Cricket

To bolster the squad, the men's selection committee has added Sarfaraz Khan, a right-handed batter, left-arm spinner Sourabh Kumar, and off-spin all-rounder Washington Sundar for the Visakhapatnam Test.

Despite concerns about his toe injury, Shamar Joseph led the West Indies bowling attack. On the fourth day, Australia resumed at 60/2, and Shamar broke the crucial partnership between Cameron Green and Steve Smith, dismissing Green just short of a half-century.

Employing the sweep effectively, Pope aggressively dismantled the Indian spinners, amassing 21 boundaries during his resilient 278-ball stay at the crease. He forged pivotal partnerships of 112, 64, and 80 with Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, and Tom Hartley, respectively.

Starting the day 127 runs behind England's total of 246, India faced an early setback with the departure of Yashasvi Jaiswal for 80 in the opening over. K.L. Rahul, however, played a stellar innings, registering his 14th Test fifty with a well-crafted 86 off 123 balls. His innings, marked by patience and ten boundaries, significantly contributed to India's dominance.

This right-handed batsman will be part of the Test side for the initial two games. Patidar, who recently marked his international debut during the ODI series against South Africa in December 2023, was in Ahmedabad participating in the India A vs. England Lions series. He is set to join the squad in Hyderabad later today, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

In response to the incident, Cricket Australia issued a statement saying, "Cricket Australia is aware of an incident involving Glenn Maxwell in Adelaide at the weekend and is seeking further information," as reported by 'ESPNcricinfo.'

Recalling his own experience facing Jadeja, Pietersen highlighted the significance of solid technique. He noted that while Jadeja may not possess the variety of legendary spinners like Murali or Shane Warne, a batsman with a sound technique can handle his deliveries effectively.

Rinku Singh, known for his T20 performances, brings his experience from 43 first-class matches with an impressive average of 58.47. Yash Dayal, another player from Uttar Pradesh, also finds a place in both squads against England Lions.

Shoaib Bashir, a 20-year-old offspinner, made his First-Class debut at 19 and has caught attention with impressive performances, including 10 wickets in six First-Class games. Monty Panesar, having observed Bashir closely, expressed excitement about the young spinner's potential impact on the series, especially on the turning tracks of Indian soil.

Harmison emphasized the importance of England's batsmen, particularly Joe Root, in facing India's spin and seam attacks. He also stressed the critical role of captain Stokes in inspiring and supporting the young spinners in the team.