James Anderson is set to join the England squad in India before the first Test. England's all-time leading wicket-taker will, however, will not be ready for the Rajkot Test starting on Wednesday.
According to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) website, Anderson is increasingly hopeful of playing a significant part in the five-match series after making encouraging progress in his recovery from a shoulder injury.
Anderson was sidelined from England's two-match Test series in Bangladesh due to a stress fracture in his right shoulder and has not played since mid-August.
James Anderson has been returning to fitness, confidence and pace over the last two weeks by bowling on the grass surface in the heated marquee outside the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough, and was cleared to leave for India to complete his recovery after a final test on Friday morning.
Anderson is set to arrive in Rajkot on Tuesday, ahead of England's first ever Test in the Gujarat city.