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Justin Langer downplayed Rishabh Pant's match-winning innings at the Gabba in 2021, which secured India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory. While he initially praised Pant's fearlessness, Langer now suggests the flat pitch and COVID-affected circumstances diminished Australia's home advantage. He highlighted that playing in January differed from the usual November conditions, impacting the game.

The intense India-England Test series has been marred by a string of injuries, impacting both squads significantly. Chris Woakes' shoulder injury in the final match adds to England's woes, with Ben Stokes and Shoaib Bashir already sidelined. India has also faced setbacks, losing Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy, highlighting the physical toll of this closely contested series.

The drawn fourth Test between India and England witnessed heated debate after Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refused an early draw offer, frustrating England captain Ben Stokes. Dinesh Karthik questioned England's sportsmanship, while Michael Vaughan supported India's decision to allow their batsmen to pursue centuries. With the series at 2-1, the controversy adds fuel to the highly anticipated Oval Test.

England's Ben Stokes achieved a monumental feat, joining Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis as the only players with 7,000+ Test runs and 200+ wickets. He marked the milestone during the fourth Test against India, also scoring his 14th Test century. Stokes recently surpassed 11,000 international runs and leads the series' wicket tally with 16.