Newsmen Sports Desk

The team aims to strike a balance between controllable skills and innate attributes like pace during the auction to enhance their chances in the upcoming IPL season.

The Test series between India and South Africa is scheduled for December 26-30 in Centurion and January 3-7, 2024, in Cape Town.

This win disrupted Pakistan's perfect record in the World Test Championship, dropping them to number two, while Australia climbed to the fourth spot. The second Test is scheduled for Boxing Day at the MCG. Mitchell Marsh was named Player of the Match for his impactful contributions with both bat and ball.

Despite a brief resistance from Andile Phehlukwayo, India's bowlers continued to dominate, and Sudarshan's composed innings sealed the win. India now holds a 1-0 lead in the three-game series, leaving South Africa with questions to address before the next match in Gqeberha on Tuesday.

This marks the second instance of Lockyer collapsing during a match this year, the first occurring in the Championship playoff final in May, after which he underwent heart surgery and made a successful return to playing in June.

Akram recalled legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's suggestion of playing four innings of 25 overs each, but acknowledged the potential drawbacks of such an extended format. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri echoed Akram's sentiments, supporting the idea of a 40-over format for ODIs.

With key players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill absent, the spotlight shifts to promising youngsters like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Rajat Patidar, and Sai Sudharsan.

Chopra anticipates a substantial deal for sidelined South African bowler Gerald Coetzee and highlights uncapped all-rounder Shahrukh Khan, India's Shardul Thakur, and New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell as promising prospects.

In a recent match against Pakistan, Marsh's standout performance reaffirmed his stance.

Mohammed Shami, initially under consideration for the Test series pending fitness clearance, remains sidelined as the BCCI Medical Team hasn't approved his participation in the two Tests.