India's hopes of drawing the series at The Oval may hinge on one question: will Jasprit Bumrah play?
Team India's new red-ball skipper Shubman Gill, vice-captain Rishabh Pant, pacer Mohammed Siraj, and a few others were reportedly invited by Kohli for an evening get-together at his home in London.
From Ravindra Jadeja's stoic resistance to Jofra Archer's fire and the emotional collapse of Mohammed Siraj at the end, this was a Test for the ages - one that even veteran voices like Nasser Hussain hailed as the best in recent memory.
Siraj was perhaps the only bright spot for India with the ball
The Indian swing master broke a few records en route this dream performance in a title-winning effort.
K L Rahul made a solid 74 before retiring hurt as India remained on course to chase a formidable 412-run target set by Australia A on day three of the second unofficial Test in Lucknow on Thursday.
'Rishabh Pant is not fit for West Indies series, hopefully he will be available for home Tests against South Africa.'
India unravelled on Day 2 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, their bowling plans in disarray and tactical calls under scrutiny.
It was mind over matter for Mohammed Siraj, as he pushed his physically indisposed self to the limits to earn the 'Player of the Match' award in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's four-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in the IPL match in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Joe Root produced a batting masterclass on way to a milestone 38th hundred as England exploited a jaded Indian bowling attack to stamp their dominance on the fourth Test in Manchester.
Watson is adamant that Siraj is the best option for India to include if they receive the dreaded news that Bumrah will have to miss the 20-over showcase Down Under.
Former India skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday said watching T20 World Cup from the sidelines for the first time in his career will be a "strange" experience as he reflected on the difficult selection calls and leadership decisions that defined his captaincy tenure.
The pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium will aid the batters with lot of runs expected.
Faf du Plessis and Mohammed Siraj posted match-winning performances as RCB clinched a 24-run win over PBKS.
Siraj, who was not included in the T20I squad for the Caribbean tour, took seven wickets in the two Tests, including a five-for in the first innings on a flat Port-of-Spain court to spark a batting collapse for West Indies on the fourth morning.
Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh moved up to the sixth and 10th spot respectively in the latest ICC T20 rankings released on Wednesday.
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between India and South Africa, in Guwahati, on Saturday.
Temba Bavuma, who led South Africa to their maiden ICC World Test Championship title and a historic 2-0 series sweep in India, also made the cut, while four Australian players were included.
Mohammed Siraj turned in his best figures in the IPL as he guided Royal Challengers Bangalore to a 24-run win over Punjab Kings.
Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami took three wickets to power India to victory in the first ODI against Australia in Mumbai on Friday.
This was no Ranji clash, but a marquee Test opener-an international match that deserved a full house-yet Ahmedabad's 132,000-capacity stadium looked eerily empty.
Siraj bowled as many as 74 dot balls in IPL 2021 with an improved economy of 7.34.
Siraj was the day's hero and India have pulled ahead, but England are not out of the contest by any stretch of imagination.
K L Rahul's unbeaten ton was eclipsed by Daryl Mitchell's splendid 131 not out as New Zealand levelled the three-match series 1-1 with a seven-wicket win in the second ODI.
England had moved to within 35 runs of securing a famous victory over India when bad light and torrential rain ended an extraordinary fourth day of the final Test at The Oval on Sunday.
Gill said staying calm under pressure would be crucial going forward in the five-match series.
How India's players enjoyed their time in Wednesday's training session.
Pacer Mohammed Siraj had reported a 'corrupt approach" to BCCI's Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) from an unknown person, who wanted 'inside news' about his team before Australia arrived in India.
The series, to commence on June 20, will be played at Headingley in Leeds, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord's and The Oval in London, and Old Trafford in Manchester.
Mohammed Siraj believes aggression brings the best out of him, saying it has been one of the key reasons for his success in Test cricket.
With the IPL 2024 season heading towards its business end, and RCB finding themselves in a must-win situation, Player of the Match Mohammad Siraj put up a stellar show with the ball in front of home fans.
Gautam Gambhir has always been against the mega-star culture prevailing in Indian cricket but Mohammed Siraj's Herculean effort throughout the English summer has definitely given the Indian head coach a real shot in the arm.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Mohammed Siraj on Sunday rued the lack of help for bowlers in T20 cricket, saying smaller grounds and flat pitches are making 250-plus totals the new normal.
There is a school of thought that having done the hard yards in the England series, Karun Nair deserves an opportunity against a weaker opposition where a century could boost his career.
Siraj, who played a vital role in India's win in the opening ODI at Guwahati taking two wickets, said during the innings break on Thursday that Rahul noticed that the ball had stopped doing its bit after only the first over and that a new strategy would have to be employed against the experienced batting order.
Handed the reins of a depleted Indian side in his maiden stint as Test captain, the 24-year-old has been tasked with breaking a 17-year drought without the experience of Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli by his side.
The trio of Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj managed just four runs between them in the two innings of the first Test against England in Headingley.
Gill may miss ODI series due to unhealed neck injury; Rahul, Pant in line for ODI captaincy
Kuldeep Yadav has acknowledged that playing all three formats "is a luxury" but an attacking mindset has kept him relevant in the face of stiff competition.
RCB conceded 26 runs off the final three overs, severely hampering SRH's scoring rate.
