Andrew Flintoff's 17-year-old son Rocky and fit-again pacer Chris Woakes were on Wednesday named in England Lions squad for the two four-day games against India A at home.
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.
Stokes, the leading wicket-taker of the series with 17 scalps, will be a mere spectator at The Oval, robbing the series finale of his charismatic on-field presence.
Cheteshwar Pujara was the cornerstone of the Indian batting line-up in Tests, featuring in 103 matches in which he scored 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60, with 19 centuries.
A Test series win in England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa ranks as a "bigger" achievement than an IPL title, said India's new captain Shubman Gill on Thursday.
India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is up and running in Beckenham, putting in the hard yards before the upcoming five high-stakes Tests against England, slated to kick off on June 20 at Headingley.
Jude Bellingham topped the men's overall voting, with the Real Madrid and England midfielder receiving 11,176 selections from his peers.
While Gill's intent was to contain, former players believe he missed an opportunity to attack when it mattered most.
Ahead of the 2nd Test starting on Wednesday, July 2, former Australian cricketer Brad Haddin had some advice for Gill, as the visitors look to level the five-match Test series.
On Wednesday, head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that they have yet to take a call on which Tests India will field Bumrah in the playing XI.
Thakur, who resumed Day 3 unbeaten, brought up his century with ease, reinforcing his case as the ideal seam-bowling all-rounder ahead of the Leeds Test.
As Team India gear up for the much-anticipated Test series against England starting on Friday, several players in the squad will draw confidence from their county cricket experience.
Tom Haines smashed an unbeaten century to lead England Lions' strong reply after Karun Nair's double century had powered India A to a massive 557 on Day 2 of the first Unofficial Test.
How the Indian players fared in the five-Test series in England.
Will Sai Sudarshan or Abhimanyu Easwaran bat at No. 3?
With India conceding more than 600 runs for the first time since 2014, the case for including a wicket-taking spinner like Kuldeep Yadav is stronger than ever for the must-win fifth and final Test against England.
Jurel has produced a solid body of work in first-class and Test cricket alike, even though he displayed a completely different avatar for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a finisher since his debut in 2023.
'Everyone wants to be the best in the country. I would like to be someone the team can depend on to win games. That is what I want to be known for.'
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the T20 World Cup semi-final against England?
Sarfaraz has taken an unconventional route to keep himself battle-ready - turning up in the Kanga League, a competition few modern-day Mumbai internationals participate in.
Can the subcontinent giants maintain their 12-year invincibility?
The 3rd Test match in Kingston, Jamaica, will mark Australia's first day-night Test away from home and if they opt for a pace-heavy attack, Scott Boland could come into the side.
'He was disturbed after not being picked for the fifth Test, he was expecting that call.'
Fans and experts questioned the logic behind repeatedly including Easwaran in squads without ever giving him a real opportunity
As questions swirled around dropped catches, poor captaincy calls, and a one-dimensional bowling attack, former players didn't hold back.
India's new Test captain Shubman Gill is a mix of his predecessors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli but he will be 'very much his own man' in the middle, said Jos Buttler.
Karun Nair stroked a magnificent century to power India A to 409/3 on Day 1 of the four-day unofficial Test against England Lions.
Shubman should focus on his decisions and not how outside world perceives him: Tendulkar
'There is a reason why wickets often fall after a change of bowling. It forces the batter to recalibrate. That variability isn't available to Shubman Gill with his current crop'
Veteran Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batter Brendan Taylor on Thursday created history by making a resolute return to international cricket after a hiatus of of three-and-a-half years.
Zak Crawley, Tom Hartley, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Gus Atkinson and assistant coach Marcus Trescothick met the Dalai Lama at his residence.
Drawing on his own experience, Harbhajan recalled India's bold decision to field two spinners at Headingley in 2002, when he and Anil Kumble bagged 11 wickets between them on a green top.
To K L Rahul, a decade-long journey in international cricket has felt like 25 years in which he has had to overcome 'mental challenges' of being a floater in the Indian set-up.
The spotlight will be firmly on Mohammed Shami as the Indian team contemplates his inclusion in the playing XI.
Reddy bowled 26.5 overs in the two 'Tests' against England Lions and Morkel has 'challenged' his ward to bowl more.
Hazlewood, who was snapped up for a hefty Rs 12.50 crore at the auction, has been a cornerstone of RCB's bowling attack this season, claiming 18 wickets in just 10 matches.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for their first Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh on Thursday?
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second ODI against England on Sunday?
His duel with India stalwart Virat Kohli will be an interesting sub-plot of the match.
England on Friday replaced Ahmed with Shoaib Bashir in their playing XI for the fourth Test.
