BCCI

Both England openers, Haseeb Hameed (0) and the young Zak Crawley (12), who replaced Rory Burns for the Boxing Day Test here, were bowled out cheaply by Australian captain Pat Cummins in the opening session of Day 1 on Sunday. And with the tourists unable to counter either pace or spin, they were bundled out for 185 in 65.1 overs.

"I think the highlight for us as a team is Rahul getting a big hundred. But the crucial point for us is getting partnerships. We got good partnerships, first up. Then, with Virat and KL and then Ajinkya and KL, I hope they can continue the same. Knitting partnerships and making them bigger and bigger is the key, is also the highlight for us as a team today," said Agarwal in the virtual press conference.

Batting first, Tamil Nadu posted a challenging total of 314 in 49.4 overs, courtesy of a brilliant hundred by experienced Dinesh Kartik (116 off 103). Apart from Kartik, Baba Indrajith (80), Shahrukh Khan (42), and Vijay Shankar (22) also chipped in with useful knocks. In reply, Himachal were 299 for 4 in 47.3 overs when bad light stopped play and the chasing side were declared winners via the VJD method.

After serving a seven-year suspension for his alleged involvement in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scam, the veteran pacer was elated after getting a place in the preliminary squad for Kerala. Sreesanth shared the news on Twitter on Sunday, saying, "Feels great to be back after 9 years playing Ranji trophy for my lovely state really grateful to each and every one of u, lots of love and respect."

Right-arm medium pacer Zeeshan (5/60) wreaked havoc as Pakistan bundled out India for 237. In reply, Pakistan achieved the target for the loss of eight wickets with Ahmed Khan (29 not out) hitting the winning runs on the last ball of the match at the ICC Cricket Academy Ground. Chasing 238 to win, Pakistan got off to a shaky start as opening batter Abdul Wahid Bangalzai got out on the second ball of the innings for zero.

He added that Kohli is one of those cricketers who is keen on evolving and keeps pushing himself. On his third tour of South Africa, Kohli will be itching to lead the Indian team to their maiden series win in the country when the three-match Test series begins from Sunday at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

After the Omicron variant of COVID-19 virus threatened to cancel the tour, the fixtures were revised with the Tests and ODIs retaining their places and changes in dates. South Africa, with its pace, bounce and challenging pitches, has been a place where India haven't won yet. Australia and England have been conquered but South Africa is yet to be. In 2018, India gave a glimmer of hope when it began the first Test at Cape Town very well. But South Africa bounced back and quashed hopes of an Indian win, eventually winning the series 2-1.

The BCCI president Sourav Ganguly congratulated Harbhajan on his remarkable career."I congratulate Harbhajan Singh on a remarkable career. He has faced several challenges in his life, but Bhajji is not the one to give up. He has overcome many hurdles and put many setbacks behind him to rise every time. What inspired me the most about him was his hunger to perform. His strength was his guts and courage," Ganguly said in a release.

While Steyn will be the pace bowling coach, Lara will be serving as strategic advisor and batting coach. Katich, who was the head coach for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the first phase of IPL 2021, will be the assistant coach while Badani joins as fielding coach and scout.

Kochi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi have been shortlisted and the venue will be finalised based on the availability of dates, a Cricbuzz report said. Notably, it could well be the last mega auction that the BCCI might conduct as the majority of participants, including the franchises, agree that the idea of having a big auction after every three years is no longer a great deal.