'It (the decision to pick Nitish ahead of Shardul) is also about moving forward and I feel that this is the best set of players that we have selected to do the job for the country.'
India all-rounder Shardul Thakur on Thursday lauded Rishabh Pan't "unmatched" courage and pain threshold after the latter came out to bat on day two of the fourth Test against England with a broken foot.
Virat Kohli is yet to arrive in Bengaluru and it is not clear when he will undergo the mandatory fitness test ahead of the new season.
'He will have no problems playing under any captain, he will still give his 100 percent for the team.'
Shreyas Iyer's 604 runs across 17 matches for Punjab Kings at a strike-rate in excess of 175 did not resonate with the selectors during the Asia Cup selection.
Team India touched down in Manchester on Sunday ahead of the must-win fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy
Veteran all-rounder Shardul Thakur said a cooling off period is essential for players of this era where they go through hectic schedules.
England were comfortably placed at 225 for two at stumps after bowling out India for 358 on the second day of the fourth Test in Manchester on Thursday.
The fringe and aspiring bunch will look to own the elevated Duleep Trophy stage as the red-ball competition returns to its traditional zonal format and marks the start of India's domestic cricket season.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak explained the team's rationale behind playing an all-rounder at No 8 rather than fielding a specialist bowler.
Indian cricketers, including Test skipper Shubman Gill and ODI captain Rohit Sharma, have cleared the pre-season fitness test which was conducted at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Sunday.
India's final practice session ahead of the Lord's Test witnessed playful banter between pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
Gaikwad constructed a handy partnership 90 for the second wicket with Aarya Desai as West gradually entered a stabilised phase.
Central Zone advanced to the Duleep Trophy final by virtue of their first innings lead in the drawn match against West Zone.
While the young Indian team showed great resolve to earn a creditable draw in England, the series exposed several weaknesses that need urgent attention.
Gill, Rahul score fifties in intra-squad practice match against India A ahead of England Test
India Test skipper and T20 vice-captain Shubman Gill reached the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) for fitness assessment ahead of travelling to Dubai for the upcoming Asia Cup.
India all-rounder Shardul Thakur urged Abhimanyu Easwaran and Kuldeep Yadav to show patience and wait for their chances, after they were benched for the entire five-Test series in England.
How India's players enjoyed their time in Wednesday's training session.
Opener Ben Duckett hit the most defining century of his career, exposing an out-of-depth Indian attack as England comfortably chased down a tricky target of 371 to win the opening Test by five wickets.
Tanush Kotian once again showcased his ability to absorb pressure with a fighting fifty to shore up West Zone against Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy semifinals
Delhi use 11 bowlers vs Manipur
Broken foot, unbroken in spirit: Pant gives update
'Nitish is our premium batting all-rounder at the moment. So I would say it's a very good chance to play this Test.'
A large group of players, including Mohammed Siraj, the hero of the victory, boarded an Emirates flight early Tuesday morning, heading to Dubai en route to their respective home cities in India.
Siraj, Krishna, Akash Shine as India's Pace Future Takes Shape
All eyes were on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who participated in the training session, though his availability for the match is a big doubt.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the fifth Test against England?
The duo is followed by a former Sri Lanka icon, Mahela Jayawardene, with 205 outfield catches in 149 appearances.
India may have made tactical errors, but former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes the bigger culprit was the weather.
"He is going to be our strike bowler": Sachin Tendulkar on Jasprit Bumrah ahead of Leeds Test against England
India stuck to their pre-series decision to field Bumrah in only three Tests and was hence not played in the final Test at the Oval
From Jasprit Bumrah's much-anticipated return to the all-rounder conundrum, the playing XI could very well hold the key to seizing control of this historic series.
India skipper Shubman Gill on Wednesday said that levelling the five-match Test series in England would be a "great achievement" and he would return from his first assignment as captain a lot wiser.
The 24-year-old pacer, handed his maiden international cap, is being hailed as a 'good replacement' by former India quick Varun Aaron
Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of the series against England due to a knee injury.
Calling Kuldeep a world-class spinner, Morkel said India are trying to fit the wily operator into the side. He can now only play the last Test at The Oval from July 31.
Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna all sweating it out in the nets -- not with the ball, but with the bat.
India pacer Akash Deep was on Tuesday ruled out of the fourth Test against England due to a groin injury, and captain Shubman Gill said uncapped fast bowler Anshul Kamboj is close to making his debut at Old Trafford.
As India weigh their options ahead of the second innings, all eyes remain on Pant
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