If Yashasvi Jaiswal is happy slamming his first Test double hundred in only his sixth match, he is happier just being able to sleep, wake up, and work.
'If you want to know how to beat anybody as an England team, you pick Stuart Broad and James Anderson, together. While they are still working, still walking, pick them together for goodness sake.'
Chris Woakes and rookie pacer Olly Stone will be vying for a final spot in the playing eleven.
Chasing 194 runs, India resumed their second innings at 110 for the loss of five wickets with Kohli and wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik needing 84 for victory.
However, with six back-to-back Tests against the Windies and Pakistan, the rotation policy could be used to keep the paces fresh.
Pant, whose rapid 146 put India in the box seat, was more restrained in the second innings.
The 28-year-old is expected to open the batting with Surrey team mate Rory Burns for the one-off match against Ireland starting at Lord's next Wednesday.
Dharamsala is colder than usual for this time of the year keeping the pacers interested but considering no grass has been left on the surface.
Could the Chennai Test against Bangladesh this week be Ravichandran Ashwin's last Test in front of his home fans?
Always knew I would get Indian visa, getting Rohit as my first wicket is incredible: Shoaib Bashir
New Zealand were in trouble at 37 for 3 at stumps in reply to England's declared first innings total of 325 for 9 at Bay Oval, with seven wickets tumbling in a frantic evening session.
'He is obviously a bit of a rough diamond.'
England shot out India for a paltry 78 and cruised to 120 for no loss in their robust reply to take early control of the third Test at Headingley on Wednesday.
'Were there thoughts of retirement going round my head? One hundred per cent. Because I was so down'
Chasing 192 for a victory that would fetch them an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, India cruised to 40 for no loss at stumps on day three.
The former England captain has urged pitch curators against preparing flat decks
The touring side have the option of replacing Thakur with either a spinning all-rounder in Ravichandran Ashwin or a fourth seamer in Ishant Sharma.
England hammered India by an innings and 159 runs in the second Test at Lord's on Day 4 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match series, on Sunday.
India became a "laughing stock" during the Ravindra Jadeja-James Anderson incident because of the timidity of BCCI president in-exile N Srinivasan, who played a "puppet" fearing a backlash from the England and Australia boards, CAB secretary Aditya Verma said on Saturday.
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni maintained a firm stance on the James Anderson-Ravindra Jadeja spat on Wednesday, declaring that he stands by what he said on "something that was unacceptable".
In a fresh twist to the alleged altercation between Ravindra Jadeja and James Anderson, two England players have testified that the Indian all-rounder had turned towards the English bowler with a raised bat during the showdown.
Following James Anderson's verbal altercation with Ravindra Jadeja, Rediff.com presents other on-field scuffles from the past.
Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara said that his team's bowling performances in the first Test versus England was up to the mark and they should not be too disappointed with the 198-run world record stand for the last wicket between Joe Root and James Anderson in Nottingham.
Jonny Bairstow led England to within 40 runs of South Africa's first innings total, with seven wickets in hand, on the first day of the second Test at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Images from Day 2 of the fourth Test between India and England in Rajkot on Saturday, February 24.
A draw at the Gabba was enough for England to launch a successful Ashes tour of 2010-11, but James Anderson wants to go one better to silence the home crowd.
England captain Ben Stokes on Saturday said staying true to the 'Bazball' approach did not work and conceded that India were too good in their own conditions, always finding a way to wriggle out of tight curves.
'It's one more distraction that Kohli doesn't need but he is, of course, capable of leading his side to a victory in the second Test to quieten things down a bit.'
Pacer Steven Finn (5 for 33) starred in England's nine-wicket win over India in the third ODI of the tri-series, at the Gabba in Brisbane on Tuesday.
Opener Ben Duckett smashed an 88-ball hundred to lead England's robust reply to India's first innings total of 445 on day two of the third Test in Rajkot on Friday.
Images from Day 3 of the 2nd Test between England and New Zealand played at Edgbaston on Saturday
England won the toss and put South Africa in to bat only for a shower to sweep in and put a stop to proceedings
Ben Duckett's hundred overshadowed Ravichandran Ashwin's monumental feat as England stormed to 207/2 at stumps on Day 2.
England pulled off a memorable victory in fading light and barely 10 minutes before the close of play
Chasing 343 for an improbable victory, a dogged Pakistan nearly snatched a draw but pace bowlers James Anderson and Ollie Robinson produced a reverse-swing masterclass to deny them.
Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja slammed centuries under pressure in a 204-run partnership as India recovered from a jittery start to pile 326/5 on the opening day of the third Test.
The last time England toured India, back in early 2021, Joe Root's team went back home beaten and bruised 3-1.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 5th Ashes Test played between England and Australia at The Oval, London, on Sunday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's insistence to press charges against James Anderson came under attack from the British media which said it "smacked of opportunism" and the exoneration of the paceman was "humiliation" for India.
The BCCI has gone a bit on the backfoot in the Pushgate controversy as they are yet to decide on their next course of action.