Jonny Bairstow has been rested and injured pacer Jofra Archer was left out while spinner Moeen Ali was unavailable for Test selection.
Ben Stokes' first big decision as captain will be to name his team along with coach Chris Silverwood and there are tricky choices to be made with his bowling attack.
'India are very, very patient but if you are willing to be patient and bowl all day you will take wickets'
There was disaster for the visitors when captain Joe Root (1), who scored a superb 228 in the first innings, was run out by a direct his from wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella to leave England teetering at 14 for three.
England's bowlers have largely risen to the occasion this summer, but they have been less impressive with the bat, passing 320 only twice in the previous five Tests.
England skipper Joe Root has backed James Anderson to hit peak form again, saying on Wednesday that the pace bowler's spot in the team is not in question ahead of the second Test against Pakistan starting on Thursday.
Ahmedabad will also host the final Test, though with the traditional red ball, and the pitch is unlikely to be vastly different from the one that saw 30 wickets fall in five sessions in the shortest completed Test match since 1935.
Moeen Ali said it will be a massive challenge for England bowlers to get the better of India captain Virat Kohli, who he says doesn't have 'any sort of weakness'.
England's selectors are acutely aware of the impact on players of bio-secure bubbles and with a demanding year ahead, are making sure they protect their key performers.
Pant displayed tremendous game sense to first bide his time before taking a worn out attack to the cleaners. He completed his hundred with an audacious six off Dom Bess.
Pakistan beat England by nine wickets in the first Test at Lord's on Sunday.
All-rounder Ben Stokes returns to England's squad for the first two Tests against India next month after he missed the two-match series against New Zealand in June following a finger injury he sustained during the Indian Premier League earlier this year.
The 40-year-old Pietersen said a win against India is similar to a victory against arch-rivals Australia and urged the selectors to play both Stuart Broad and James Anderson in the same XI.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 1st Test between England and Pakistan played at Lord's on Saturday
Rohit's 162-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane dragged the hosts back into the contest, before England dismissed both in the final session.
India finished the penultimate day on 39-1, still 381 behind the target
Archer would likely thrive on a pacey pitch in Johannesburg and if he is fit that would pose a selection dilemma for coach Chris Silverwood and captain Joe Root.
Who do you think should be part of England's playing XI for the first Test?
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 3rd Test played between England and Pakistan at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Monday.
'At the moment he's in incredible form and to play the way he has done in such tough conditions, so alien to us as England batsmen, is incredible.'
'It must be a nightmare for the selectors, but should you have your best side for that first India Test? If the next Test after this series was Brisbane in the Ashes, would we send our best side? So why when it's the first Test against India, one of the great sides, aren't we sending our best team?'
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between England and Pakistan in Manchester on Friday.
Images from Day 2 of the first Test match between England and Pakistan in Manchester, on Thursday.
Stuart Broad scored the joint third fastest Test 50 for England off just 33 balls as he helped England to fight back
England needed four wickets to win in their 500th overseas Test, but had to overcome late resistance and feisty 71 from Keshav Maharaj and 39 from debutant Dane Paterson before completing the task 10 minutes before lunch.
South Africa trail by 439 runs and will need to bat for much of the weekend to stay in the contest and avoid going 2-1 behind in the four-Test series.
Pant's scintillating 101 propelled India to 294 for seven as the hosts took a crucial 89-run lead.
'For us to come away with a drawn series would be a really good achievement'
Ben Foakes feels the fresh Chepauk track will keep low and might start offering turn earlier compared to the series opener at the same venue.
Former England spinner Graeme Swann wants left-arm spinner Jack Leach to bowl a "boring" line and length to be successful in four-Test series against Virat Kohli's men.
Zak Crawley and Jos Buttler shared a record partnership and James Anderson grabbed three wickets to put England in total control at the close on the second day of the third and final Test against Pakistan on Saturday. Images from Day 2 of the third and final Test.
Silverwood said Stokes will have to 'rein' him in during training as he is always looking push himself.
The famous win on Sunday was West Indies' first in the opening Test of an away series in almost 13 years. Jason Holder led from the front, taking a career-best six wicket-haul in the first innings.
England ended day four with a 170-run lead over West Indies as Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley notched up half-centuries in the second innings of the first Test at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Saturday. Images from Day 4 of the first Test between England and West Indies.
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between England and West Indies at the Ageas Bowl, on Friday
Virdi, who has taken 69 wickets in his 23 first class matches at an average of 28.78, says his strength lies in his aggression as he is always looking for wickets.
South Africa's Anrich Nortje took the vital wickets of captain Joe Root and talisman Ben Stokes as England struggled to 262 for nine at stumps on the first day of the second Test on Friday. Pace bowler Nortje, playing his fourth Test, finished with 2-54 off 17 overs as the home side restricted the tourists on a Newlands wicket that was expected to be full of runs. Images from the opening day of the second Test at Newlands on Friday.
Ravichandran Ashwin, who was left out of the first Test, is back in the mix as Shardul Thakur seems to have done his hamstring some damage during the training session at Lord's on Monday.
England captain Joe Root admitted his team had been comprehensively outplayed by an inexperienced Pakistan side in their nine-wicket loss to the tourists in the first Test at Lord's.
India's quality pace attack, comprising a world-class operator in Jasprit Bumrah, could prompt the hosts to prepare seamer-friendly pitches instead of the traditional sub-continental spinning tracks in their upcoming Test series against England, said opener Rory Burns.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances