Grind pays off for Ruturaj Gaikwad, now upto him and luck to prove his 50-over mettle.
Virat Kohli has two hundreds and a fifty in his last three innings, while Rohit Sharma has a hundred and two fifties in his last four outings.
'It will not happen that Dhoni is off the field and leaves someone like Sanju Samson to keep wickets.'
The IPL 2026 auction is gearing up for a blockbuster showdown, with 350 players fighting for just 77 spots including 31 overseas berths in what promises to be one of the most competitive bidding wars yet.
Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed his maiden ODI hundred to power India to a 2-1 series win after they thrashed against South Africa by nine wickets in the third and final ODI.
A record-extending 52nd ODI century by Virat Kohli and a rapid 57 from Rohit Sharma paved the way for India's victory in the series-opener in Ranchi.
India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar feels the debate over preparing a spin-friendly track at the Eden Gardens for the opening Test against South Africa is pointless as the country has been laying out such wickets for ages.
John Campbell, who registered his maiden Test century, had mixed emotions after the end of day four in the second Test against India, in Delhi, on Monday.
India and South Africa will lock horns in a two-match Test series from November 14, with Kolkata and Guwahati playing hosts.
This was India's fourth defeat in the last six Tests at home and in all four Tests -- including three against New Zealand -- their batters have flopped against spin.
The series promises a fascinating duel between the two modern-day pace greats.
Not handing the ball to lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah to start the third day's play on a challenging Eden Gardens surface was "questionable", said the legendary Anil Kumble.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was seen greeting Lara with a handshake and a hug.
India's strategy of playing two fast bowlers, one pace bowling all-rounder, and three spinners could possibly come in handy on this surface.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel reshuffled his cabinet, inducting 19 new ministers and elevating Harsh Sanghavi to Deputy Chief Minister. The swearing-in ceremony took place on Friday, with several existing ministers continuing in their roles.
Marco Jansen demolished the Indian batting line-up with a six-wicket haul before South Africa extended their lead on Day 3 of the second and final Test.
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.
We didn't ask for rank turners so need to put in more effort to get bounce and turn: Jadeja
It is believed that captain Sanju Samson has asked Rajasthan Royals to trade him or release him into the auction, signalling an end to his long association with the franchise.
Captain Rishabh Pant conceded that India needed to get better as a Test team.
Ravichandran Ashwin exposed India batters' lack of quality to battle ball tweakers by claiming that if legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar or past domestic heroes Amol Muzumdar, the India women's team head coach and Mithun Manhas had played against spinners on such a track, the Test would have gone to four days, unlike India's harrowing 30-run defeat against South Africa at Eden Gardens.
K L Rahul on Saturday conceded that Indian batters' repeated struggles against spin, especially on home tracks, remain a concern.
The final Test begins on Friday in New Delhi, and the Shubman Gill-led side is expected to maintain their winning combination as they look to wrap up the home series.
Ravindra Jadeja's standout performance in the first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad has helped him reach a career-best 25th position in the ICC men's Test batting rankings.
Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel faced spinners while wearing only one pad to counter the turning deliveries, a method that comes with an element of risk, in Kolkata on Monday.
Sack Gambhir before he damages any more careers, if you must. But it cannot stop there. The project ahead must be bigger, more ambitious, and far more urgent: Rebuilding the spine of Indian cricket from the grassroots up, and giving the Test team the seriousness it deserves. Only then will Indian cricket stop lurching from one crisis to another and begin, once again, to imagine greatness, suggests Prem Panicker.
Campbell, who became the first Windies opener to score a Test hundred in India in 23 years, reached the landmark with a six, hitting Ravindra Jadeja over wide long-on.
'But I would say given the importance of this series and given the conditions we think we are going to face, he (Nitish Kumar Reddy) might miss out in this Test this week.'
England skipper Ben Stokes' direct hit to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja wasn't just the turning point of the first Test but could also be one that decides the course of the series as India's No 1 all-rounder across formats was seen struggling with a hamstring niggle.
'To take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible, but he is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is.'
India crushed West Indies by an innings and 140 runs inside three days in the first Test to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, in Ahmedabad, on Saturday.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi on Monday.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
Images from Day 2 of the 1st Test between India and West Indies in Ahmedabad
Assessing Sai Sudharsan's temperament and Nitish Kumar Reddy's utility in home conditions would be topmost on India's checklist when the high-on-confidence hosts take on a floundering West Indies
Harsh Dubey wants to represent India but the Vidarbha spin bowling all-rounder is in no hurry to don the national team jersey.
KKR, CSK to engage in bidding war in IPL mini-auction with big purse in hand
India bowling coach Morne Morkel admitted his side was "surprised" by how quickly the Eden Gardens surface "deteriorated" after a dramatic second day in which 15 wickets fell and the opening Test swung sharply in India's favour.
Mohammed Shami was once ignored for the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa, despite having proved his fitness in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
Despite India's seven-wicket win in Delhi, Gambhir called the surface 'alarming' and stressed the need for more balanced wickets to keep Test cricket alive.
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