'We obviously want to wheel him in, but we also want to respect where his body's at, and on the basis of that, we just felt that it wasn't worth including him in the squad.'
A look back at a few memorable showdowns in the last decade and half that had the quintessential crests and troughs of Test cricket.
India lost their openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K L Rahul on a green top but did well to reach 72 for two at lunch on Day 1 of the series-deciding fifth Test against England at The Oval, London, on Thursday.
'We all know what Stokes is capable of, but it's great to have your leader being able to grab the ball like that and showing you the way sometimes.'
'There is a reason why wickets often fall after a change of bowling. It forces the batter to recalibrate. That variability isn't available to Shubman Gill with his current crop'
Ravindra Jadeja continued his renaissance as a batter, delivering his best-ever outing during the recent Test series in England and joining a list of legends
As England and India gear up for the final Test of the fiercely fought five-match series starting at The Oval on Thursday, a number of individuals on either side will be on the cusp of major individual milestones.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Friday
India pacer Prasidh Krishna says he has learned to "switch on" as per the team's requirements and is now looking to carry his rich IPL form on to the tour of England.
Yashasvi Jaiswal enhanced his reputation as an all-conditions opener with a gutsy hundred on a tough pitch before Washington Sundar's whirlwind fifty allowed India to set a record 374-run target for England on an absorbing Day 3 of the final Test at The Oval on Saturday.
England head coach Brendon McCullum believes India have arrived well-prepared and full of belief for the upcoming five-match Test series
I expected seam and swing in England but on tracks like these only discipline helps: Akash Deep
Lord's has a tradition of rewarding those who give their best, asserts veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
Ben Johnson and Tomas Soucek scored second-half goals as West Ham United twice came back from a goal down to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday.
Leeds United great Norman Hunter has died aged 76 after contracting coronavirus, his former club announced
'With a new generation stepping up, Team India is not just carrying forward a legacy -- they are writing a new chapter in our cricketing history.'
It was crucial for Shubman Gill to score truckload of runs to call the shots as skipper, former India batter Dilip Vengsarkar said in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The matter of Bumrah's availability for the series should have been a highly-guarded secret. That it was bandied about all through suggests the matter was deliberately placed in the public domain. This has become the basis of the hounding of Bumrah, by some former players and fans, asserts Rohit Mahajan.
A superb unbeaten century from Ollie Pope helped drag England back into the first Test against India at Headingley on Saturday, with the home side closing Day 2 on 209/3.
Pant now has three Test centuries on English soil.
Mighty impressed with Shubman Gill's footwork in difficult English conditions, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly is expecting the young skipper to score truckloads of runs in away conditions
'Even if he is being hard on you, you know that it's not coming from his heart, it is coming from a team perspective.'
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah ended his Premier League goal drought in style by scoring twice as the champions raided the capital again to crush West Ham United 3-1 on Sunday.
'To have that drive to make a comeback to the Indian team despite all the hardships is commendable.'
'What a player he is. He bowls, bats and executes a crucial run out of Rishabh Pant but there is no talk of workload management. But with India it is not like that.'
Yashasvi Jaiswal entered the first Test against England at Headingley with a sparkling century. He exited it under intense scrutiny - not for his batting, but for a torrid time in the slip cordon.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday.
Son Heung-min scored his 100th goal for Tottenham Hotspur as they returned to winning ways with a 3-0 defeat of Leeds United to climb back into the English Premier League's top four on Saturday.
Here are the crunch moments that were series-defining and the contributions of the players who came of age during the English summer.
'...If Shubman Gill had that kind of a fiery side to him, we would have seen it a little earlier. You don't have to show it when you're the captain.
Leeds United returned to the Premier League after a 16-year absence on Friday as West Bromwich Albion's loss at Huddersfield Town guaranteed them a top-two finish in the Championship. Three times English champions, Leeds were relegated from the Premier League in 2004 after hitting financial trouble and being forced to sell a host of big-name players such as Robbie Keane, Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer.
Sai Sudharsan spoke on how Tamil Nadu team-mate Washington Sundar has been an 'inspiration' for him, motivating him to rise up the ranks and break into the Indian team.
With no spectators allowed into stadiums as part of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, many English clubs are giving fans the chance to send in photos and have cutouts put on the seats instead.
Karun Nair has got starts in majority of his six innings in England but he has not been able to convert them into something substantial.
"He needs to score a bit more runs when it's seaming and swinging": Sourav Ganguly urges Shubman Gill to step up as captain, batter in testing English conditions
Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that the five-Test series could be a start of 'something special' for Shubman Gill-led India.
Conceding that India could not get the first innings score they were looking in the first Test against England, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak felt Rishabh Pant's stroke-filled 134 was different from his usual aggressive knock.
The BCCI on Friday announced the India A squad for the upcoming tour of England, featuring a blend of experienced prospects and rising stars.
Images from Saturday's action in the Premier League.
India A batters enjoyed their time on a placid batting track with all the top four batters helping themselves to half-centuries as the first unofficial 'Test' against England Lions ended in a draw
