Fresh from a hard-fought 2-2 draw in England, Shubman Gill's men will be eager to translate their overseas resilience into home dominance.
The Indian team management has kept the media guessing but Rishabh Pant is set to become India's 38th Test captain.
Lyon's lack of recent action has left him stalled on 562 wickets, one shy of Glenn McGrath's tally in the list of most prolific Australian test wicket-takers.
Though Kohli had an exciting challenge ahead of him in the five-Test series in England, the end seemed near for India's most successful Test captain.
The England players have come in for heavy criticism since Australia wrapped up an 82-run win in the third Test in Adelaide on Sunday to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
Australia pacer Michael Neser found day one of his maiden Boxing Day Test a dream come true.
Joe Root and Harry Brook hit half-centuries to put England in control before bad light ended play early on the opening day of the fifth Ashes Test.
Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, skipper Shubman Gill were among India's Test regulars in action during the second day of the intra-squad match against India A.
India pacer Harshit Rana has revealed that the Indian management is aiming to groom him as an all-rounder.
The second and final Test starts in Guwahati from Saturday with India trailing 0-1 after the defeat on a challenging Eden Gardens pitch in Kolkata.
The 22-year-old Layne, who hails from Barbados, is a seam bowling all-rounder.
India will look to reprise their home template of big first-innings totals and sustained spin in the short two-Test series against South Africa beginning in Kolkata on Friday.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Ashes Test in Perth on Saturday.
'I am where I have to be and whatever is written in my destiny no one can take that from me.'
Shubman Gill will return 'better, stronger' after T20 World Cup snub: Gujarat Titans COO
India captain Shubman Gill, head coach Gautam Gambhir along with Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel arrived in Kolkata late on Sunday ahead of the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa.
All eyes will be on Shubman Gill when Ranji Trophy resumes on Thursday after India's Test and ODI captain decided against taking a break and opting to turn up for Punjab against Saurashtra in a key Group B clash in Rajkot.
Cheteshwar Pujara refuses to believe India's recent poor record at home is because of transition.
Following Australia's 282-run win over India in the final Test in Adelaide on Saturday, here is the list of largest Test cricket victories.
One of the most consistent fast bowlers in world cricket, Hazlewood has been a mainstay across formats for Australia, known for his IPL-style discipline, bounce and accuracy. However, injuries have interrupted his recent run.
'If they had continued playing Test cricket and quit ODIs, then staying in the groove would have been a lot easier.'
Group C promises one of the most competitive battles at the T20 World Cup, with former champions England and West Indies joined by ambitious sides Scotland, Nepal and debutants Italy.
A wicket-laden Boxing Day Test at the MCG triggered widespread debate, with former cricketers from both Australia and England questioning whether the pitch offered far too much for the bowlers.
A mouth-watering India-South Africa warm-up at the D Y Patil stadium did exactly that, igniting anticipation and hopes among fans.
India set to remain unchanged as team wants Reddy to settle in all-round role
The last time two specialist keepers played together in a Test was in 1986, when Kiran More and Chandrakant Pandit featured in the same XI, with Pandit playing as a batter.
'In choosing to be fully himself, even when it was uncomfortable, Usman Khawaja expanded the meaning of representation and conscience in Australian sport,' notes Asif Ullah Khan.
If Kohli sticks to his decision, the selectors will be left with the unenviable task of rebuilding India's batting core for the England series-potentially without both Rohit and Kohli for the first time in years.
Both Stokes and McCullum are contracted until 2027 and have publicly expressed their desire to stay on beyond the current tour.
Former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood was elevated to the post of Pakistan's acting head coach in Test cricket until the conclusion of his current contract.
A versatile and dynamic Australian unit, without key pacer Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, who is likely to miss the early stages of the tournament, will be going into the T20 World Cup with hopes of going deep in the tournament.
Netherlands will aim to combine strong batting and disciplined bowling to secure a win against the United States of America in a crucial Group A T20 World Cup match, essential for their Super Eights qualification hopes.
"The overall security risk for the tournament in India has been assessed as low to moderate, which is consistent with the profile of many major global sporting events," the source said.
As England and India gear up for the final showdown in the five-match series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval, former England speedster Stuart Broad feels the hosts should make some changes to their Playing XI and rest tearaway Jofra Archer.
Woakes leaves international cricket with a trophy cabinet many dream of, but his legacy goes beyond numbers.
Mohammed Siraj is confident of putting up a strong show against defending World Test Champions South Africa in the 'crucial' two-match series, starting in Kolkata, on Friday.
The decision to allow Virat Kohli to complete his fitness in London has sparked a debate within the cricketing circles on whether this was a one-off allowance to a player of his stature.
Despite piling up runs in domestic cricket and delivering whenever handed a chance for India, Sarfaraz Khan remains on the sidelines -- a situation that former chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar has described as both baffling and unfair.
England lost the first three matches in the ongoing Ashes series but chased down 175 to win the fourth by four wickets and score a first Test victory in Australia in 15 years.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances