Despite the overcast conditions seemingly favouring the bowlers, the decision proved to be a gamble that didn't pay off immediately.
England's star all-rounder in his defence said he was 'being competitive'.
The final will be played at the Oval from June 7-11.
Rohit Sharma hit an unbeaten century, while Virat Kohli returned to form with a fluent fifty as India cruised to an emphatic nine-wicket victory in the inconsequential third and final ODI against Australia.
Head coach Rahul Dravid too provided an update on Kohli's fitness at the media interaction.
India fast bowler Mohammad Siraj has grabbed the top position for bowlers in the ICC men's ODI Player Rankings after a superb show in the home series against New Zealand
India's historic first-ever Test win at Edgbaston by a massive 336 runs after losing the first Test was a triumph of Grit, Resilience, Excellence, Aggressiveness, and Tactfulness, a truly GREAT performance that will be remembered for years, asserts veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
'He told me to remember all the hard work my father has put in to get me here.'
As Team India gear up for the much-anticipated Test series against England starting on Friday, several players in the squad will draw confidence from their county cricket experience.
Gill, 25, was appointed captain in May following the retirement of two great Indian batsmen and leaders in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
A controversial catch sparked debate across commentators and spectators alike.
New Zealand batter Kane Williamson remains at the top of the list with 883 rating points.
'The primary reason India have started travelling better is the arsenal of pace Virat is able to summon.'
Noman collected a 10-wicket haul during Pakistan's 93-run triumph over South Africa in Lahore recently and moved up four places.
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 will look to bounce back from the carnage that wonder boy Vaibhav Suryavanshi inflicted on them when they face a stuttering Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL match in Ahmedabad on Friday.
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.
'The next objective is to make sure we create the right performance, and culture where the players can really go and showcase what they are capable of, and go out and entertain the public.'
Gujarat Titans will aim to tighten their grip on the top spot and move closer to securing a play-off berth when they take on a faltering Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League match in Jaipur on Monday.
A little bit of "needling" from Mohammad Siraj, Royal Challengers Bangalore's best bowler, spurred Phil Salt to play a match-winning innings for Delhi Capitals at the Ferozshah Kotla.
'Sometimes it might look wrong in the fans' eyes, but please don't twist things or create narratives that aren't even close to the truth.'
Sachin Tendulkar was effusive in his praise for Akash Deep after India's thumping 336-run win at Edgbaston
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
The selectors announced India's teams for the tour of South Africa.
Who has scored the most runs in Asia Cup? Who has taken the most wickets?
The GT batters did well at the start and lost their way in the middle before settling for 196 in their 20 overs.
Reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders will hope that their strife-ridden batting unit will tighten its act against in-form table-toppers Gujarat Titans in the IPL match in Kolkata on Monday.
Former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday criticized India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for his inability to handle pressure and win overseas Test matches.
The contest between laggards Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals holds no significance in the context of the IPL 2025 play-offs.
India pacer Mohammed Shami has apologised to the fans and the BCCI after the board decided against rushing his return to the team for the high-profile tour of Australia as he is yet to attain match fitness.
As India continues to struggle in the series, the pressure is mounting on Rohit to rediscover his rhythm and lead from the front.
Glimpses from India and around the world that will make you smile and cry.
In the latest ICC ODI Rankings, Mohammed Siraj was dethroned from the top as he slipped to third place, while Josh Hazlewood climbed to the top.
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.
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon said there is no room for racial abuse in sport and hailed India pacer Mohammad Siraj for calling out racial abuse during the recently-concluded third Test in Sydney.
Virat Kohli's passionate celebrations after Sanju Samson's dismissal caught the attention of cricket fans during the Indian Premier League 2023 match between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, May 14, 2023.
Ashwin has had the opportunity to play under the wing of both stars. He pointed out that there isn't a huge gap between Gambhir and Dravid's approach or the passion that the duo shares for Indian cricket.
Rajneesh Gupta presents the interesting numbers from Day 5 of the India-England Test at Lord's.
