Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal, shooter Gagan Narang and India cricketer VVS Laxman were among several sportspersons who were the part of the Queen's Baton Relay that arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday.
VVS Laxman's unbeaten century under pressure showed why he is regarded as "very very special", captain Mahendra Singh said on Saturday, attributing India's series-levelling victory against Sri Lanka to a "collective effort".
Gavaskar also wants Kohli to continue batting as an opener as the team needs their best batsman 'to bat as many overs' as he can.
Praising Suryakumar Yadav, Laxman, who featured in 134 Tests, 86 ODIs for India, said the 30-year-old right-hander has the potential to be a part of the World T20 squad.
It was jelly beans four years ago and it is Vaseline this time as a controversy erupted in the second India-England Test here when VVS Laxman was accused of using it on his bat to manipulate the Hot-Spot technology in the Decision Review System.
Images from Day 4 in the first Test between India and England, at Lord's.
It has just been a few weeks since Duncan Fletcher took over as India's coach but senior batsman VVS Laxman says the team is already bowled over by his knowledge of the game and feels "lucky" to have him on board.
He has been a long-time middle-order mainstay of India's batting line-up but veteran VVS Laxman says he started feeling assured in the team only in the last four years during which he was given the "freedom" to play his natural game.
VVS Laxman was a disappointed man despite playing a crucial role in India's recovery in the second Test against West Indies as a hundred had eluded him once again after all the hard work. Laxman, who played a precious 85-run knock in India's total of 201 on Tuesday.
Statistical highlights from the opening day's play in the second cricket Test between India and the West Indies played in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The low-scoring second cricket Test was tantalisingly poised after the third day's play with South Africa needing 192 more runs to win and India also fancying their chances of a remarkable series-levelling victory in Durban.
Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan destroyed South Africa's batting to give India the upperhand at the end of day two in the second Test.
Batting mainstay VVS Laxman believes a 250 plus score in the first innings at Kingsmead will prove competitive and give India enough cushion to bowl out South Africa in the second Test.
Former South Africa captain Clive Rice rates the India bowling attack higher than South Africa's and said the home bowlers would struggle to take 20 wickets against a batting line-up, which boasts of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag, in the Test series starting next week.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori had no qualms in admitting that India's lower-order batman Harbhajan Singh denied the Kiwis a possible win in the first Test in Ahmedabad with his aggressive brand of cricket.
Images from the fifth and final day's play of the opening Test between India and New Zealand at Motera on Monday.
The opening Test between India and New Zealand at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera ended as a draw on the fifth and final day on Monday. The visitors, chasing 295 to win, had made 22 for one when play was called off.
Chris Martin claimed five wickets and Kane Williamson and Jesse Ryder hit centuries to help New Zealand push for victory against India, on Day 4 of the first Test at the Sardar Patel stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad, on Sunday. At close on day four, India were struggling at 82 for six in 40 overs, for an overall lead of 109 runs.
Reading Team India's strong batting line-up in slow motion is sending shudders down New Zealand bowlers' spine, cricket columnist David Leggat has said.
Kochi Tuskers Kerala rode on a rollicking opening stand between Brendon McCullum and VVS Laxman as they scored a challenging 161 for five against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their debut Indian Premier League match in Kochi on Saturday.
Impressed with the way India team snatched a narrow one-wicket victory over Australia in the first cricket Test, legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar said it is one of the greatest sporting achievements of the country.
VVS Laxman (73 not out) came back to haunt Australia and inspire India to a memorable win on day five of the opening test at Mohali on Tuesday. Chasing 216 to win, the home team reached their target with a wicket to spare.
Wishes poured in from all quarters for former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who celebrates his 39th birthday on Tuesday.
CEO of talent management firm Cornerstone Bunty Sajdeh said allegation of conflict is nothing but conjecture.
With two days left and the track expected to deteriorate, the Proteas are faced with a stiff task of saving the second Test. Can India pull off victory and reign as the top Test team? India Abroad's Harish Kotian is at the ground posting updates as they happen. Follow what's the latest from the Test on Harish's MyPage!
Rejecting suggestions that selection goof-ups led to India's humiliating defeat in the first Test against South Africa, chairman of selectors Kris Srikkanth on Monday said he is still ready to face the sack if held responsible for the debacle.
The Indian T20 squad is an indication that selectors are looking at a specific short-term goal of winning the World T20 in March while the ODI squad is an indicator towards the core of the 2019 World Cup and Mahendra Singh Dhoni being a part of that side.
Having conceded a 0-3 lead to Australia in the four-Test series so far, the Indian cricket team is all set to lose its second place in the ICC Test ranking to South Africa.
Laxman said Kohli leads by example as far as work ethic is concerned but tends to be a bit defensive in field settings besides the issue of changing the squad too often.
It was Adam Gilchirst's sensible and aggressive captaincy that changed the fortunes of the Deccan Chargers in IPL-II, Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi said on Tuesday.
Home conditions, crowd support and consistent performance of the past one and a half year make India the hot favourites in next month's cricket World Cup in the sub-continent, feels stylish Test batsman VVSLaxman.
'With the amount of workload nowadays, it's very, very difficult'
In what has been described as the start of a new innings, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, former India captain Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman joined the BCCI in a newly-constituted advisory panel to guide the Board in all matters related to the game.
Live updates from Day 5 of the third and final Test between India and South Africa in Cape Town, on Thursday.
A look at India's most successful batsmen in the second innings, in wins since the Kolkata Test versus Australia in 2001.
VVS Laxman, the hero of India's second innings, feels it is important to get Jacques Kallis out quickly on Wednesday to win the second Test and draw level in the three-match series.
Ace spinner Harbhajan Singh feels India have a great chance of winning the second Test against South Africa provided they bat well in the first session and post a target of over 300 on Tuesday, Day 3.
'We are pretty comfortable and to be honest with you, there is nothing we can do about what happened with David Warner. We have moved on from there'
An inspired spell by speedster Dale Steyn helped by some poor shot selection from Indian top-order saw visitors reeling at 183 for six when stumps were drawn on a rain-curtailed first day of the second Test match at Kingsmead, Durban on Sunday.
As per norms, the CAC is mandated to conduct interviews for the job but the committee, comprising the legendary trio of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly, may not be part of the process owing to prior commitments.
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