Dejected after a 133-run loss (D/L method) against India in the second One-dayer in Cardiff on Wednesday, England skipper Alastair Cook said that his team has a lot of improvement to do if it wants to overturn the 1-0 deficit in the five-match series.
India survived a scare before managing to draw the first Test against England, who gained the psychological advantage after enjoying the upper-hand for the better part of the five days, in Rajkot, on Sunday.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's on Day 2
Sri Lanka held their nerve after a brilliant century by Jos Buttler to beat England by seven runs in the fourth one-day international at Lord's on Saturday and level the series at 2-2.
England pace bowler James Anderson took a career best of seven for 42 on Saturday to destroy the West Indies' batting on the third day of the third Test at Lord's and set up his team for a 2-1 series victory.
Jos Buttler was rewarded for his good showing in the Indian Premier League with a place in England's 12-man squad for the first Test against Pakistan at Lord's, starting May 24.
'It's an exciting time to play,' says Alistair Cook.
India captain Virat Kohli remained in second spot behind Steve Smith while Alastair Cook jumped nine places to be eighth in the latest ICC Test rankings after his unbeaten double century in the ongoing Ashes.
England ended a well contested first day of the fourth and final Test against South Africa on 260 for six with the late loss of Ben Stokes giving heart to the tourists.
The Barmy Army are bringing much more than just their thirst and their songs to the Test cricket arena in South Africa over the next month - an expected 10,000 visitors also provide a marked income boost for the sport, says South African cricket supremo Haroon Lorgat.
South Africa took full advantage of an abject England batting display on Monday to complete an easy 340-run win in the second Test to level the series 1-1 with two games left to play.
Battle commences at Edgbaston on Thursday and the last time Australia won there was the opening match of the 2001 series which they ended up dominating 4-1.
Factbox on the second Test match between Australia and England, which starts on Saturday:
England skipper Eoin Morgan will go into the World Cup desperately seeking form after registering a third duck in his last four innings in the four-wicket loss to Pakistan in a warmup match on Wednesday.
Pakistan finished the third day of the first Test in a strong position after Yasir Shah took six wickets as England were dismissed for 272 then the visitors reached 214 for eight in their second innings for a lead of 281.
Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and fast bowler Mark Wood produced a rearguard counter-attack to drag England back into the second Test against New Zealand on Friday as the visitors ended the first day at Hagley Oval on 290 for eight.
Joe Root does not admit to being a natural leader but England's new Test captain says the time spent as Alastair Cook's understudy has groomed him for the responsibility.
Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen appeared to have brought the curtain down on his cricket playing career on Saturday, announcing his decision to step away from the game in a series of messages on social media.
Eoin Morgan vowed not to make too many changes from Alastair Cook's tenure as captain.
England cricket chiefs have moved quickly to make it clear that Alastair Cook's dismissal as one-day captain has not opened the door for a return to international cricket for batsman Kevin Pietersen.
Joe Root's third hundred powered England to a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the fifth One-day international in Pallekele on Thursday and kept alive their hopes in the seven-match series. After rain forced play to be suspended on Wednesday, the visitors returned to chase down a 240-run victory target and won with five balls to spare.
Sachin Tendulkar feels the secret of India's No.1 batsman Virat Kohli's success is playing with a "straight bat" and "visualising all three formats without ever compromising on his technique".
England will not look to play for a draw on the final day of the fourth test against India but would rather try to score quickly to set the hosts a target and keep alive the series, fast bowler James Anderson said on Sunday. The touring side, down 2-0 in the five-match series, trail India by 49 runs with four second-innings wickets remaining at the close of the fourth day. On a turning Wankhede Stadium pitch, batting fourth will not be easy for the hosts, who made 631 in their first innings.
England's pacers chipped away at the wickets to reduce to India to 174 for six in their first innings at stumps on Day 2 in the fifth and final Test at the Oval in London on Saturday.
England will play four Tests, five One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches on a 10-week tour of South Africa during the 2015/16 summer season.
Ravindra Jadeja struck a career-best 70 not out as he and his lower order colleagues earned India a substantial 71-run first innings lead by lunch on the third day of the third Test against England on Monday. - Scorecard: The hosts were 354 for seven at the break with Jayant Yadav batting on 26, the pair having already amassed 53 runs for their flourishing eighth-wicket partnership.
Jonny Bairstow saved England the blushes after his half-century helped the team amass 268 for 8 after an early flurry of wickets.
Limited overs specialist Jos Buttler will replace the struggling Ben Duckett in a rejigged England batting line-up, skipper Alastair Cook confirmed ahead of his team's third Test against India beginning on Saturday.
Former Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke has withdrawn from a lucrative domestic Twenty20 contract as he reassesses whether he will ever play the sport again.
India are leading the five-match series 3-0 and should they taste success in the final Test, it will be their biggest against England, the previous being the 3-0 whitewash in 1992-93 under Mohammed Azharuddin's captaincy.
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