The India vs England Test series 2025 wasn't just cricket -- it was grit, growth and glory wrapped in whites.
How India's players enjoyed their time in Wednesday's training session.
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.
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.
Pictures of the meet were splashed across social media as Indian captain Shubman Gill looked like a happy chappy meeting United captain Bruno Fernandes.
Here are the crunch moments that were series-defining and the contributions of the players who came of age during the English summer.
India pacer Akash Deep was on Tuesday ruled out of the fourth Test against England due to a groin injury, and captain Shubman Gill said uncapped fast bowler Anshul Kamboj is close to making his debut at Old Trafford.
From smashing sixes to spinning pizza dough, Rishabh Pant is serving up a whole new kind of heat during his injury break.
Kasprowicz recalls being thanked "for saving Test cricket" for his Ashes 2005 Birmingham dismissal
With India conceding more than 600 runs for the first time since 2014, the case for including a wicket-taking spinner like Kuldeep Yadav is stronger than ever for the must-win fifth and final Test against England.
Sai Sudharsan was shadow batting on a covered square at Old Trafford on the eve of the fourth Test, an old habit that keeps the top-order batter mentally ready for the next opportunity that comes his way.
Earlier, after being 0-2 early in their second innings, India continued to battle on to frustrate England on day five, the tourists doing everything possible to keep the series alive on 322-4 at tea.
With two days still to play, England are firm favourites to secure the win in Manchester, one that would seal victory in the five-match series with one test still to come.
After a cautious start, Crawley and Duckett punished the straying Indian bowlers with an array of crisp boundaries. The pair blunted the new ball and raced to 77 without loss at tea.
"Just Rishabh being Rishabh": Pant's grit wins hearts as he returns to bat in Manchester Test
Ben Stokes' lengthy bowling spells against India in the third Test shows the England all-rounder has full confidence in his body after coming through injury layoffs, batter Joe Root said.
Ben Stokes' lengthy bowling spells against India in the third Test shows the England all-rounder has full confidence in his body after coming through injury layoffs, batter Joe Root said.
LATE MILEY GOAL SENDS NEWCASTLE THROUGH
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak explained the team's rationale behind playing an all-rounder at No 8 rather than fielding a specialist bowler.
'Antony and I have been friends for over half a century, and I know the man does not tell lies. The problem is that what he believes to be the truth might not actually be true. He may believe that India needs the Congress, and that the Congress in turn needs the Nehru-Gandhi family, but that does not mean that India shares those articles of faith,' says T V R Shenoy.
Siraj has now taken 202 wickets in 101 international matches at an average of 29.06 and an economy of 4.11.
With nine Test centuries against India at home, Joe Root set a new record for the most by any batter against a single opponent in home Tests.
India's Washington Sundar has joined Hampshire for their last two match of the 2025 Championship campaign, the English county side announced on Thursday, weeks after the all-rounder emerged as one of the breakout stars of the Test series against England.
'Congratulations Joe Root, magnificent.'
Shubman Gill's coin toss woes continued on Wednesday as the India skipper lost his fourth straight toss in the ongoing Test series against England -- extending India's incredible run of 14 consecutive toss defeats across formats in international cricket.
England were comfortably placed at 225 for two at stumps after bowling out India for 358 on the second day of the fourth Test in Manchester on Thursday.
The most famous cricket umpire of his time has left the ground forever.
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.
Injured England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir ruled out of remainder of Test series against India
On Tuesday evening, Gill led his team and support staff into West Yorkshire, travelling via a special train arranged from London.
'We thought they deserved a century there (about the decision to not shake hands). Every match going till the last session on the last day.'
With this the classy all-rounder has achieved a rare milestone that few legends of the game can boast of.
Sudharsan made the most of the 'life' and went on to score a patient 50, his maiden Test half-century.
As India got off to a strong start in the must-win fourth Test for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday, opener K L Rahul achieved a major career milestone, joining an elite list of Indian batters with 1,000 or more Test runs in England.
Ben Stokes was ruled out due to a shoulder muscle tear.
Team India wasted no time in getting their preparations underway as they kicked off their first training session at Lord's a few hours after their arrival in London on Saturday.
Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of the series against England due to a knee injury.
The Kamakhya temple, located at a distance of 7 km from Guwahati, is one of the biggest Shakti shrines in the country. It is situated on the Nilachal hills.
IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Saturday
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.
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