As India went into the second Test against England on Wednesday without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, former players and coaches questioned the thinking behind resting the world's best bowler when they trail 0-1 in the series.
After hundreds upon hundreds of runs on flat tracks in the ongoing series so far, it took the green top at The Oval to finally produce the best day of the Indian summer, on the fifth and last Friday of the Test series.
India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the crow as Team India were hosted by the Indian High Commission in London on Monday
'There is no question on the value that he brings to the side. But the management and board need to discuss how to use him...'
"We will have an advantage...": BCCI VP Shukla on India's new-look squad for England tour
Across five fiercely contested Tests, more than 7,000 runs were scored, including a record-equalling 21 individual centuries. Every match stretched into a gripping fifth day. The sun shone, the stands were full, and the cricket -- emotional, enthralling, and endlessly unpredictable -- captured imaginations around the world.
Going into the penultimate game of the rubber, the pressing question is whether to tweak their conservative approach and bolster the spin department by playing left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav at the cost of a spin all-rounder.
Images from Day 4 of the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval, London, on Sunday.
England lead 2-1 in the series and victory at Old Trafford would seal it.
Siraj, Krishna, Akash Shine as India's Pace Future Takes Shape
India skipper Shubman Gill on Wednesday said that levelling the five-match Test series in England would be a "great achievement" and he would return from his first assignment as captain a lot wiser.
England still have hopes of winning this game. This prognosis is based on their fourth innings exploits over the last three years and the fact that India galloped to 321 runs in 70 overs, suggesting the wicket isn't particularly tricky. However, the big difference from Leeds in June this year, or Birmingham in 2022, is that this track still has plenty of juice.
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.
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.
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.
After India captain Shubman Gill had scored another masterful century at Edgbaston, India fast bowlers Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj blew away England's top order.
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.
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.
Shubman Gill scored a record-breaking 269 and their seamers struck early to put the tourists in a commanding position at Edgbaston on Thursday.
From Jasprit Bumrah's much-anticipated return to the all-rounder conundrum, the playing XI could very well hold the key to seizing control of this historic series.
Stokes, the leading wicket-taker of the series with 17 scalps, will be a mere spectator at The Oval, robbing the series finale of his charismatic on-field presence.
Rahane lauded Gill's temperament under pressure, especially after India had lost the opening Test.
India's historic first-ever Test win at Edgbaston by a massive 336 runs after losing the first Test was a triumph of Grit, Resilience, Excellence, Aggressiveness, and Tactfulness, a truly GREAT performance that will be remembered for years, asserts veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
If series is on the line and Bumrah is fit, he has to play: Ian Bell
Karun Nair has got starts in majority of his six innings in England but he has not been able to convert them into something substantial.
The winning culture that Mumbai Indians have built over the years with their core group of players does help them perform in high-pressure situations, said head coach Mahela Jayawardene.
In the IPL Eliminator against Gujarat Titans on Friday, May 30 2025, Mumbai Indians' seasoned campaigners Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah were the difference-makers, underlining the timeless adage that in cricket, it's the big players who deliver on the big occasions.
Mumbai Indians outlasted Gujarat Titans by 20 runs in a high-scoring IPL Eliminator despite a classy effort from Sai Sudharsan.
'He is one of the most complete cricketers you will ever see.'
Sai Sudharsan, a rising star, playfully dubs GT 'Gujarat Tamilians'.
Rajasthan Royals' 14-year-old opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi slammed a 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans.
The trio looked relaxed as they had coffee at the Peter Rabbit Cafe in Adelaide.
Gujarat Titans will aim to tighten their grip on the top spot and move closer to securing a play-off berth when they take on a faltering Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League match in Jaipur on Monday.
Shubman Gill played a masterful captain's knock with his second century of the series on the opening day of the second Test
SRH had barely utilised him the previous season. He played just two matches in the 2024 season for SRH, claiming just one wicket before he was released.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the third Test match, played between England and India at Lord's, London, on Saturday.
Gujarat Titans will look to bounce back from the carnage that wonder boy Vaibhav Suryavanshi inflicted on them when they face a stuttering Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL match in Ahmedabad on Friday.
It's evident that this Indian attack, even without Bumrah, has oodles of quality in it, but can they refocus on their lengths?
Shubman Gill is enjoying a 'honeymoon period' as India's Test captain but there will be more pressure on him in the days to come, feels former India skipper Sourav Ganguly.
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