Joe Root produced a batting masterclass on way to a milestone 38th hundred as England exploited a jaded Indian bowling attack to stamp their dominance on the fourth Test in Manchester.
Azharuddin also highlighted the expected positive impact of Jasprit Bumrah's return, stating that India's bowling attack is currently superior to England's.
As India look to bounce back from the crushing defeat in the series opener against England in Leeds, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's availability for the second Test in Edgbaston, scheduled to begin on July 2, has been a hot topic of discussion.
Here are the crunch moments that were series-defining and the contributions of the players who came of age during the English summer.
Rishabh Pant said the Dukes balls being used in the current Test series against England are losing their shape very quickly and cannot be good for the game.
Mohammed Siraj has always had this towering shadow of Jasprit Bumrah on him but on an overcast Monday at the Oval, the second-in-command carved a bright silhouette for himself.
Shubman Gill was "extremely proud" of the fight that his team put up after being down and out but rued the absence of one fifty partnership and Rishabh Pant's first innings run-out in their 22-run defeat against England in the third Test at the Lord's.
Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most runs by an Indian in England. Virat Kohli holds the record for most wins by an Indian captain in England.
Rajasthan Royals will face Mumbai Indians in a crucial Indian Premier League match on Thursday, looking to halt the five-time champions' surging momentum.
Difficult to replace Bumrah but we have enough quality in squad for England tour: Gambhir
Prasidh Krishna has the ability to bowl "magic balls" and the pacer needs to be given an extended run to serve India for a long time, said bowling coach Morne Morkel in London on Sunday.
Arshdeep Singh is delighted to be back in Kent where he had earlier played county cricket as he looks to rediscover his red-ball rhythm ahead of the five-match Test series against England.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan feels Zak Crawley's time-wasting tactics at the end of the third day in the ongoing third Test was "as good a piece" he has ever seen, but said India can't complain as the visitors employed the same approach on the second day at Lord's.
The 36-year-old all-rounder once again rose to the occasion, batting with remarkable patience, steel and a fierce will to fight. Partnering first with Jasprit Bumrah and then Mohammed Siraj, Jadeja weathered thunderbolts and mind games. His 61 not out off 181 balls, spread over nearly five hours, brought India within 22 agonising runs of victory.
It was a dramatic end to day three of the third Test with opener Zak Crawley using the delaying tactic to ensure England only played one over
Star Sports, the official broadcasters in India, tweeted a clip of Brook playing mind games with Krishna.
Handed the reins of a depleted Indian side in his maiden stint as Test captain, the 24-year-old has been tasked with breaking a 17-year drought without the experience of Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli by his side.
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.
England captain Ben Stokes on Tuesday dismissed the chatter surrounding Jasprit Bumrah's availability for only three Tests out of five as "India's problem" and said he is expecting the "passionate" visitors to fight hard in the second Test irrespective of the team composition.
India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate on Thursday said the team is "leaning towards" playing lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the fourth Test in Manchester as the visitors look to pull themselves back on level terms in the five-match series against England.
Premium smartphone brand OnePlus on Friday said it has roped in cricketer Jasprit Bumrah as the brand ambassador for its wearables category. "The partnership with Bumrah reiterates the brand philosophy of 'Never Settle' and the company's pursuit towards perfection. For young India today, Bumrah represents a passion for a healthy, fit, and an active lifestyle while believing in constantly becoming better, a philosophy that truly resonates with what OnePlus stands for," a statement said. The OnePlus wearables category includes the OnePlus Watch and OnePlus Band.
'He didn't want to be a stagnant cricketer, he always wanted to work hard.'
Joe Root scored his 37th Test hundred on Friday to go past the tally of former India skipper Rahul Dravid and contemporary Steve Smith.
Pictures of the meet were splashed across social media as Indian captain Shubman Gill looked like a happy chappy meeting United captain Bruno Fernandes.
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.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has admitted that dealing with the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be a significant challenge for the team.
Commentators speculated the injury might be a fracture, though the extent of the damage remains unconfirmed.
Dinesh Karthik didn't hold back in his admiration, calling Bumrah 'as valuable as the Kohinoor diamond' and underlining his dominance across all formats.
Prem Panicker and Faisal Shariff discuss Rohit Sharma's captaincy and his impact as a batsman and explore potential successors for Team India on a special episode of the Sports And Pastime podcast.
Many on social media felt that Bumrah's reaction was over the top, which seemed to have arisen from the frustration of being thrashed to all corners of the park by Nair.
He returned with figures of 4-22 in 12.1 overs to join an elite list comprising legends Vinoo Mankad, Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan, who have taken four wickets or more at the iconic venue.
Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev on Saturday said the England series will serve as a valuable learning experience for young India skipper Shubman Gill and urged critics to give him some time to grow into the leadership role.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday.
Mohammed Siraj's match-winning spell in The Oval Test reminded us all what Test cricket -- and fast bowling -- is truly about: Discipline, endurance, and unwavering grit, says Aadharsh A V.
It's evident that this Indian attack, even without Bumrah, has oodles of quality in it, but can they refocus on their lengths?
India's new Test captain Shubman Gill will drop down one spot in the order to take Virat Kohli's old position at number four
India should seriously consider playing Kuldeep but it will be selection dilemma: Harmison
England skipper Ben Stokes on Thursday said the hosts don't think the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin makes India any lesser side as their "ginormous" talent pool is enough to fill the void.
Broken foot, unbroken in spirit: Pant gives update
Gautam Gambhir seemed in no mood to laud individual brilliance like the twin hundreds by Rishabh Pant
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