Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly found themselves reliving old memories - this time from the sidelines.
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.
Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, skipper Shubman Gill were among India's Test regulars in action during the second day of the intra-squad match against India A.
Thakur, who resumed Day 3 unbeaten, brought up his century with ease, reinforcing his case as the ideal seam-bowling all-rounder ahead of the Leeds Test.
'Had those decisions gone our way, the day looks completely different, but that is Test cricket and we move on.'
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.
In the team's first session ahead of the third Test, Bumrah seemed to be good spirits, constantly chatting with fellow teammates and at times with the travelling Indian media.
Not only is Prasidh Krishna picking wickets with quiet consistency, he is also frugal with conceding runs.
How the Indian players fared in the five-Test series in England.
Nick Knight has high expectations from the likes of Kuldeep and Sai Sudharsan who is expected to make his Test debut at Leeds, the venue for the series opener.
The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be.
Broken foot, unbroken in spirit: Pant gives update
As India head into a series-deciding fifth Test, questions over Gambhir's tactics and temperament are growing louder.
'Hussain was baffled by England's top three approach on Edgbaston's flat surface when the ball was slightly swinging.
The Capitals sit pretty at the top with 10 points from six games, while the Titans trail close behind with eight from as many outings.
England Lions were 192 for 3 in 46 overs in reply to India A's 348 at stumps on the second day of their second unofficial Test, in Northampton on Saturday.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals in Hyderabad, on Monday.
Shriya's berry look... Esha looks like the sun... Pranita shares a throwback picture...
Shubman Gill has not just scored a double hundred; he's rewritten the record books.
'We won't miss Virat and Rohit. I have faith in our young team.'
India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday
Shaken by the abrupt suspension of their previous match due to the India-Pakistan conflict, a struggling Delhi Capitals will look to regroup and address bowling concerns when they face table-toppers Gujarat Titans in a reverse-leg IPL clash in Delhi on Sunday to keep their play-off hopes alive.
Former England opener Mark Butcher feels the Indian Test captain has taken ownership of Virat Kohli's No 4 spot quite comfortably despite the 'enormous scrutiny'.
With the series nicely poised at 1-1 going into the third Test, the narrative built around both the teams has changed significantly following India's 336-run routing of England at Edgbaston.
Samit Dravid, son of former India head coach and captain Rahul Dravid, was on Thursday roped in by Mysuru Warriors during the player auction
Rahane lauded Gill's temperament under pressure, especially after India had lost the opening Test.
Images from Day 2 of the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval, London, on Friday.
Both DC and LSG have 10 points and a win will keep them safely perched in the higher echelons of the points table ahead of the jostlers.
Virat Kohli remains the biggest draw as he returns to his 'home ground' at the back of five half-centuries in nine games. Four of them have come away from the Chinnaswamy Stadium and despite being in the opposition camp, the Delhi crowd will be hoping the Indian superstar extends his prolific run in the tournament.
India will ponder whether they want to include Washington Sundar, who is quite handy with the bat or Kuldeep Yadav, who is a much better wicket-taking option.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the first Test against England?
While the young Indian team showed great resolve to earn a creditable draw in England, the series exposed several weaknesses that need urgent attention.
Former captain Sunil Gavaskar said Karun Nair and K L Rahul's knocks in the ongoing Test against England reminded him of their illustrious predecessors from Karnataka -- Gundappa Vishwanathan and Rahul Dravid.
'Most of the batters performed. I would say that is a very good sign going forward. Apart from this you have got three quality batters who are not even part of the squad -- Shreyas (Iyer), Sarfaraz (Khan) and (Devdutt) Padikkal.'
Shubman Gill had a phenomenal Test series against England, leading a young Indian side in transition to a 2-2 draw and earning the Player of the Series award.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad on Saturday
The Delhi Capitals will be looking to improve their batting performance in the middle overs when they face a struggling Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League match on Tuesday.
DC's downfall was marked by unstable opening partnerships, inconsistent middle-order performances, and poor execution in pressure moments-both with bat and ball.
'But I think if you look at a rebuilding sort of phase, I think India can cope with it better than most other teams'
The squad also features Karun Nair, who returns to the national set up after a long gap of eight years.
