Out-of-form skipper Rohit Sharma's batting position will be in focus against a dangerous Australia
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya will not be available for the league stage matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy because of personal reasons, but he will join Baroda if they progress to the knockouts.
India's batters will need to fire on all cylinders when they come out to bat and former India spinner Harbhajan Singh lists key strategies the visitors will need to adopt to claw back into the game.
Travis Head conceded that he was immensely fortunate to survive a fine spell from Jasprit Bumrah on the Day 2 of the third Test in Brisbane on Sunday.
Sunil Gavaskar called out the double standards of the Australian cricket pundits for their criticism of Mohammed Siraj's aggressive send-off to Travis Head.
Opener Reeza Hendricks smashed 117 runs from 63 balls to guide South Africa to a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second Twenty20 International at Centurion Park on Friday as they claimed the three-match series 2-0 with a game to spare.
Indian batting line-up need to get its mojo back against a resurgent South Africa to regain the lost ground on rather unfamiliar SuperSport Park conditions
Opener Smriti Mandhana's elegant century went in vain as India lost to Australia by 83 runs in the third Women's ODI to suffer a 0-3 series whitewash
Rohit, who had missed the first Test, dropped down to the number six spot in the pink ball Test after KL Rahul excelled at the top in the series opener in his absence.
The former South African quick explained the pre-set plan against Head, though it eventually fell flat on its back.
Mitchell Starc said Australia had left the Perth debacle behind by shutting the "outside noise" following their heavy defeat in the series-opener.
Australia captain Pat Cummins said it is a "privilege" to have a bowler of Mitchell Starc's calibre at his disposal.
India pacer Mohammed Siraj broke his silence on the controversial send-off and war of words with Travis Head.
Seamer Dane Paterson took a career-best 5-71 and Temba Bavuma was unbeaten on 48 as South Africa closed the third day
India were thoroughly exposed in their 10-wicket loss in the second Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy with the match ending in less than two-and-a-half days as Australia bounced back to level the five-game series 1-1.
Talking to broadcasters after the India innings, Starc said he did not really visualise Jaiswal's dismissal.
Rahul looked solid with scores of 26 and 77 in the opening Test in Perth.
Gus Atkinson took a hat-trick as England stayed on course for a dominant victory in the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday, reaching 378 for 5 at the close of play on Day 2 with an imposing lead of 533.
At the end of the first day of play, it is the home side that is firmly in control, and India that is now reduced to chasing the game.
Shaheen Afridi also missed the last two Tests against England in October.
India were struggling at 128 for 5 in their second innings, still trailing Australia by 29 runs at stumps on day two of the day-night Test.
Rahul played a scintillating knock of 77, with some eye-catching drives and peak Test match batting, before getting out to Mitchell Starc in the first session on Day 3.
Tilak Varma became the first batter ever to notch three successive hundreds in T20s, while Shreyas Iyer underlined his credentials with a smooth century
The legendary Sunil Gavaskar is confident that the stylish K L Rahul can excel on Australian tracks, just like he did in South Africa last year.
Since 2022, he has scored 514 runs in Tests from 12 matches (21 innings) at an average of 25.7, having registered three half-centuries and a century.
Kohli is struggling for big runs of late and his last Test century was against the West Indies at Port of Spain in July 2023.
West Indies openers Shai Hope and Evin Lewis smashed 136 off the first nine overs to put the hosts in the driving seat, with captain Rovman Powell's 38 steering his side to their highest-ever successful run chase in the Caribbean with six balls to spare.
The bungalow is named Veena Palace after his mother.
Ramandeep Singh enjoyed a memorable debut as he smashed the first ball of his T20 International career for a six, in Centurion, on Wednesday.
The third Twenty20 International between South Africa and India was halted early in the home side's reply after a wave of flying ants descended on Centurion Park in Pretoria on Wednesday and forced the players from the field.
England stormed to the T20 series victory over West Indies with two matches to spare in St Lucia on Thursday after a nervy final-over three wicket win in the third T20 International.
Varun Chakravarthy credited the intense domestic grind and the role clarity provided by new head coach Gautam Gambhir as vital in helping regain his lost form.
England skipper Jos Buttler hammered a superb 83 off 45 balls to steer his side to a seven-wicket victory in the second Twenty20 international against West Indies.
India have used 12 out of their 15 players in the first three games and it would be interesting to see if one among the two uncapped pacers Yash Dayal or Vysakh Vijaykumar gets a debut cap in case the pitch warrants an extra specialist speedster.
Tilak Varma stole the show with a spectacular maiden century as India clinched a narrow 11-run win over South Africa in a high-scoring third T20 International.
'There are a lot of players who have been performing well even before him, so there is a routine or process that I think that the management has come up with, so it is important to follow that. He has been performing consistently well, so I believe his time will come soon.'
KL Rahul's batting number and current form will be keenly watched by the national selection committee as he gets ready to show his wares for India A against an Australia A line-up that will have seasoned Scott Boland in its ranks in the second unofficial Test match starting here on Thursday.
Rahul will come in place of Baba Indrajith, who scored 9 and 6 and didn't look comfortable at all against pace and bounce, which wasn't exactly 125 clicks.
Rahul along with wicketkeeper batter Dhruv Jurel flew early to Australia, and will appear for India A in the second four-day game at the MCG.
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