India's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was taken off the field after copping a blow on his right foot while attempting a reverse sweep off England pacer Chris Woakes on the opening day of the fourth Test in Manchester on Wednesday.
The Proteas arrive high on confidence, having fought out a hard-earned 1-1 draw in Pakistan last month under challenging conditions.
India's batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refused England skipper Ben Stokes' offer to call off the fourth Test and settle for a draw before the start of the final hour of play.
In the series opener at Headingley and the third Test at Lord's, India were outbowled by the hosts, leading to their downfall.
Injured England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir ruled out of remainder of Test series against India
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.
'If I am asked to do a certain thing, but I get criticised from outside for it, it is okay.'
Jasprit Bumrah had made himself available for three of the five Tests in England and the Indian team management felt it was right to honour the star pacer's call considering his workload, said assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.
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.
Pietersen's comments on his social media handle came a day after fellow England batter Joe Root overtook Australia great Ricky Ponting to climb to second place in the all-time list of Test run scorers.
Joe Root picked an easy single off Mohammed Siraj in the 58th over to take his score to 31, which also took his overall Test tally to 13290 runs.
Rain delays, pitch uncertainty, and high stakes-it's all building up to a classic Old Trafford showdown, weather permitting.
Lord's has a tradition of rewarding those who give their best, asserts veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
Jasprit Bumrah is likely to play the first, second and fourth Tests.
"Just Rishabh being Rishabh": Pant's grit wins hearts as he returns to bat in Manchester Test
The Oval will host the fifth and final Test between India and England from Thursday, and the Indian team has hit the ground running two days after staging a remarkable comeback to draw the fourth match in Manchester.
Left-arm spinner Liam Dawson returned to England Test set up after a gap of eight years, replacing injured Shoaib Bashir in the squad for the fourth Test against India.
Adding another layer of controversy to an already strained India-Pakistan cricket ties, a fan wearing a Pakistan cricket jersey was reportedly asked to cover it up by security officials during the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford in Manchester.
So far in the four matches of the ongoing five-match series against the Three Lions, India Test captain Shubman Gill has managed to score 722 runs in the eight innings at an average of 90.25.
'Whenever India bowls, Reiffel feels it's not out. Whenever India bats, he feels it's out.'
India endured arguably their worst day on the field on Day 3 of the Manchester Test as Joe Root's record-breaking 150 put the hosts in complete command.
Pacer Anshul Kamboj has been added to the India squad in England as cover for Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh
India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday
Managing a draw from the brink of defeat would give India a psychological edge over England in the fifth and final Test, said head coach Gautam Gambhir.
England go in a happier side on Day 1 despite taking just four wickets, after Pant retired hurt injured and Sudharsan back in the hut after making 61.
Anshul Kamboj's experience will hold him in good stead, say Ishant and Bhuvneshwar
Shubman Gill may have fallen agonisingly short of breaking Sunil Gavaskar's iconic 54-year-old record, but he walked away with something just as special - the legend's respect.
'Never knew golf could be this much fun.'
How the Indian players fared in the five-Test series in England.
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.
'...I thought Test cricket was gone. To be back involved is really cool and I've got to try and enjoy each day that I get.'
Gillespie said that he feels that either one of Labuschagne or Usman Khawaja, the 38-year-old who failed to touch double-digits in both WTC final innings, will miss out on West Indies tour, which comprises three Tests, starting June 25.
Broken foot, unbroken in spirit: Pant gives update
England captain Ben Stokes and India head coach Gautam Gambhir expressed contrasting views on the use of injury replacements in Test cricket.
Rishabh Pant is closing in on a return to competitive cricket, with a BCCI fitness clearance expected by October 10, nearly two months after a foot injury sidelined him during India's England tour.
Karun Nair has managed only 131 runs across six innings at a below-par average of 21.83, in the first three Tests against England.
The five-match Test series will take place from June 20 to August 4, with matches scheduled at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord's and The Oval (London), and Old Trafford (Manchester).
KL Rahul and Shubman Gill stood tall, not with fireworks, but with grit and grace, forging a 174-run stand that reminded fans of the game's old soul - and drew admiration from the likes of Sanjay Manjrekar.
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy saw a staggering run aggregate of 7187 runs -- the second-highest in a series in Test history.
'He is one of the most complete cricketers you will ever see.'
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