Senuran Muthusamy and Marco Jansen made Indian finger spinners' look ordinary in good batting conditions with invaluable lower-order contributions as South Africa seized control of the second Test.
India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday
'He's a good competitor, he comes hard at you so it was good fun.'
India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak is livid with the criticism that has been directed towards head coach Gautam Gambhir after India's defeat to South Africa in the opening Test.
Simon Harmer picked up four wickets as South Africa staged an incredible fightback to shock India by 30 runs in a low-scoring first Test match.
The Green Park curator said on Wednesday that the wicket for the second Test between India and Bangladesh will be an ideal five-day pitch that will assist pacers in the first two sessions and aid spinners on the last three days.
'The No. 3 spot can't become a game of musical chairs.'
This isn't just a Test match - it's a test of Shubman Gill's leadership, temperament, and decision-making.
'I'll tell you one thing straight away, that trust me, these two guys are going to win matches in World Cup (in February-March) and in this series as well.'
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has approved a proposal from a startup to test fractional shares in its innovation sandbox, marking a potential shift in the Indian equity landscape. This represents a change in stance from 2021, when Sebi rejected a similar proposal in the regulatory sandbox, primarily due to concerns over the custody of fractional shares.
India are favourites to secure victory and draw the series, but England will still fancy their chances of completing what would be by far the highest successful Test run chase at The Oval.
In the series opener at Headingley and the third Test at Lord's, India were outbowled by the hosts, leading to their downfall.
Jadeja reduces South Africa to 93/7 in second innings, India smell big win
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
South Africa's stunning three-day win over India at Eden Gardens has drawn reactions from some of cricket's biggest names, with AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Dale Steyn celebrating the historic result while Kevin Pietersen used the collapse-filled Test to launch a scathing critique of modern batting.
The delivery, which Siraj played down onto the pitch in front of the crease, spun back and rattled the base of his leg stump, sparking wild celebrations in England camp.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood scored 87 as the hosts reached 259 for 5 at the close of play on Day 1 of the second Test against a wasteful South Africa, who were poor in the field but kept in the contest by fine bowling in Rawalpindi on Monday.
Conversations might have been different if Pant got his execution right: Jansen
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.
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between India and South Africa, in Guwahati, on Saturday.
Will Sai Sudarshan or Abhimanyu Easwaran bat at No. 3?
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and South Africa, in Kolkata, on Friday.
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.
'My body feels great right now, I am very confident of getting through all five (Tests) without any dramas.'
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.
Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes said that Team India does not need to prepare turning wickets as they can bowl out their opponents with their pace line-up and having another spin-friendly wicket for the second Test against South Africa will be a "big test of their ability".
For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
In India's first innings, only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 97 balls) and Washington Sundar (48 off 92 balls) could contribute substantially as the home team suffered a batting collapse after starting the day at 9 for no loss.
India Test captain Shubman Gill hailed spinner Kuldeep Yadav for his match-winning performance with the ball in the second and final Test against West Indies in Delhi.
South African captain Temba Bavuma on Sunday said his game is built around an unshakeable defence, which stood him in good stead on a disintegrating Eden Gardens track, where 38 wickets fell inside eight sessions.
The islanders, led by Charith Asalanka, have quietly built a formidable unit combining top-order solidity with middle-order power and a spin attack tailor-made for UAE conditions.
South Africa will aim for their first Test victory in India in more than 15 years.
It is an opportunity for new bowlers to learn about operating for long periods, West Indies batting coach Reifer
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.
Pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and the others found it difficult to generate the expected bounce on the used pitches. Reports indicate that deliveries barely rose waist-high, even when the bowlers hit the deck hard.
Shardul Thakur hasn't given up hope of a white-ball comeback after featuring in Tests on the tour of England earlier this year, with the all-rounder setting his sights on the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Armed with a potent spin attack, taking on South Africa seems like competing against a "subcontinent team", Ten Doeschate said, admitting that they need to get better at negotiating the challenge posed by tweakers.
As India gear up for the T20 World Cup at home, the selectors have backed a squad built on impact, and versatility.
With two Tests left, India trailing the five-match series 1-2, and Bumrah available for only one of them, Panesar feels India needs to go all out in Manchester next week.
Australia carved out an 82-run lead over West Indies on day two of the first Test in Barbados on Thursday, with the hosts frustrated by several close umpiring calls that went against them.
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