely unbeaten 36-run cameo off 31 balls to help his side cross the line with three balls to spare.
