India's last Test in England: Where are they now?

As India prepare to head to England in 2018, we look back on their last tour there. They last toured England in 2014, and despite winning the second Test and taking a 1-0 lead, they eventually lost the series 3-1.

Below is the XI that took to the field in the final Test at the Oval in an innings and 244 runs defeat.

#1 Murali Vijay

2nd Test - Australia v India: Day 32nd Test - Australia v India: Day 3

He made his first overseas Test century in the 2014 series in England. He scored 146 in the first innings and backed it up with a further half-century in the second innings in a drawn match at Trent Bridge.

He has since become his country's first-choice opening batsman and played 51 Tests at a batting average of 39.62.

Now aged 33, he will have turned 34 by the time India arrive in England in 2018 in what could be his second and final tour in England.

#2 Gautam Gambhir

Leicestershire v India - Tour Match

Gambhir was ten years into his Test career when last playing in England, however by this time he was considered the backup opening batsman after the emergence of Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan.

He did not start in the first three Test matches but did play in the final two at Old Trafford and the Oval. He was then dropped after these four innings and remained in the wilderness until his recall against New Zealand in September 2016.

This lead him to start in the first Test at home to England in November 2016 but was again dropped. At 36, it is likely that he has played his final game for India.

#3 Cheteshwar Pujara

Derbyshire v India - Tour Match

Pujara has been somewhat of a familiar face in England since last touring.

During the 2014 ODI series in England, he played the final three games of the season for Derbyshire. In 2015, he returned to play for County Champions Yorkshire and helped them retain the title. Again in 2017, he featured in Nottinghamshire's promotion campaign.

Between his county stints, he has become a prominent member of the Indian Test side. He now has 13 centuries to his name and has an average of 52.26 in his 51 Tests.

He will have to perform well at number three if India are to challenge in England in 2018.

#4 Virat Kohli

Australia v India - 4th Test: Day 3

He came to England with a growing reputation, but struggled to enhance it during the tour. Despite this, since he has quickly become one of the best cricketers in the world, now averaging 50.12 and has scored 18 centuries in Test cricket.

After particularly struggling against James Anderson in English conditions, he found form that winter at home to West Indies and has not looked back since.

Former England batsman and now pundit Geoffrey Boycott said of him in 2014:

"Jimmy Anderson ate him for breakfast. Every time Kohli came in, all he did was bowl at off stump, around the corridor of uncertainty and Kohli nicked it. He is playing with his bat too far away from his pad. He has to look at video replays of his technique and get back to basics".

Kohli was vice-captain on the 2014 tour but was handed the full captaincy following MS Dohni's Test retirement. Now an International superstar, he will arrive in 2018 hoping to succeed in English conditions.

#5 Ajinkya Rahane

Australia v India: 3rd Test - Day 3

Alongside Pujara and Kohli, Rahane is part of the spine of the Indian batting order. On the 2014 tour, he was one of a dew batman that had a major impact. He scored a hundred in the second Test at Lord's, rescuing his side from a poor position.

In 2015 he became just the fifth Indian to score centuries in both innings of a Test. He also deputised as captain in 2017 following an injury to Virat Kohli and has established himself as one of the world's leading batsmen.

What also could be vital to potential Indian success in 2018 is his slip catching ability. He has broken numerous records, most notably on 5 August 2015, he broke the record of most catches in a test match taking 8 in a Test against Sri Lanka at Galle.

#6 MS Dhoni (c) (wk)

Australia v India: 3rd Test - Day 5

Dhoni retired from Test cricket in the December following the England Tour. He remained ODI captain for some time after, but now solely focusses on wicket-keeping in white ball cricket.

He finished his Test career against Australia going past Kumar Sangakkara for the record of most international stumpings at 134.

As his career comes to the end he has played a prominent role in the IPL since its inception and captained the Rising Pune Supergiants in the IPL 2017.

#7 Stuart Binny

Derbyshire v India - Tour Match

Son of former Indian all-rounder Roger Binny, Stuart made his Test debut during the 2014 Test series. Like his father, Binny was selected as an all-rounder but failed to impress with either bat or ball in hand.

He has only played six Tests to date and has not featured at all for his country since at all since August 2016.

He is currently a prominent member of the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL and was famously hit for five sixes in a row by Evin Lewis in a T20i match against the West Indies.

#8 Ravichandran Ashwin

2nd Test - Australia v India: Day 2

In recent years, Ashwin has become the world's leading spin bowler. However, he did initially struggle in the months following the England tour.

After he was not picked for the first Test of the Australian tour in late 2014 he went away to work on his game, developing a more comfortable action he found the form that had led him to Test selection.

In 2015 he was named Man of the Series against Sri Lanka and in the home series against South Africa, that followed, he took 31 wickets in just three matches.

Soon after he was able to dominate both England and Australia and was named ICC Cricketer of the Year and the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year for 2016.

His runs have also been vital for India, and they will hope that he is able to be the all-around package in England in 2018.

#9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

England v India: 5th Investec Test - Day One

Fairly new to his Test career in 2014 Bhuvneshwar Kumar has quickly established himself as a key player in the Indian bowling attack.

Cricinfo describe his 2014 tour of England as:

Bhuvneshwar was one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise wretched tour of England, taking 19 wickets at 26.63, an Indian record for most wickets against England in a Test series.

In just 19 Tests he has now taken 53 wickets at an average of 27.19. With his ability with the new ball and with more favourable English conditions, he could be a real threat on the 2018 tour.

Bhuvneshwar was adjudged the Player of the Match for his incredible spell against India's first Test against Sri Lanka in Kolkata, and if he can carry that form through the series, he will do well.

#10 Varun Aaron

2nd Test - Australia v India: Day 3

Aaron missed out on selection for the first three tests of the 2014 tour but did appear unspectacular in the final two.

Whilst an ever-present in the IPL for King's XI Punjab, his international career has never really gotten started.

He played his last international against South Africa in a Test in 2015 and currently has a Test bowling average of 52.61 taking 18 wickets in nine matches. It is unlikely that his first-class average of 32.65 is enough to push him back into international reckoning.

#11 Ishant Sharma

Australia v India: 3rd Test - Day 2

Making his international debut at just 18 almost 11 years ago, 29-year-old Sharma has had an indifferent career.

In the 2014 series, he took career-best figures of 7/74 at Lord's, in the second innings, bowling India to a 95-run win.

Despite this, he has failed to establish himself as a regular Test cricketer, making his last appearance in March of this year.

He is involved in the Test squad, but with a record eight wickets in the last 12 Tests, he may struggle to make the tour in 2018.