India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Saturday said injury-prone pacers Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma are expected to be fit for the first Test against Australia.
Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram has raised concerns over Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma's fitness, insisting the two Indian pacers have not bowled enough in the run-up to the Test series against Australia, starting on December 26.
Reader Sudha Thakur sent us these pictures from London.
Images from the third and final day's play between India and Australian Chairman's XI in Canberra, on Wednesday.
Let down by injuries on his previous two trips Down Under, Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan said this time he wants to be the factor that decides the Test series against Australia, starting Monday in Melbourne.
Team India's pace duo of Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma got some vital bowling practice on the third and final day of their warm-up match against Cricket Australia Chairman's XI before the match ended in a draw in Canberra on Wednesday.
Former India Pacer Zaheer Khan, who recently retired from international cricket, has said that he has achieved everything he wanted to in his career spanning 14 years and there was "no missing link" for him to regret.
Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan's form and fitness turned out to be the main concern for the Indians after the left-armer failed to impress on the second day of their warm-up game against CA Chairman's XI, at the Manuka Oval, in Canberra, on Tuesday.
Spin legend Shane Warne feels that bowling is India's weak link and Australia can exploit this to their advantage in the four-match Test series beginning in Melbourne on December 26.
The Indians are likely to field their first team when they take on Cricket Australia Chairman's XI in their second and final warm-up game, on Monday, with the focus on the fitness of their fast bowlers ahead ofthe four-match Test series, starting December 26.
Ireland have named a 14-member squad led by Gary Wilson for the two T20 Internationals against India and one of the notable names is 31-year-old Punjab born off-spinner Simranjit 'Simi' Singh.
With a gruelling four-Test series against Australia ahead, India pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, on Thursday, said he is prepared for the challenge and determined to get in the "best state of mind".
The pacer feels that the new ICC rule from October 1 that different balls will be used from the two ends in the one-dayers, has helped swing bowlers like him to move the ball for longer periods.
The pacer feels that the new ICC rule from October 1 that different balls will be used from the two ends in the one-dayers, has helped swing bowlers like him to move the ball for longer periods.
England seamer Stuart Board said he has learned a few tricks from former India pace spearhead Zaheer Khan on how to excel on the sub-continent pitches.
A summary of the second day's play in the Ranji Trophy Elite division matches, on Wednesday.
Trust MS Dhoni to spring a surprise! The second day's play at the Lord's was no different.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to bowl his seam-up stuff during the second day of the Lord's Test on Friday came under severe criticism from former India captain Kapil Dev.
India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan has been included in the Mumbai squad for the Ranji Trophy game against Orissa starting November 29 which also be his fitness test ahead of India's tour Down Under.
There is still time before the Test series gets underway but the banter has started with India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan taunting Andrew Strauss, saying the English skipper's decision to play for Somerset in a practice match highlights the "element of doubt" in his mind.
With youngsters such as Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron making their presence felt, India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan cannot take his place for granted, feels former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram.Zaheer, recovering from an ankle surgery, had missed out on India's England tour and the current West Indies series but is expected to play in Australia next month.
He has been dismissed five times by Zaheer Khan in Test cricket but England captain Andrew Strauss feels there was nothing wrong in his technique to be worried about going into the first Test against world No 1 side India on July 21 at the Lord's.
Pacer Ishant Sharma's return to form on the tour of the West Indies is good news for India, says former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, as he and Zaheer Khan "will form a formidable pair" in the upcoming Test series against England, starting later this month.
Relishing the new role of being India's strike bowler in absence of an injured Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, on Sunday, said he is completely fit and doesn't need a surgery to fix his left ankle.
Training with his Mumbai Ranji Trophy team-mates for the past few couple of weeks, injured Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan on Wednesday conceded that he had some work to do before attaining full fitness.
Dashing opener Virender Sehwag's availability will be the bone of contention when the national selectors meet in Chennai on Saturday to select the Test squad for the upcoming tour of England.
Former Indian women's team captain Anjum Chopra has been awarded an honourary life membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) along with former men's team stalwarts Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag. She is the first Indian woman cricketer to get the prestigious life membership of MCC.
Statistical highlights of the fifth and final ODI between India and South Africa at Centurion.
Karnataka medium pacer Abhimanyu Mithun and Uttar Pradesh's Praveen Kumar have been named as their replacements.
India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar and star bowler Zaheer Khan got Mumbai Indians' Indian Premier League campaign into top gear as they joined the training camp in Mumbai on Wednesday, ahead of the third season.
India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan says his recovery post-ankle surgery is "slow but positive" and has not set any timeframe for making his international comeback.
Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni were among the four Indian cricketers who found a place in former Australia captain Ian Chappell's '2010 World XI', which did not feature a singleAussie.
Gautam Gambhir will lead India in the ODI and T20 series on the upcoming tour of the West Indies after regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni asked to be rested. Suresh Raina will be Gambhir's deputy.
What things should they improve upon to make a comeback in the second Test, beginning in Colombo, on Monday.
Admitting that India find itself in a difficult position in the ongoing first Test against South Africa, batting mainstay Rahul Dravid said the visitor's inexperienced pace attack missed injured Zaheer Khan's services badly.
The Indian cricket team's summer of discontent in the longest format of the game was reflected in the ICC 'Test Team of the Year' in which senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar was the only player from the country to make the cut.
Former Indian captain Kapil Dev does not foresee Zaheer Khan spearheading the team's attack for a very long time as he feels a fast bowler getting injured at the wrong side of age has to do something "extraordinary to come back".
Former Indian captain Kapil Dev does not foresee Zaheer Khan spearheading the team's attack for a very long time as he feels a fast bowler getting injured at the wrong side of age has to do something "extraordinary to come back".
'We have taken all the recommendations of the CAC for Ravi Shastri as head coach and we will further discuss with him appointment of other coaches. We have set up a committee and they will speak to them (CAC), communicate with them after talking to Shastri. The support-staff has been decided in consultation with the head coach'
Ravi Shastri's choice of bowling coach was always Bharat Arun and it is now apparent that Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) did not take the new head coach into confidence while recommending Zaheer Khan as the bowling coach.
