Glimpses from India and around the world that will make you smile and cry.
Fired-up England reduced India to 58/4 chasing 193 for victory in a highly-charged final session on day four on Sunday as a gripping third Test at Lord's.
Stokes, 34, underwent a successful operation on as torn hamstring in December followed by a rigorous physical fitness programme during which he lost 10 kilograms in weight.
'It is not rigidity.' 'I am just sticking to what I believe very strongly in, particularly if you have been given an opportunity to serve the country....'
India had already taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series after registering a 55-run victory in the fourth game on Saturday.
'I told Jassi bhai, If I take five wickets, who should I hug?'
An injury-plagued India could be forced to depart from their preferred template when they takes on a reinvigorated England in the fourth Test starting in Manchester on Wednesday.
With the emergence of their battery of fast bowlers, India have turned the tide at Lord's with two of their victories coming from their last three Tests -- in 2014 and 2021.
Kohli is struggling for big runs of late and his last Test century was against the West Indies at Port of Spain in July 2023.
Small things were changed in the Indian Davis Cup set-up for the tie against Togo and it was evident that they made a difference.
Shreyas Iyer, who led KKR to the IPL 2024 title, could be headed for the players' auction after failing to make a breakthrough in negotiations, while K L Rahul is also unlikely to be retained by LSG.
A look back at a few memorable showdowns in the last decade and half that had the quintessential crests and troughs of Test cricket.
'There will be a lot of spice to the contest -- there is a reason India is the only team other than England against whom Australia is keen to play a five Test series.' 'I'll watch, as I suspect most fans will -- but this one time, I'll watch with considerable trepidation and, from a fan's point of view, with the hope that the team finds its feet and that right quick,' notes the distinguished cricket commentator Prem Panicker.
Lord's has a tradition of rewarding those who give their best, asserts veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
From Joe Root vs Jasprit Bumrah's high-stakes chess match to the all-round brilliance of Ben Stokes vs Ravindra Jadeja, and from emerging face-offs like Shubman Gill vs Shoaib Bashir to K L Rahul's test against Chris Woakes, each duel carries weight far beyond statistics.
One of the most stylish batters, Rahul admitted that in his younger days he often tried to be something he was not.
Across the first Test at Leeds, which India lost by five wickets, the visitors were relying heavily on Bumrah for wickets and cutting the flow of runs.
Two motorcycle-borne gunmen opened fire in a high-security zone in Bihar's capital Patna, where official residences of several ministers, the leader of opposition and bureaucrats are located, police said.
The legendary Rahul Dravid expressed deep anguish over the death of 11 people in a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL victory celebrations.
'You have to move ahead with whatever (players) you have and ensure they perform.'
Amid speculations surrounding his participation in the second Test against England in Birmingham, India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah returned to the nets on Saturday and rolled his arms for about 30 minutes.
The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be.
The usually mobbed Indian cricket team likes training in a relaxed atmosphere and that was evident in their body language as the players went about their business in their only practice session at the Kent County Cricket Ground before the fourth Test in Manchester.
Senior batter KL Rahul and reserve keeper Dhruv Jurel will be flying to Australia for the second 'unofficial Test' between India A and Australia A starting November 7
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has offered his thoughts to solve India's selection dilemma ahead of the fourth Test against England in Manchester, scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
Nick Knight has high expectations from the likes of Kuldeep and Sai Sudharsan who is expected to make his Test debut at Leeds, the venue for the series opener.
'Shubman Gill did not look as technically tight or calm as usual when he came out to bat on the fourth evening, but his team fought so hard on Monday in a fabulous Test.'
From 2018 to 2025: Gill hopes to take measure of Dukes balls' changing behaviour
The ground brought sanity to the wild, soaring numbers for the batters in the series. The wicket had grass, and it made the batters struggle.
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 India prepares for its upcoming five Test series against England, the selection committee faces a crucial decision regarding the team's leadership. Who should be the next India captain in red ball cricket?
Gautam Gambhir's position as India's head coach is under scrutiny following a string of disappointing results and reports of discontent within the team.
Images from Day 2 of the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval, London, on Friday.
India's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was taken off the field after copping a blow on his right foot while attempting a reverse sweep off England pacer Chris Woakes on the opening day of the fourth Test in Manchester on Wednesday.
Sanjiv Goenka said they are yet to arrive at a decision and are waiting for the BCCI to release the rules regarding retention.
Despite the ups and downs, The Oval remains a ground of rich memories and monumental moments for Indian cricket.
Gill's magnificence. Siraj and Akash's brilliance. Jadeja's class. Jaiswal and Rahul's success. Stokes' toss blunder. Root's failures.
Here's a quick look back to the day when India erased a good chunk of the stigma of being poor travellers.
Having been given the all clear from the National Cricket Academy, K L Rahul has joined the Lucknow Super Giants camp.
From Jasprit Bumrah's much-anticipated return to the all-rounder conundrum, the playing XI could very well hold the key to seizing control of this historic series.
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