Karun Nair has managed only 131 runs across six innings at a below-par average of 21.83, in the first three Tests against England.
Going into the penultimate game of the rubber, the pressing question is whether to tweak their conservative approach and bolster the spin department by playing left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav at the cost of a spin all-rounder.
Shivam Dube remains a vital cog in India's T20 set-up and bowling coach Morne Morkel wants the Mumbai all-rounder to step up as a back-up medium pacer ahead of the T20 World Cup, in line with head coach Gautam Gambhir's philosophy of packing the XI with multi-skilled cricketers.
His consistency comes at a crucial time, with stiff competition for a spot in India's Asia Cup XI following Shubman Gill's return as vice-captain, and the inclusion of wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma after a stellar IPL season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
England captain Jos Buttler is confident that the upcoming T20I series against India will not impact their preparation for the Champions Trophy.
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.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said that Powerplay overs will be crucial in the five-match T20 International series against Australia.
The beleaguered tourists lined up without their ace bowler in the second contest, Panesar believes India would need to figure out a way to scythe 20 scalps to stand triumphant for the first time in Birmingham.
India should seriously consider playing Kuldeep but it will be selection dilemma: Harmison
Nitish and Shardul were thrown into the playing XI for India A during both unofficial Tests against England Lions, and both all-rounders reaped mixed results across the two contests.
Pakistan have made four changes to the side for the second Test against England after resting senior cricketers including former captain Babar Azam from the rest of the series.
Former England captain Michael Atherton suggested India could include three spinners for the must-win fourth Test against England at Manchester, starting on July 23.
Karun Nair opened up about the relentless effort he put in the last few years to make a comeback to the Indian Test team for the recently-concluded tour of England.
Spin great Anil Kumble praised Nitish Kumar Reddy's showing with the ball on Day 1 of the Lord's Test on Thursday.
'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.'
'Kamboj, Bumrah, Siraj -- that's a serious bowling attack.'
Pat Cummins captured the sentiment perfectly, calling this potentially the 'last chance' for fans Down Under to witness these legends in action. With both stalwarts set to be 39 and 40 respectively by the 2027 World Cup, every appearance carries added significance. Ro-Ko have been the heartbeat of Indian cricket for over 15 years. Their return brings an emotional lift to the team and raises expectations for the series against the world champions.
In the team's first session ahead of the third Test, Bumrah seemed to be good spirits, constantly chatting with fellow teammates and at times with the travelling Indian media.
As India gear up for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, former captain Ajinkya Rahane has raised a tactical alarm: the team's all-rounder-heavy approach might be hurting their chances.
All eyes were on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who participated in the training session, though his availability for the match is a big doubt.
'We won't miss Virat and Rohit. I have faith in our young team.'
In summary, excluding the inactive innings, his recent conversion record reads rather poor with no half-centuries since his eminent legendary debut knock.
Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah returned to India's T20 squad for next month's Asia Cup, but IPL star performers Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out.
Former No. 1-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne will be pushed up in the order to open alongside Usman Khawaja.
Despite having an impeccable domestic record and a decent start to his international career, he was not picked for the England tour as selectors preferred Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair over him.
Ganguly said he would have preferred Arshdeep over Prasidh Krishna.
The most wickets by an Indian in international cricket are by spinner Anil Kumble, with 953 scalps at an average of 30.06, with best figures of 10/74, with 37 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-fers.
Even as the conditions changed, bright sunshine alternating with gloom, the Indian batters gritted their teeth and fought it out.
As India head into a series-deciding fifth Test, questions over Gambhir's tactics and temperament are growing louder.
With two Tests left, India trailing the five-match series 1-2, and Bumrah available for only one of them, Panesar feels India needs to go all out in Manchester next week.
Such has been the problem of plenty for selectors in the T20 format that they are finding it difficult to even accommodate Yashasvi Jaiswal -- a proven performer in T20 cricket.
India's historic first-ever Test win at Edgbaston by a massive 336 runs after losing the first Test was a triumph of Grit, Resilience, Excellence, Aggressiveness, and Tactfulness, a truly GREAT performance that will be remembered for years, asserts veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
'This England team has openly advertised that they will go for the target whatever may be the target. So as a batting line-up, we've to keep in mind that we have to give them less time but give a bigger target.'
Former India cricketer Arun Lal believes captain Shubman Gill's patience and self-assurance are rubbing off on the group.
'Sanju was playing because Shubman and Yashasvi were not available at that point (and) so was Abhishek. (But) Abhishek's performances clearly make it hard to leave him out. Plus, his bowling (left arm spin) is handy.'
This isn't just a Test match - it's a test of Shubman Gill's leadership, temperament, and decision-making.
'They are not only setting new standards for themselves but also paving the way for future players to keep pushing those boundaries.'
During the two months in England when he was warming the bench, the easy way would have been to blame anyone and everyone for his failure to fit into India's playing XI, but Kuldeep Yadav chose to traverse the tougher route.
India will kickstart their campaign on September 10 against the UAE. Media reports suggest that Gill could make his return to the T20I team, possibly as vice-captain.
