England's Ashes hopes rest largely on the all-round performance of talismanic captain Ben Stokes, who took 17 wickets against India in the recent home series.
England captain Ben Stokes dismissed claims his team was "arrogant" following their capitulation in the first Ashes Test against Australia in Perth last week as preparations for the second game in the five-match series continued on Saturday.
Only three England captains have secured the urn in Australia in the last 50 years, with Andrew Strauss the last in 2010/11.
Glenn Phillips completed his maiden Test century as New Zealand punished a wayward England attack to pile on the runs on the second day of the second Test at the Oval in London on Thursday.
Ben Stokes, who played a few memorable knocks this year, especially at the ICC World Cup final and then powering England to victory at Headingley in the Ashes, beat Lewis Hamilton, Raheem Sterling among others to win the coveted crown.
Fresh from a memorable Test debut for India, left-arm spinner Manav Suthar made an immediate impact in county cricket, claiming two wickets on his Warwickshire debut against Yorkshire on day one of the County Championship Division One in Scarborough.
New Zealand pace bowler Matt Henry ran through England's tail to give his side a 253-run victory in the second Test at The Oval to level the series at 1-1 on Sunday.
Ben Stokes thrives on his battles with some of the sport's most competitive players as it tends to bring out the best in the feisty England all-rounder, who is hoping to recover quickly from his nightmare end to the World Twenty20 tournament.
New Zealand need 254 runs to defeat England in the opening Test of the three-match series after bowling the hosts out for 226 in their second innings at Lord's on Friday.
'Stokes, to me, has been a phenomenon this season'
Chasing 463 for victory, England's Joe Root and Harry Brook hit half tons, even as Kyle Jamieson had the hosts reeling with three-wickets, on day four of the second Test at the Oval in London on Saturday.
England captain Ben Stokes tried to focus on the positives after his team's agonising six-run loss to India in their riveting final Test at The Oval on Monday.
Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara and ex-assistant coach Abhishek Nayar have offered critical insights into India's recent T20I series defeat against England, highlighting issues with middle-order depth, all-rounders, poor fielding, and struggles against short balls.
Captain Ben Stokes brushed off concerns about England's Ashes preparations on Wednesday, saying there was no way the squad could prepare in the same way touring teams of the past had, given the demands of the modern game.
Ollie Robinson marked his return to England's Test side with a four-wicket haul as New Zealand slid to 61-6 at stumps, trailing by 79 runs after a see-saw opening day of the three-match series at Lord's on Thursday.
Batting great Alistair Cook says England's 2-2 home series draw against Shubman Gill-led India was against "not a great Indian side", flagging concerns over the team's preparation for the Ashes.
England captain Ben Stokes broke his own record for the most overs bowled by himself during a Test series.
With this the classy all-rounder has achieved a rare milestone that few legends of the game can boast of.
Ben Stokes becomes 3rd all rounder to have 7,000 runs, 200 wickets in Test cricket
England trail 2-0 in the five-Test series after being outplayed with bat, ball and in the field during the eight-wicket loss in the day-night match in Brisbane.
The 33-year-old Stokes had surgery on his left hamstring in December after suffering a tear during the third Test against New Zealand, which ruled him out of action for a prolonged period.
Ben Stokes acknowledged that missed opportunities early in the match allowed India to take firm control of the second Test at Edgbaston
Both Stokes and McCullum are contracted until 2027 and have publicly expressed their desire to stay on beyond the current tour.
'I thought, I've just lost the World Cup. I couldn't believe it.'
England's Stokes praises Australia's Head, supports his own errant batters
'Sometimes vice-captains aren't brilliant captains.'
Brendon McCullum will continue as England's head coach in all three formats, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Monday, despite the team's lacklustre performances and lingering questions about their dressing-room culture.
Ben Stokes' lengthy bowling spells against India in the third Test shows the England all-rounder has full confidence in his body after coming through injury layoffs, batter Joe Root said.
Ben Stokes' lengthy bowling spells against India in the third Test shows the England all-rounder has full confidence in his body after coming through injury layoffs, batter Joe Root said.
Fourth months after splashing out $1.97 million to secure the services of Ben Stokes, Rajasthan Royals cannot be faulted for regretting the splurge as they struggle to stay afloat in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL).
New Zealand battled back to end an absorbing first day of the second Test on 291 for seven after England's new-look pace attack held sway early on at The Oval on Wednesday.
'We thought they deserved a century there (about the decision to not shake hands). Every match going till the last session on the last day.'
Former captain Michael Vaughan is astonished by England's decision to bowl first on a dry Headingley wicket, a decision that backfired as India finished at 359 for 3 on day one of the first Test in Leeds.
The England players have come in for heavy criticism since Australia wrapped up an 82-run win in the third Test in Adelaide on Sunday to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
'What a player he is. He bowls, bats and executes a crucial run out of Rishabh Pant but there is no talk of workload management. But with India it is not like that.'
The BCCI has no plans to act as a bridge between overseas players and their respective teams over their availability for the IPL despite concerns being raised by franchises in the recently concluded edition.
India's batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refused England skipper Ben Stokes' offer to call off the fourth Test and settle for a draw before the start of the final hour of play.
Stokes admitted that the aggression from the Indian players added some adrenalin into his side.
Fast bowler Jofra Archer was ruled out of the rest of the Ashes series with a left side strain.
He also had encouraging words for young leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who picked up only two wickets in Hyderabad.
