All eyes will be on the opening fixture between defending champions Saurashtra and record 41-time champions Mumbai in Ahmedabad with Rahane and Pujara on either side, aiming to make the big scores that have deserted them at the Test level for a while.
Bracing up for the Ashes, influential England player Jos Buttler is drawing inspiration from the "totally fearless" approach, which the flamboyant Rishabh Pant had adopted during the Indian team's last tour of Australia.
Australia's decision to field an unchanged frontline pace attack last summer might have been unusual as selectors now reassess their seam options after losing allrounder Cameron Green.
Australian batsman Steve Smith on Tuesday said Virat Kohli deserves credit for prioritising the birth of his child over cricket as 'there would have been a lot of pressure' on the India skipper to stay for the entire duration of the ongoing four-match Test series.
Chris Jordan, who previously had an increment deal, was not awarded a contract of any kind, despite being England's leading wicket-taker of all time in men's Twenty20 Internationals.
"It has been an honour to represent Pakistan in the pinnacle and traditional format of the game. I, however, have decided to move away from the longer version so I can concentrate on white ball cricket."
Cricket Australia has responded positively to India coach Ravi Shastri's request for more warm-up matches ahead of their Test series Down Under later this year.
'If you do well, stay humble. If you don't do well, go back to the basics.'
The Caribbean side will back themselves to spoil James Anderson's farewell Test after breaching Australia's fortress, The Gabba, earlier this year.
David Warner is very happy for his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate Thangarasu Natarajan's Test call-up but he is 'not sure' if the Tamil Nadu left-arm seamer can consistently hit one length, over after over, in the five-day format.
Only if we could have a Rohit versus Ashwin clash in the semis! What a perfect fill-up it would be for the resurgence of the Ranji Trophy.
Virat Kohli came into the Centurion Test with only one proper net session on Christmas eve but India batting coach Vikram Rathour categorical said that at this stage of his career, the former captain doesn't need to train a lot.
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has decided against taking the Bangladesh Cricket Board's offer to become its Test team's consultant citing his personal and professional commitments. Bangar was offered to coach Bangladesh batsmen in red-ball cricket eight weeks ago but he could not take up the offer as he signed a two-year contract with Star Sports in the interim.
Mahela Jayawardene believes Australia have a chance of beating India in their own backyard in the four-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy series, which begins in Nagpur from Thursday.
The leg-spinner was England's best bowler in their 2-1 triumph in the one-day series against India which concluded earlier this week, prompting talk of a possible Test return.
'No more red ball... it doesn't swing, it doesn't do anything, goes soft after 25 overs. It has been pathetic for so long now. Except for the Dukes ball in England, it has been rubbish.'
It was Pakistan's sixth defeat in their last 10 Tests at home and this was also the first time Bangladesh have beaten their neighbours in a Test and series.
The debate over the vacant slot at the top of the Australia batting order continues to captivate the nation's sports media a month before the opening clash in a blockbuster five-Test series against India.
Since the Test specialists are also travelling, the red ball training will also happen along with usual white ball nets.
He spoke about how the understanding of release point while bowling worked for the players.
Buttler feels other teams should seriously look at exploring different coaches option.
India pacer Mohammed Siraj said his approach to bowl consistently at one spot yielded rich dividends for him on Day 2 of the opening Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram.
Waqar said a group of fast bowlers including young ones in domestic cricket would also be sent for training and work to the high-performance centre in Lahore to keep them ready for national duty.
Rahul, who has failed to cross the 25-run mark in his last 10 Test innings, was removed as vice-captain following the second Test in Delhi
Snubbed Maxwell eyes county cricket to fuel Test bid.
England will 'play cricket that gets a result, our way', said their inspirational captain Ben Stokes, strengthening the team's commitment to stick to the hotly-debated 'Bazball' approach.
Look inward to challenge one of the best sides: Muzumdar's mantra for India Women side
'I have a feeling that after a certain transition happens, you could see Rishabh Pant opening the batting for India in T20 cricket.'
India are going to be an "incredibly" dominant side for a long period of time and her visiting side can only underestimate the hosts at their own peril, Australia captain Alyssa Healy said on Wednesday, ahead of the one-off women's Test in Mumbai.
Current senior selector Aaqib Javed and former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq are in fray to replace Gary Kirsten as Pakistan's new white ball coach after the former Proteas batter stepped down
Stand-in skipper KL Rahul admitted that India missed the services of Kuldeep Yadav in the second innings of the second and final Test against Bangladesh.
Australia are slated to play four Tests and three ODIs during their tour of India in February-March.
Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood is hoping to get enough game time in red-ball cricket before the first Test against India later this year and has expressed a desire to see the series opener being played in Brisbane, where the hosts enjoy a good record.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that it is time for stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to concentrate on Tests and ODIs.
Steyn replied to a tweet from a user who pointed out that Chris Morris was not named in the squad as he made himself unavailable for the T20I series.
With Ajinkya Rahane making a comeback, Wriddhiman Saha brushed aside questions on his chances of a India comeback, stating his only focus is doing well for Gujarat Titans.
Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant must remain injury-free and in top form if India are to achieve a historic hat-trick of series wins in Australia, said former captain Ian Chappell.
Shaheen and fellow quick Naseem Shah led the way, picking up three wickets apiece during a showcase of swing and pace, which accounted for Jake Fraser-McGurk (seven) and Aaron Hardie (12) in the first powerplay.
Steve Smith's pointers to Riyan Parag on the technique of playing red ball helped him in the Ranji season where he ended with 492 runs for Assam, including a hundred and three half-centuries.
Hard-hitting middle-order batsman David Miller has quit first-class cricket in a bid to concentrate on his limited-overs game ahead of next year's World Cup in England and Wales.
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