This isn't just a Test match - it's a test of Shubman Gill's leadership, temperament, and decision-making.
Only if we could have a Rohit versus Ashwin clash in the semis! What a perfect fill-up it would be for the resurgence of the Ranji Trophy.
Five Indians turned up for both the teams during the four-day practice match
India's Team Director Ravi Shastri indicated that Ravichandran Ashwin will play in the opening cricket Test against South Africa, saying the off-spinner is "absolutely fine".
If Ravindra Jadeja is to be believed, as spin troika, he along with Ravichandran Ashwin and Amit Mishra have come together well.
'Whenever I walk out to bat, people assume I just took that decision and came out, but that's a role given to me.'
With the Indian players having to stay in the bio-bubble for the next two months during the tour of Australia, some of the players opted to bring in their families to help them cope with the isolation period.
Ahead of the three-match series, here's the schedule and key stats between the teams.
India's bowling coach Bharath Arun said that English batsmen are "wary of Ravichandran Ashwin's abilities" on tracks with "assistance" but a call on the senior off-spinner's inclusion will only be taken on Thursday morning ahead of the fourth Test.
Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday became the joint fastest to take 350 wickets, matching Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan's feat in his 66th Test.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the first Test against England?
'The holes that CSK will try to fill are ones of captaincy, which I believe Ruturaj Gaikwad is going to take over.'
Shastri wants both Ashwin and Jadeja in Indian playing XI for WTC Final
Together, Harshit Rana's early strikes, Sunil Narine's clinical dismantling, and Varun Chakravarthy's suffocating spell reduced CSK to just 103 for 9-their lowest-ever total at home.
IMAGES from the 1st Test, Day 1 between India and England played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, on Thursday
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals in Chennai on Wednesday.
Former wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel said India have all the 'bases covered' for the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand, to be played in Southampton from June 18 to 22.
'You can't be just bowling the orthodox line when someone is sweeping you.'
Images from Day 3 of the second Test between Australia and India, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Monday.
With Mahendra Singh Dhoni being the same player and no one to "bell the cat", CSK are in unusual mess with a mis-firing top-order where the skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has had to give up his opening slot.
For the 'Bazball' inspired England, the win in Hyderabad has become a distant memory and a repeat of 2021 looks likely when India bounced back to win the four-Test series 3-1.
New Zealand can become only the second team to inflict a series whitewash on India in their backyard.
'He knows that Gabba will be a different wicket where he will get to face a lot of bounce and pace and that back foot game needs to be included in his game.'
To express solidarity with those affected, Team India will wear black armbands, the BCCI said in a statement.
India are set to play a Test against England from July 1 to July 5.
Moeen Ali had a forgettable night at the Chepauk as he dropped two catches and missed a runout opportunity as Chennai Super Kings fell to a three-run loss to Rajasthan Royals.
Former captain Sourav Ganguly feels that India's pace trio of Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami have to lift their game as one can't expect Ravichandran Ashwin or a Ravindra Jadeja to pick fifers consistently on good pitches against quality opposition. "On a Day 1 pitch like this (Rajkot), the fast bowlers need to come into play. That's why I keep harping that play on good pitches in India, so that you learn how to play overseas," Ganguly told ESPN Cricinfo. Not one to hold back, the straight talking former skipper said that pitches that they played against South Africa (2015) and Australia (2013) were absolute "minefields" (common terminology for underprepared tracks).
'You've got to be quite smart against him. If he gets on a roll, he's pretty tough to stop. As we've seen, he has bowled extremely well'
IMAGES from Day 2 of the second Test between India and West Indies at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, on Friday.
Kohli has constructed a mini hot streak, making four fifties in his last five innings and pushing for Orange Cap with 443 runs.
Ravichandran Ashwin may have had a huge role in instilling self doubt in the England batsmen but his spin partner Ravindra Jadeja reckons that is has also got a lot to do with which team is dominating the proceedings.
'In the 2023 World Cup, we lacked batting depth from No. 8 onwards. These are the crucial questions that need to be addressed.'
Cheteshwar Pujara, one of India's finest Test batters, called time on his illustrious career on Sunday.
The upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC) in Chennai promises a captivating battle between wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Noor Ahmad. Both bowlers are known for their artistry and ability to control the middle overs.
Ishan Kishan earned his maiden Test call-up, while Suryakumar Yadav was also included for the first two Tests of the four-match series against Australia next month.
Australia's mouthwatering clash with India sees the two behemoths of the modern game go head-to-head in five tests over six weeks with the tourists eyeing a third straight series triumph Down Under.
Veteran Indian spinner Ashwin scalped the wickets of Gulbadin Naib and Najibullah Zadran and gave away just 14 runs in his entire spell, as India's thrashed Afghanistan by 66 runs in a Group 2 match of the Super 12 stage in the T20 World Cup, at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, on Wednesday..
The squad also features Karun Nair, who returns to the national set up after a long gap of eight years.
New Zealand spinners claimed three wickets in the morning session but India extended their advantage to a daunting 308 runs by lunch on the fourth day of the first Test at Kanpur's Green Park Stadium on Sunday.
While this may not secure qualification outright, it would certainly keep them in contention. New Zealand head coach Gary Stead drew inspiration from the inaugural WTC cycle in 2019-21, when New Zealand won six consecutive matches enroute to securing the title.
