Earlier, warm-up routines had players darting through shuttle runs and high knees before bats were unsheathed.
Karun Nair opened up about the relentless effort he put in the last few years to make a comeback to the Indian Test team for the recently-concluded tour of England.
Woakes, who sustained a dislocated shoulder while fielding during the fifth Test against India earlier this month, believes he's recovering better than he anticipated.
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.
Alastair Cook marked The Oval's 100th Test match with a familiarly stubborn unbeaten half-century, standing firm as the home side battled to 149 for four against South Africa at tea on an absorbing first day of the third Test on Thursday.
Siraj now has 203 international wickets in 101 matches, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar, who had 201 wickets in his career.
India lost their openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K L Rahul on a green top but did well to reach 72 for two at lunch on Day 1 of the series-deciding fifth Test against England at The Oval, London, on Thursday.
Three-day gap in between Tests is too less for five-match series: Stokes, Gill on scheduling
Pumped up they might be but the Australians will not go into the deciding fifth Ashes Test seeking revenge for the 2005 series defeat against England, insists skipper Ricky Ponting.
India roared back into contention on an exhilarating day two of the fifth and final Test at The Oval on Friday as their seamers restricted England to a 23-run lead.
Dhruv Jurel, who impressed during India's series-levelling tour of England, was on Thursday named captain of Central Zone for the season-opening Duleep Trophy, set to begin on August 28 in Bengaluru.
Group A includes defending champions India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman, while Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Hong Kong are in Group B.
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.
'Yeah, really pleasing, really happy and proud of the way we have all played and how we have represented our country.'
Here is a look back at India's hard-fought 1-0 series win in England, 54 years back.
'There are times when India should stand up without hesitation and voice its indignation over the US' pressure tactic. This is one such moment,' asserts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Shubman Gill's toss woes continued as England opted to bowl in the fifth and final Test at The Oval on Thursday.
Nair will bat at No 5 at The Oval in what many see as his last chance at redemption.
'Yeah, 100 per cent. That's a good question, and I think that's something we'll obviously reflect on after the tour, the things we could have done better.'
The India vs England Test series 2025 wasn't just cricket -- it was grit, growth and glory wrapped in whites.
"That is the best five-match Test series I have ever been a part of and witnessed," says England head coach McCullum.
Hanuma Vihari leaves AP, joins Tripura for 2025-26 season
'I've been missing @imVkohli a few times during this series, but never as much as in this Test match.'
Former India batter Yuvraj Singh feels Shubman Gill's performance on the recent England tour was nothing short of unbelievable.
Injured Woakes may bat on day 5, says Joe Roots
Wearing special headbands in memory of Graham Thorpe, they honoured not just a legend of the game, but a man whose courage and struggles have sparked an urgent conversation around mental health in sport.
In a lapse of concentration, Atkinson picked the ball and sent the timber rattling to have Gill run out on 21(35).
Firmly establishing his credentials in the longest format of the game, India skipper Shubman Gill on Thursday reached a significant milestone, surpassing the legendary Sunil Gavaskar's 47-year-old record for most runs by an Indian captain in a Test series.
Narayan Jagadeesan blended caution with aggression in right proportions during his undefeated knock of 148 as South Zone were comfortably placed at 297 for three against North Zone on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy semifinal at the BCCI-CEG ground in Bengaluru on Thursday.
It was exactly 35 years ago -- on August 14, 1990 -- that a 17-year-old Sachin Tendulkar scored the first of his 100 international centuries.
Mohammed Siraj added another milestone to his growing Test resum by becoming only the second Indian bowler to take 20 or more wickets in a Test series in England
India's heroes from Old Trafford took to social media to share what the draw meant to them - not just as cricketers, but as fighters.
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.
England batsman Gary Ballance rued not scoring another hundred against India in the fifth and final Test at the Oval while praising team-mate Joe Root for countering the visitors' fightback on Day 2.
'We want pace on the ball, we want the ball to bounce and we want the ball to carry through so that when we're batting, we can be aggressive, we can attack, and we can put pressure back on the bowlers.'
As India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's workload management has become a topic of debate, former Team India opener Akash Chopra defended the pacer's selective participation in the longest format.
'If I am asked to do a certain thing, but I get criticised from outside for it, it is okay.'
Root reached into his pocket, pulled out a white headband, and placed it on his forehead. Then, he looked skyward - a powerful and poignant tribute to Graham Thorpe, his late mentor and one of England's most cherished cricketers.
In mounting tension, Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton struggled to get bat on ball, surviving several frenzied appeals before the umpires decided it was too dark to continue.
Drama in the most dramatic of series isn't over yet!
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances