India goes into the fourth Test against England on a track that is batsman-friendly, swing-less, as compared to other English grounds, and will assist spinners as the game progresses, says Bikash Mohapatra.
Rediff's resident expert Rajneesh Gupta replies to questions from readers.
Relishing the new role of being India's strike bowler in absence of an injured Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, on Sunday, said he is completely fit and doesn't need a surgery to fix his left ankle.
Durham paceman Graham Onions has been called into the England squad as bowling cover ahead of the fourth and final test against India starting at The Oval on Thursday.
In no way it could have changed the course of the match. However, it could very much have prolonged it, taking it into a fifth day.
For a captain on a roll, it is nothing sort of an embarrassment. For someone who has never tasted defeat previously, it is a bitter pill to swallow.
Coming into the series, Andrew Strauss's men needed to beat India by a margin of two or more Tests to usurp the No.1 ICC Test ranking from India.
The innings and 336 runs defeat against the West Indies in 1958 remains India's worst in Test cricket.
Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott has questioned India's plummeting No 1 Test status, calling Mahendra Singh Dhoni's squad a "shadow of an average team".
As a bowler, Stuart Broad recorded his best performance in a Test series, capturing 19 wickets at 11.73 runs apiece. His previous best tally in a Test series was 18 (ave.30.22) in the 2009 Ashes series (five Tests) against Australia.
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar believes England's cricketers would have 'hit the panic button' and talked of leaving the series midway if similar riots had happened in India.
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram feels the fourth Test at The Oval will provide Sachin Tendulkar with an ideal opportunity to reach the milestone of scoring 100 international centuries, in the ongoing four-match series against England.
Ishant needs to figure out his role in the team, says McGrath
Joe Root said that although England got a few things wrong, they never let go of the belief to win.
The top two teams with most points as of April 30, 2021 will then contest in the WTC final in June 2021 in the UK.
The leg-spinner was England's best bowler in their 2-1 triumph in the one-day series against India which concluded earlier this week, prompting talk of a possible Test return.
When he had Jonny Bairstow (5) caught behind on the second day of the third Test at Edgbaston, the 33-year-old reached the milestone, in what is his 69th Test.
Rain held up England's progress after Alastair Cook scored a superb 243 on the second day of the first Test against West Indies at Edgbaston on Friday.
Curran had a lengthy chat with his English teammates and IPL regulars before coming to India, giving him a fair idea on the pressures and expectations involved in the lucrative league.
Praveen Kumar, who has claimed 15 wickets (@ 29.53) in the ongoing series, is a doubtful starter for the fourth and final Test against England, starting at The Oval, on Thursday, having not full recovered from the injury he sustained in the Edgbaston Test.
Alastair Cook scored a hundred on debut against India in 2006; five years later, life has come a full circle for the England opener who scored a match-winning 294. Bikash Mohapatra traces his career and says it was worth the wait.
Alastair Cook moved to the top rung in the leading run-scores for 2011 after his marathon 294 in the third Test between England and India at Edgbaston last week.
'We have had some exceptional cricket in the last 18 to 24 months and it would be a shame to ruin it. So we look to make it a good five days,' said England spin ace Graeme Swann, ahead of the final Test against India.
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram feels that the ongoing series against England is India's worst performance in Test cricket ever since he quit the game in 2003.
Images from Day 4 play of the third Test at Egdbaston.
