It took eight years for Karun Nair to don India jersey again but 25 days into his second coming in Test cricket, the Karnataka batter could well have played his last international game
Fired-up England reduced India to 58/4 chasing 193 for victory in a highly-charged final session on day four on Sunday as a gripping third Test at Lord's.
Lord's has a tradition of rewarding those who give their best, asserts veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
Atherton reckons that in his three years at the helm, the series against India is Stokes' sternest test of leadership qualities.
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.
'Shubman Gill did not look as technically tight or calm as usual when he came out to bat on the fourth evening, but his team fought so hard on Monday in a fabulous Test.'
Captain Shubman Gill and the ever-dependable K L Rahul gave India a glimmer of hope with resilient half-centuries after a well crafted hundred from Ben Stokes extended England's supremacy in the fourth Test in Manchester on Saturday.
'We always knew, Jofra is a world-class bowler and the scale he brings to the table or into the game is totally different and I think very few can bring that.'
Across five fiercely contested Tests, more than 7,000 runs were scored, including a record-equalling 21 individual centuries. Every match stretched into a gripping fifth day. The sun shone, the stands were full, and the cricket -- emotional, enthralling, and endlessly unpredictable -- captured imaginations around the world.
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.
Harbhajan Singh's comment on Jofra Archer's expensive spell drew accusations of racial insensitivity.
Openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli will brace for a fiery showdown against thunderbolts from express pacer Jofra Archer as Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru look to get back to winning ways in the IPL match in Jaipur on Sunday.
'It's also a great opportunity for myself and it's good to pass on a little bit of knowledge to the younger guys who haven't played as much Test cricket. And I am also learning from them.'
Sai Sudharsan made the opportunity count in his comeback game with a fifty while Rishabh Pant suffered another injury as India played the old-fashioned way to reach 264 for four at stumps on Day 1 of the fourth Test in Manchester on Wednesday.
Teenager Eddie Jack's call-up comes at a time when England's pace stocks are depleted with less than 10 days to go for the opening Test.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the fifth Test against England?
Besides the surface, the behaviour of the Dukes has also come under scanner with the softer ball hardly offering anything to the bowlers.
England head coach Brendon McCullum believes India have arrived well-prepared and full of belief for the upcoming five-match Test series
Gaikwad is out of the entire IPL tournament, CSK Coach Stephen Fleming said on Thursday.
Will Sai Sudarshan or Abhimanyu Easwaran bat at No. 3?
Rajasthan Royals will face Mumbai Indians in a crucial Indian Premier League match on Thursday, looking to halt the five-time champions' surging momentum.
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.
He joins Tim Southee (343 wickets) and Ish Sodhi (310) as the only New Zealanders to reach the 300-wicket milestone in T20s.
Gujarat Titans set to miss Buttler in play-offs, Moeen Ali not to return for KKR
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.
Jamie Smith will return from injury to keep wickets and bat at number three in England's Champions Trophy opener against Australia in Lahore on Saturday.
'Definitely we could have done better. It is not about luck. We have made some mistakes. We should come back with a better mindset in the next season,'
India will ponder whether they want to include Washington Sundar, who is quite handy with the bat or Kuldeep Yadav, who is a much better wicket-taking option.
Rinku made a valuable 19 runs in six balls, that powered KKR to post 200+, he saved certain boundaries while fielding, which eventually won KKR the match.
Prasidh Krishna has emerged as a key weapon for Gujarat Titans -- especially in the middle overs, where his extra pace and bounce have rattled batters.
England have named two uncapped players in Essex duo Sam Cook and Jordan Cox in the squad for the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge later this month.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday
England pacer Brydon Carse is expecting the transitioning Indian team to put up a strong fight in the five-match Test series despite the recent retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, thanks to their "huge depth".
To say the least, a relatively inexperienced batting line up led by Shubman Gill would be relieved to see the name of James Anderson
K L Rahul would look to make the most of his first red-ball outing in months ahead of the upcoming Test series against England.
Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid acknowledged concerns about the team's death bowling performance in the ongoing IPL but expressed confidence in their ability to improve execution in upcoming matches.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will aim to turn their fortunes around at home when they face a struggling Rajasthan Royals on Thursday in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals will hope their struggling bowling units can find their form on an Ahmedabad pitch that has produced high scores in the last four matches.
Punjab Kings young opener Priyansh Arya says his hundred against Chennai Super Kings in his debut IPL season was a result of his instinctive style of play.
A magnificent fighting 95 from skipper Riyan Parag went in vain as defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) held their nerves to deny Rajasthan Royals (RR) a win, leaving them one run short at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
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