'Rahul has got the game to do well in Test cricket, I see no reason he can't be successful in this format.'
For the team management, it is a choice between a younger man's (Sarfaraz) flamboyance and fearlessness versus a seasoned campaigner who has been a Test captain and is part of the national set-up for a decade now.
It was a stunning defeat for India, who were dismantled by eight wickets in seamer-friendly conditions in the opening match at Bengaluru, as they suffered their first series loss on home soil since falling to England in 2012.
India will look for the right balance as they aim for a series-levelling victory against a spunky New Zealand in the must-win second Test.
Australia's batting great Ricky Ponting on Friday said he was 'surprised' by the Indian camp's wording around Rohit Sharma's absence from the Sydney Test.
Since 2022, he has scored 514 runs in Tests from 12 matches (21 innings) at an average of 25.7, having registered three half-centuries and a century.
He steered the team away from trouble and kept grinding. His innings of 80 consisted of 6 fours and 2 maximums.
In the absence of national regulars, the focus will shift on the likes of Rinku, who was surprisingly not picked for the first round despite having an impressive first-class record.
Suryakumar Yadav will turn up for Mumbai in their Buchi Babu match against TNCA XI, aiming to get his Test career back on track.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir threw his weight behind under-fire batter K L Rahul ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, starting in Pune from Thursday.
Sarfaraz Khan's stellar Test debut came to a crashing halt as a mix-up in the middle cost him his wicket.
'Bumrah is not the right option for captain.' 'All the pressure to deliver is on his shoulders. So taking on the mantle of captain will be added pressure.'
The cupboard is bare and it will take some time to prepare another cracking line-up that can match the aura of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma.
Veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane emphasized the importance of giving players 'freedom' and 'confidence' as Mumbai were awarded Rs 1-crore by the Mumbai Cricket Association for their historic Irani Cup triumph.
After Sarfaraz Khan received his maiden Test call-up in the India squad, former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh heaped praise on the 26-year-old and said that he has worked very hard to be in this place.
As many as four world-class match-winners are expected to bid adieu to the game one by one in the next couple of years and Gautam Gambhir is in an unenviable position as head coach.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 1st Test played between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru, on Friday.
The national selectors on Sunday retained the Indian team, which hammered Bangladesh by 280 runs in the opening Test here, for the second and final match in Kanpur.
Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary Indian cricketer, is not just a batting icon but also a mentor to young talent.
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.
'The IPL provides a different ladder in terms of recognition.' 'If you do well, you will obviously get noticed and it enhances your selection into white-ball formats.'
Rahul will come in place of Baba Indrajith, who scored 9 and 6 and didn't look comfortable at all against pace and bounce, which wasn't exactly 125 clicks.
Banter between Shoaib Bashir and Sarfaraz Khan during the fourth Test in Ranchi on Saturday.
Gambhir congratulated Bangladesh on their two-match Test series win against Pakistan. He praised Najmul Hossain Shanto's side, calling them a quality team.
Rishabh Pant's fifty, Sarfaraz Khan's aggression give India B control on Day 3 of the Duleep Trophy in Bengaluru on Saturday
The Duleep Trophy is set to return to its traditional zonal from next year after the state units gave a thumbs down to the four-team concept introduced this season.
The left-arm wrist spinner, who grabbed three Kiwi wickets, patted Rachin Ravindra for making a splendid hundred.
Musheer became the youngest Mumbai batter to score a century in a Ranji Trophy final, surpassing Tendulkar's record.
'There will be a lot of spice to the contest -- there is a reason India is the only team other than England against whom Australia is keen to play a five Test series.' 'I'll watch, as I suspect most fans will -- but this one time, I'll watch with considerable trepidation and, from a fan's point of view, with the hope that the team finds its feet and that right quick,' notes the distinguished cricket commentator Prem Panicker.
The likes of Yashaswi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna are on their maiden Test tour of Australia.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the first Test against Bangladesh?
India's batting is a major concern with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggling for runs ahead of the tour of Australia.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the first Test against Australia in Perth?
Having conceded a lead of 259, England were all out for 195 in the second session on day three of the contest.
Out-of-form skipper Rohit Sharma's batting position will be in focus against a dangerous Australia
Jurel also reflected on the aura that Virat Kohli emanates.
'It's one thing to talk about it, but actually we went out there (in Bengaluru) and played some fearless cricket.'
India arrived in Bengaluru seeking a big win over the 2021 champions to improve their chances of making a third successive final in June 2025, but will now need to battle to keep alive their run of 18 straight home series victories since 2012.
Sarfaraz Khan's lighthearted sledging provided fans with a delightful moment
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