England stayed calm under intense pressure to beat India by 22 runs on a final day of simmering tension and drama in the third Test at Lord's on Monday and move 2-1 up in the series.
A minor hip injury kept Ben Stokes out of the World Cup opening match which England lost by nine wickets against New Zealand.
If Stokes plays two months of IPL till the end of May, then he would be spending close to five months in India, which might not be feasible for him.
Sudharsan made the most of the 'life' and went on to score a patient 50, his maiden Test half-century.
England Test skipper Ben Stokes on Wednesday came out of ODI retirement to be included in the provisional squad for the 50-over World Cup
During the third day of the opening Test against New Zealand, England skipper Ben Stokes entered the history books as he broke Brendon McCullum's record.
Ben Stokes humorously 'apologised' to Jason Roy for breaking his previous record of 180, which Roy had achieved against Australia in Melbourne back in 2018.
India finished day three of the second Test on 64/1 to lead England by 244 runs after they dismissed the hosts for 407 in the first innings at Edgbaston on Friday.
England batter Joe Root said his experience of 158 Tests makes him better equipped than ever to end a victory drought in Australia, as he ramps up preparations for the upcoming Ashes series.
In a moment of poor judgment, Pant tapped the ball towards Ben Stokes at cover and set off for a non-existent single-only to be run out, leaving India at 248 for 5.
Stokes ruled out discarding that 'Bazball' approach in the Ashes opener at Edgbaston from Friday.
He successfully took a stunner to dismiss Karun Nair to complete his 211th catch, surpassing Dravid's tally of 210. Former Sri Lanka star Mahela Jayawardene slipped to the third spot with 205 catches.
India crushed England by 336 runs to level the series at 1-1 on Sunday
'It's always disappointing being on the losing team. Looking back at when we had our chance to bat yesterday, cricket is always skill against skill.'
England trounced Zimbabwe by an innings and 45 runs, with four sessions to spare, in the one-off Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
Ravi Shastri picked Rishabh Pant's dismissal in the first innings and Karun Nair's wicket in the second essay as the key moments that tilted the third Test at Lord's in England's favour.
England's Test skipper Ben Stokes has said it is a shame to miss the chance to play against someone like Virat Kohli in a blockbuster Test series and opined that India would sorely miss the maestro's fighting spirit.
Gill second successive ton as skipper takes India to 310 for 5
Jofra Archer made his first appearance in a first-class match in four years on Sunday in the County Championship as the 30-year-old quick continues his comeback from a spate of injuries
England captain Ben Stokes on Saturday said staying true to the 'Bazball' approach did not work and conceded that India were too good in their own conditions, always finding a way to wriggle out of tight curves.
'Our priority is getting Ben fit and ready to play, that's what we are concentrating on.'
Ponting said he had Stokes' match-winning innings at Headingley in his mind during the thrilling final day at Lord's.
With Stokes and Brendon McCullum at the helm, Ahmed cuts a relaxed figure.
Shubman Gill was inspirational both as a batter and skipper, as he led from the front with four hundreds amassing 754 runs in the five-match Test series in England.
England's scoring rate of 2.91 runs per over during the second session was the second-slowest in a home Test in the Bazball era, only behind their 2.72 per over effort against New Zealand at Lord's in 2022.
This series begins a potentially era-defining period for Stokes and England coach Brendon McCullum, having enjoyed plenty of highs and lows over the past few years, with the Ashes series in Australia next up in the Test format, starting in November.
India finished Day 3 on 90/2 to lead England by 96 runs at stumps in the opening Test on Sunday after England were dismissed for 465 in the first innings.
Stokes brought his first half-century in T20I cricket with a four in 47 balls while levelling the scores. He (unbeaten at 52* off 49 balls) then brought up the winning runs, with Liam Livingstone at 1* and England finished the innings at 138/5 in 19 overs.
KKR, CSK to engage in bidding war in IPL mini-auction with big purse in hand
Moeen cautioned that the team cannot solely rely on him, especially when there are other talented players in the squad.
Spinners selected gives us best opportunity to beat India: Ben Stokes
Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes experienced all-rounder Ben Stokes made the "right decision" to withdraw from the T20 World Cup.
India and England came together to honour the victims of the tragic Ahmedabad air disaster, paying tribute with a minute's silence and black armbands in a show of shared grief and solidarity.
'I'm proud of my Indian connection. Why shouldn't I be?'
England were closing in on a crushing victory over Zimbabwe at the close on the second day of the one-off Test on Friday, despite opener Brian Bennett scoring the fastest Test century for the African side.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 2nd Test played between England and South Africa played in Old Trafford on Friday.
Jofra Archer has not featured in a Test since 2021 and was recently included in the England squad for the second Test after playing a four-day Country game for Sussex.
Ben Stokes rated the 28-run victory over India in the first Test in Hyderabad on Sunday as the finest moment yet in his time as the England captain.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the third Test match between England and India at Lord's, London, on Friday.
Dharamsala is colder than usual for this time of the year keeping the pacers interested but considering no grass has been left on the surface.
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