Tim Southee picked up five wickets as India suffered another batting failure to lose the opening Test against New Zealand by 10 wickets, on Day 4, in Wellington, on Monday. Needing just nine runs for the win, New Zealand eased to victory in just 1.4 overs to finish the game with one full day and a half to spare and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
'It's important to do that, give these guys confidence and we will take it from there. We are very open minded as a team management, so whatever suits the best for the team we will try and take that call.'
Shubman Gill is expected to retain his place in India's Test squad after scoring an unbeaten 204 for the A team in the drawn four-day game against New Zealand A, in Christchurch, on Friday.
The first unofficial Test between India A and South Africa A here ended in a draw after play on fourth and final day was washed out in Bloemfontein. In response to the hosts' 509 for seven declared, India A had reached 308 for four at stumps on day three.
West Zone's batting stars Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer flattered to deceive as South Zone restricted them to 250/8 on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy final in Coimbatore on Wednesday.
'And how we can take Indian cricket forward, that's the only aim anybody should have.'
'In the opening combination, we have selected only two openers, so the idea is to give them four innings, just let them go out there and express themselves. Mayank has done really well. KL (Rahul) has performed well in the past, he is looking forward to making things count in Test cricket again'
Among those who impressed were Shubhman Gill, Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant.
The Indian team is scheduled to play the WTC final against New Zealand from June 18-22 before taking on England in a five-Test series.
Gill's impressive knock comes days after he failed to find a spot in India's tour of the West Indies.
Cricket writer Bharat Sundaresan shares the key takeaways from Team India's historic win that you can apply in every day life.
In all likelihood, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane would get another chance but over the past two years, his inconsistency has hurt this team badly.
Team India's throwdown specialist D Raghavendra has skipped travelling to the UAE with the rest of the support staff as he has tested positive for COVID-19.
India 'A' scored 247 for 3 in 65 overs in their second innings when the match was called off.
India 'A' scored 340 for five with four of the visiting batsmen, including young opener Prithvi Shaw, striking fluent half-centuries in the first unofficial Test against New Zealand 'A', in Mount Maunganui, on Friday.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag believes all is not well with the Rahul Dravid-coached Indian team and a few things needed to be addressed as soon as possible after England pulled off a record 378-run chase.
Virat Kohli, during the pre-match press conference, made it clear that both Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are not in his scheme of things as of now.
The legendary Sunil Gavaskar said the Test series triumph in Australia last year ranks among the team's 'greatest wins' of all time and can be considered a golden chapter in the country's cricket history.
IMAGES from the tour match played between Australia A and India at the SCG in Sydney on Sunday.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja could do with a break, which will allow India to try out new players in the Caribbean.
Seniors like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara came in for a lot of flak for their below-par showing with the bat, while Jasprit Bumrah also failed to live up to expectations.
India are marginally ahead of third-placed New Zealand in the WTC points tally.
Reeling at 156 for six at stumps on the fourth and penultimate day, South Zone were staring at a heavy defeat
The India 'A' bowlers had a tough time on the field as Pieter Malan and Tony de Zorzi scored centuries to take South Africa 'A' to 343 for three at stumps on day one of the opening unofficial Test.
At the end of third day's play, West Zone were 376 for 3, courtesy Jaiswal's unbeaten 209 off 244 balls
The final will be played in Coimbatore from September 21, and it will be a five-day affair
Team combination a worry for India
Kohli decorated his innings with five boundaries and two sixes.
Post Kohli's departure following the pink-ball Test, Ajinkya Rahane is likely to take the skipper's position at number four while Hanuma Vihari will bat at number five.
It is understood that Kohli, Rahane, Shami, Jadeja will be sweating it out at the nets alongside Ashwin, who has already bowled a whopping 58 overs and taken seven wickets in a County game for Surrey last week.
Shaw continued from his unbeaten 240 from overnight and brought up his triple ton.
Akshay Karnewar struck his maiden first-class century to hand Vidarbha a crucial 95-run first-innings lead before Rest of India, riding on a fighting partnership, erased the deficit in the Irani Cup.
Round-up of Ranji matches played on Tuesday.
The injury-ravaged Indian team was dealt another blow on Tuesday as pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is likely to miss the fourth and final Test against Australia, starting on Friday, due to an abdominal strain.
Paine has come under fire for a verbal duel with Ashwin when the Indian held vigil with an injured Hanuma Vihari to eke out a draw for his team
India's captain Ajinkya Rahane on Monday said the racial abuse faced by his teammates Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj during the third Test against Australia in Sydney is not at all acceptable and should not happen anywhere in the world.
Cheteshwar Pujara warmed up in style for the upcoming two-Test series against West Indies with a fluent century in the warm-up match against West Indies Cricket Board President XI.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar slammed Australia skipper Tim Paine for sledging Ravichandran Ashwin during the drawn third Test in Sydney, saying his behaviour was "unbefitting" of a leader and could cost him his captaincy.
