Opener Virender Sehwag has backed teammate Harbhajan Singh, saying it is "just a matter of time" before the off-spinner gets back in form to regain his place in the Indian team.
The dashing batsman said if India takes a sizeable lead, the spinners can put pressure on the South Africans on the last day of the first Test.
In awe of Virender Sehwag's batting, New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori on Friday said his bowlers are "fearful" of the marauding Indian opener who regulary throws their plans haywire with a swish of his willow.
Man of the match Virender Sehwag termed India's 87-run win over Bangladesh as "revenge" having lost to the same opponents four years ago in Port-of-Spain during last World Cup.
Sachin Tendulkar moved up a rung to 11th while dashing opener Virender Sehwag also broke into the top-20 in the latest ICC ODI Rankings in which India held on to the third position in the team chart.
Anil Kumble, who has a sore shoulder, will be left out of the two matches in Perth, Leipus said.
The India opener is returning from a shoulder surgery with very little preparation besides the two-day tour match against Northamptonshire last week.
Reader Rajagopal sent us these pictures from Melbourne.
Cricketers Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Praveen Kumar escape unhurt as spectators hurl stones during prize distribution ceremony at a festival cricket match.
''What an incredible story the Dutch have written.'
It took me 365 days to go from 49 to 50 earlier this year. I hope you go from 49 to 50 and break my record in the next few days. Congratulations!!'
Virender Sehwag is living on borrowed time. While the rest of the Indian batsmen were plundering runs against the inexperienced Australian bowling, the dashing opener had three straight failures.
A fifty in either of the two innings of the Bangalore Test and Virender Sehwag will get the World record of scoring at least a fifty in most consecutive Tests.on his own.
Virender Sehwag has no doubt that Andrew Symonds' absence in Australian ranks would help India but the hard-hitting opener rues it would be a loss not only for his country but also for the game as a whole. Despite Symonds' bitter relation with most of his team-mates, Sehwag has not lost respect for the embattled all-rounder whose absence, he says, would benefit India in the forthcoming four-Test series.
Nair is only the second Indian after Virender Sehwag to score a triple-hundred for India in Test cricket. He achieved the feat in December 2016, scoring an unbeaten 303 in his third Test against England in Chennai.
Australia skipper Ricky Ponting was impressed with Hiral Patel's blazing 45-ball 54-run innings and compared the Canada opener with Indian swashbuckler Virender Sehwag.
Delhi registered their third successive victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, beating Jammu and Kashmir by 17 runs, despite another failure by Virender Sehwag. With 12 points from three matches, Delhi are through to the knock-out round of the competition that will be held in Ranchi.
Aware of the fact that letting Virender Sehwag play his free-flowing game could be perilous for them in the upcoming Test series, Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson has vowed to stop the explosive Indian opener by peppering him with short-balls.
"I had full confidence in Amit Mishra, and that is why, I was saving him for the last over. He was bowling well and he proved my decision correct," Sehwag said at the post-match conference.
India can ill-afford to just give up on this swashbuckler. Virender Sehwag needs to be given one more a chance, at least in the middle order, says Harish Kotian.
Indian coach John Wright said both are fit and raring to go.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised his opening batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag for giving the team a flying start to lay the foundation for their six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka. Sehwag and Gambhir put on 92 runs for the opening wicket in 11.4 overs to plot India's easy win over Sri Lanka and set up a summit clash on Sunday against the same opponents.
South Africa are planning to pepper Virender Sehwag with short balls and cramp him for space in the second Test.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell feels India have committed a big 'mistake' by not including Virender Sehwag in the list of probables for their tour Down Under, as the world champion side still fears the swashbuckling opener.
Ahead of the blockbuster final in Ahmedabad, a look at how the 2003 World Cup played out between India and Australia.
Swashbuckling Indian batsman Virender Sehwag gave the visiting South African team a very tough time during the first Test in Chennai in 2008, former coach Mickey Arthur recalled in his book, released in Johannesburg, on Monday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni can still torment the bowlers around the world for at least two-three years and can win more matches for India if he consistently bats at No 4, former opener Virender Sehwag said.
Virender Sehwag, who has recently called time on his glorious international cricket career, says the sadness of being 'deprived of a farewell game shall always remain' in his mind.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli, on Monday, lauded ace sprinter Hima Das for winning five gold medals in a span of 20 days.
Virender Sehwag makes unique offer to sons if they break his record.
India have flown in Dinesh Karthik as a stand-by player for injured Virender Sehwag as the visitors gear up for Tuesday's last league match of the Asia Cup against Sri Lanka.
India captain Anil Kumble on Sunday lauded rich tributes on Virender Sehwag for his blazing 319 in the first Test against South Africa, saying it is one of the best ever innings he has seen.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell reckons Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan's form will be crucial to India's success in the upcoming four-match Test series against Australia, starting on December 26.
Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag on Saturday insisted that his team has a good balance even though they could afford the Australian tour hero Ishant Sharma because of his "high price". Sehwag said the gangling fast bowler was among the players he listed but decided not to bid for him because the franchisee would not have got other top players the team wanted.
Virender Sehwag's coach AN Sharma tells Harish Kotian it was unfair to drop the dashing Delhi right-hander. 'He still has a couple of years left in him.'
Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram feels stand-in captain Virender Sehwag has looked "nonchalant" so far and needs to change his attitude to motivate the demoralised Indian Team in the fourth and final Test against Australian starting on Tuesday.
Wielding the mike with as much gusto as he does the bat, dashing Indian opener Virender Sehwag today said he was least concerned about a radical move by the cricket authorities to send undercover agents to players posing as illegal bookmakers.
Virender Sehwag slammed a quickfire century and the pacers followed it up with a good showing with the ball to help India crush New Zealand by 105 runs and storm into the tri-series final in Dambulla, on Wednesday. New Zealand were bowled out for a paltry 118 in 30.1 overs in reply to India's 223 all out in 46.3 overs.
Virender Sehwag smashed 113 off just 78 balls on the final day of their tour match against ACT XI that ended in a draw.
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