The 25-year-old Mata struggled for game time this season under Jose Mourinho, with Chelsea's manager preferring an attacking midfield trio comprising Brazilian internationals Oscar and Willian and Belgium winger Eden Hazard.
# England (537) have recorded their third highest total vs India in Tests in India - the top two being 652 for seven wickets declared at Chennai in January 1985 and 559 for eight wickets declared at Kanpur in February 1964. # Moeen Ali has recorded his fourth century in Tests - his first against India - his first three were two vs Sri Lanka and one vs Pakistan. His outstanding 117 vs India is his first century in 21 innings (12 Tests) away from home.
The leader of Sweden's Euro 2020 bid said "football politics" had denied his country a chance to provide a host city for the Euro 2020 tournament.
'Parthiv has to bat at No. 6, and in that position it is a different ball game.'
History is going to be made on Sunday, regardless of the result in the ICC Men's Cricket Word Cup final at Lord's. Neither England nor New Zealand have ever tasted victory on the big stage before so there will be a new name on the trophy tonight.
Insisting that he is not conducting a witch-hunt against the England skipper, Graeme Swann today said One-day captaincy is a "poisoned chalice" for Alastair Cook.
India's chinaman left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav says he never really gets perturbed when he is being hit for sixes as a childhood drill has conditioned him well to deal with the pressure of bad spells.
Here are talking points from the weekend's Premier League action:
Manchester City overcame a spirited Bournemouth side 3-1 on Saturday to maintain their unbeaten streak and extend their lead at the top of the English Premier League to five points.
England and India renew one of cricket's great rivalries at Edgbaston and, with so much on the line, it is no wonder the mercury is rising.
England's 2005 Ashes-winning side were better than the team that sealed a series victory over Australia with a game to spare in Nottingham on Saturday, according to Kevin Pietersen.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
England have by far been the best team in the tournament.
Both the teams lost their opening matches but bounced back into reckoning after producing two of the tournament's biggest upsets so far.
The 2019 edition in England & Wales might be only 15 games old but set a fascinating pattern right from the very first ball when South Africa opened up with the leg spin of Imran Tahir.
Ace off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Monday wrecked havoc and clinched yet another five-wicket haul as India defeated England by an innings and 36 runs on the final day of the Mumbai Test at the Wankhede Stadium. This is only the third time a team batting first has made 400 and then lost by an innings. Statistician Rajneesh Gupta presents interesting numbers from the final day of Mumbai Test
Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson is at full throttle and ready to torment England's batsmen again in the Ashes series, his captain Michael Clarke said on Tuesday.
The fast bowler has no appetite to be eased in, however, and hopes to play all five Tests in a repeat of the 2013-14 series on home soil which Australia won 5-0.
While he never managed to win an English league title medal with Liverpool, Gerrard will forever be associated with the Champions League final in 2005 when Liverpool fought back from 3-0 down at halftime to win on penalties in Istanbul.
Former captain Andrew Flintoff believes Ben Stokes can become one of England's greats and rates the all-rounder as a more talented player than he was.
Clarke hopeful of Australia finding right mix between youth and experience after the team was described as a "Dad's Army" by former fast bowler and present Yorkshire coach, Jason Gillespie.
Marouane Fellaini scored late in extra time to spare Everton's blushes as they came from a goal down to beat League One (third division) Stevenage 2-1 and reach the League Cup third round on Wednesday.
New FIFA president Gianni Infantino sent a clear message that his leadership style would be very different from his predecessor Sepp Blatter when he flew to his first official overseas appointment by budget airline on Friday.
Australian Olympic officials say they will oppose plans to stage the 2016 Rio Olympics swimming finals late at night.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
The injury to the Chile forward, who was left out of the squad for Tuesday's Champions League victory over Young Boys, "will require further investigation to confirm its severity", the club added.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Defender Giorgio Chiellini scored three times, including an own goal, as Italy beat Azerbaijan 2-1 in their Euro 2016 Group H qualifier in Palermo on Friday.
Star batsman Rohit Sharma's finger fracture is not only a blow to the Indian team but a big setback for Mumbai Indians as well, who will be playing their Champions League T20 qualifiers starting September 13, in Raipur.
Having scored a match-winning 75-ball-100 against England in the second One-Day International on Wednesday, Suresh Raina attributed his success to Team Director Ravi Shastri's pre-match pep talk.
Late goals from Nicklas Bendtner and Theo Walcott spared Arsenal's blushes and kept them top of the Premier League in a 2-0 victory over Cardiff City as title rivals Manchester City and Chelsea also won on Wednesday.
Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey will miss the rest of the club's holiday fixtures after hobbling off with a muscle injury in the 3-1 victory at West Ham United on Thursday.
Tim Sherwood's hopes of becoming Tottenham Hotspur's next permanent manager were boosted after his attacking team came back to win 3-2 at stuttering Southampton in an enthralling Premier League encounter on Sunday.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni heaped praises on Suresh Raina for his match-winning hundred in the second One-dayer against England here today that helped the visitors take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Factbox on the Ashes series between England and Australia played this century.
A round-up of Saturday's qualifying matches for the Euro 2020 Finals.
