India Cricket Team - players.bio

Devdutt Padikkal: Overcoming Health Complications To Land A Dream Test Debut

Devdutt Padikkal beamed broadly while receiving his India Test cap from Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday but the happy exterior masked the struggles the 23-year-old had to go through over the last two years to reach this dream point. After making his India debut in 2021 during a T20I against Sri Lanka, Devdutt's career graph did not go up as expected due to a COVID-19 infection and a stomach-related health complication. "Those two years (2021 to early 2023), he was struggling to stay fit and healthy. He suffered from loss of weight too. It was a constant stomach bug that was troubling him.

Watch: Kuldeep Yadav's Shane Warne Moment Leaves Zak Crawley Stunned

India's left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav channeled his inner Shane Warne as he dismissed the well-settled Zak Crawley in the second session of Day 1 of the 5th Test against England. Crawley, until the moment he faced this delivery from Kuldeep, was brilliant in picking up Indian bowlers. But, the said delivery from the chinaman spinner completely bamboozled him. Finding the fine gap between Crawley's bat and pad, the ball shattered the England batter's stumps, leaving everyone stunned. It was also reported that the ball spun more than 10 degrees.

Watch: Ravichandran Ashwin's Beautiful Moment With Rohit Sharma Amid 100th Test Guard Of Honour

Celebrating the landmark moment for Ravichandran Ashwin, the Indian cricket team players decided to give the veteran off-spinner a guard of honour as he walked out on the Dharamsala ground to feature in a Test match for the 100th time. The moment of reckoning came for Ashwin as India took on England in the 5th and final Test of the series on Thursday. As players lined up in two rows for Ashwin's guard of honour, the spinner went to skipper Rohit Sharma and gave him a hug.

"My Wife Didn't Know What She Was Getting Into": R Ashwin's Emotional Tribute On 100th Test

“Test cricket is the closest synergy that you can find to life.” Ravichandran Ashwin's voice trembled with emotion and pride during the gratitude-speech after receiving his special 100th Test cap from India head coach Rahul Dravid here on Thursday. But Ashwin did not restrict that landmark moment, which came during the fifth and final Test against England, to himself but he championed the cause of Test cricket amidst money-spinning T20 leagues.

India vs England: Why Rajat Patidar Missed Out On 5th Test, Rohit Sharma Explains

The Indian cricket team announced one change in the team for the 5th Test against England in Dharamsala, with Devdutt Padikkal becoming the 314th player to represent the team in the longest format of the game. Padikkal replaced Rajat Patidar in the team, with skipper Rohit Sharma revealing at the time of the toss that the Royal Challengers Bangalore man injured himself in a training session before the final match of the series.

Rohit Sharma's Firm Domestic Cricket Verdict Amid Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer Saga

As the Indian cricket team geared up for their 5th and final Test outing against England in Dharamsala, captain Rohit Sharma reaffirmed his stance on the importance of playing domestic cricket during the press conference on Wednesday. The likes of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have been in the headlines for their reluctance to play Ranji Trophy but Rohit feels it's important for everyone to play domestic cricket unless there's a medical reason, certified by the team. Though Rohit didn't take the names of Iyer and Kishan, he was firm with his message, highlighting how important it is to play First-Class cricket.

"You'd Say We've Gone Backwards": Ben Stokes' Passionate Defence Of England Team In Press Conference

In Ben Stokes, England have a captain who will stand by the philosophy he has, the mindset his teammates possess when they step out on the field, and the strategy the coach decides no matter the conditions in the middle. Though England have already lost the 5-match Test series against India, with the hosts taking an unassailable 3-1 lead with the win in the 4th Test at Ranchi, Stokes doesn't feel his team has gone backward in their progress. For the England skipper, the scoreline doesn't suggest the nature of the competition his side has given to India.

"When I Reached Hospital, Mom Was...": R Ashwin On 'Medical Emergency'

Lying in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a Chennai hospital, Chitra Ravichandran was slipping in and out of consciousness but she had just one query for her son Ravichandran Ashwin when she saw him by her bedside -- "Why did you come?" Hours after becoming only the second Indian bowler after Anil Kumble to take 500 Test wickets, Ashwin rushed back to his home in Chennai during the third game against England in Rajkot after coming to know that his mother had been hospitalised following a blackout.

Contacts

India Cricket Team Sport News

Devdutt Padikkal: Overcoming Health Complications To Land A Dream Test Debut

Watch: Kuldeep Yadav's Shane Warne Moment Leaves Zak Crawley Stunned

Watch: Ravichandran Ashwin's Beautiful Moment With Rohit Sharma Amid 100th Test Guard Of Honour

"My Wife Didn't Know What She Was Getting Into": R Ashwin's Emotional Tribute On 100th Test

India vs England: Why Rajat Patidar Missed Out On 5th Test, Rohit Sharma Explains

Rohit Sharma's Firm Domestic Cricket Verdict Amid Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer Saga

"You'd Say We've Gone Backwards": Ben Stokes' Passionate Defence Of England Team In Press Conference

"When I Reached Hospital, Mom Was...": R Ashwin On 'Medical Emergency'