Karun Nair never stopped believing. And now, eight years after his last Test, India's only triple-centurion since Sehwag is back - older, tougher, and hungrier than ever.
'His hands are quite sore. We want to get his confidence back up.'
A superb unbeaten century from Ollie Pope helped drag England back into the first Test against India at Headingley on Saturday, with the home side closing Day 2 on 209/3.
Akash Deep might never have risen from personal tragedy had it not been for his elder sister Akhand Jyoti, who is now fighting her own battle with Stage 3 colon cancer.
Pain, Punt and Pant: Keeper of India's fortune fights back with broken foot
India crushed England by 336 runs to level the series at 1-1 on Sunday
Jofra Archer has not featured in a Test since 2021 and was recently included in the England squad for the second Test after playing a four-day Country game for Sussex.
'To have that drive to make a comeback to the Indian team despite all the hardships is commendable.'
From Joe Root vs Jasprit Bumrah's high-stakes chess match to the all-round brilliance of Ben Stokes vs Ravindra Jadeja, and from emerging face-offs like Shubman Gill vs Shoaib Bashir to K L Rahul's test against Chris Woakes, each duel carries weight far beyond statistics.
'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.'
Yashasvi Jaiswal entered the first Test against England at Headingley with a sparkling century. He exited it under intense scrutiny - not for his batting, but for a torrid time in the slip cordon.
Former wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik believes Shubman Gill is yet to realise the 'enormity' of what it means to be India's Test captain.
While Gill's intent was to contain, former players believe he missed an opportunity to attack when it mattered most.
Jofra Archer took inspiration from Sourav Ganguly's famous shirt swinging show at the 2002 Natwest Trophy final
Led by Shubman Gill, a defiant India put on a mentally strong and technically disciplined response to keep the series alive with England 2-1 up. While there were plenty of positives to take forward, a few concerns continue to linger as the series heads to a decider at The Oval.
Sanjay Bangar says selectors would be vindicated if India win series against England
"He needs to score a bit more runs when it's seaming and swinging": Sourav Ganguly urges Shubman Gill to step up as captain, batter in testing English conditions
Yorkshire hasn't forgotten Vinod Kambli. He remains part of its rich cricketing folklore
'There's always some calculated thinking behind it.'
India finished day three of the second Test on 64/1 to lead England by 244 runs after they dismissed the hosts for 407 in the first innings at Edgbaston on Friday.
Shubman Gill was deemed Rohti's long-term successor and was crowned the new Test skipper.
Rajneesh Gupta presents all the interesting numbers from Day 4 of the India-England Test at Leeds.
Shubman Gill played a masterful captain's knock with his second century of the series on the opening day of the second Test
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.
Gujarat Titans opener B Sai Sudharsan continued his red-hot form in the Indian Premier League to lead the Orange Cap race for IPL's top scorer and stake his claim for a Test debut in India's tour of England later this year.
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.
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.
Dinesh Karthik didn't hold back in his admiration, calling Bumrah 'as valuable as the Kohinoor diamond' and underlining his dominance across all formats.
'He is one of the most complete cricketers you will ever see.'
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday.
Ahead of England's five-match Test series against India at home, head coach Brendon McCullum hailed young all-rounder Jacob Bethell
Though there is no official word from the selection committee, signs point to Shami being left out of the touring party unless the medical team clears him with a positive report in the coming days.
His potential absence from the England tour signals a major transition in India's leadership and batting order.
Two fast-bowling all-rounders look to be in a battle for one spot, while a decision between Prasidh Krishna and left-armer Arshdeep Singh could be condition-dependent.
Beleaguered India seamer Prasidh Krishna has taken "complete responsibility" for his failure to hit the right lengths during a forgettable outing in the first Test against England, but said he was always trying to make it difficult for the English batters to score freely.
The third Test at Lord's could well be the series' turning point. This isn't just about team combinations or tactical tweaks anymore. The pitch has emerged as a defining factor -- one that could tilt the balance of power in a contest hanging delicately at 1-1.
With over 500 runs, six crucial catches, the most by an Indian on the tour, Rahul led by example and lived up to his wiseman tag.
A superb century from Ben Duckett helped steer England to a sensational five-wicket win in the first Test against India after a thrilling day five on Tuesday.
This chase marked the sixth time under the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum leadership that England had hauled in targets of 250 or more in the fourth innings.
