It was a wild ride while it lasted but the 'Bazball' revolution that enlivened English cricket for three years collapsed in 11 days on Australian soil in an Ashes defeat as harrowing as any in the modern era.
England need to produce "something magical" on day four of the third Ashes Test against Australia if they are to have any chance of turning the tide, the visitors' spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel said on Friday.
Sai Sudharsan made the opportunity count in his comeback game with a fifty while Rishabh Pant suffered another injury as India played the old-fashioned way to reach 264 for four at stumps on Day 1 of the fourth Test in Manchester on Wednesday.
England captain Ben Stokes underwent surgery in November for his long-standing left-knee problem.
If Stokes plays two months of IPL till the end of May, then he would be spending close to five months in India, which might not be feasible for him.
A minor hip injury kept Ben Stokes out of the World Cup opening match which England lost by nine wickets against New Zealand.
England Test skipper Ben Stokes on Wednesday came out of ODI retirement to be included in the provisional squad for the 50-over World Cup
Archer, who has taken 42 wickets in 13 Tests, made his first appearance in a first-class match in four years on Sunday in the County Championship with Sussex.
Ben Stokes humorously 'apologised' to Jason Roy for breaking his previous record of 180, which Roy had achieved against Australia in Melbourne back in 2018.
Stokes ruled out discarding that 'Bazball' approach in the Ashes opener at Edgbaston from Friday.
'He's a good competitor, he comes hard at you so it was good fun.'
Spin great Anil Kumble praised Nitish Kumar Reddy's showing with the ball on Day 1 of the Lord's Test on Thursday.
'Our priority is getting Ben fit and ready to play, that's what we are concentrating on.'
England have named two uncapped players in Essex duo Sam Cook and Jordan Cox in the squad for the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge later this month.
England have only drawn one from 35 Tests in the McCullum-Stokes regime, with one of their exhilarating run chases in that spell coming when they reached 378 against India in 2022 -- the only time India have lost when defending Test totals of more than 350.
A wicket-laden Boxing Day Test at the MCG triggered widespread debate, with former cricketers from both Australia and England questioning whether the pitch offered far too much for the bowlers.
Ponting said he had Stokes' match-winning innings at Headingley in his mind during the thrilling final day at Lord's.
Shubman Gill's coin toss woes continued on Wednesday as the India skipper lost his fourth straight toss in the ongoing Test series against England -- extending India's incredible run of 14 consecutive toss defeats across formats in international cricket.
'It's always disappointing being on the losing team. Looking back at when we had our chance to bat yesterday, cricket is always skill against skill.'
England did not have their full squad in Perth until last Sunday and will play one internal match before the first Ashes Test on November 21.
Joe Root produced a batting masterclass on way to a milestone 38th hundred as England exploited a jaded Indian bowling attack to stamp their dominance on the fourth Test in Manchester.
Fired-up England reduced India to 58/4 chasing 193 for victory in a highly-charged final session on day four on Sunday as a gripping third Test at Lord's.
Stokes brought his first half-century in T20I cricket with a four in 47 balls while levelling the scores. He (unbeaten at 52* off 49 balls) then brought up the winning runs, with Liam Livingstone at 1* and England finished the innings at 138/5 in 19 overs.
Starc further commented that Doggett could handle the pressure of the Ashes series, as he seemed to be the third pacer in Australia's attack.
England bowling coach Tim Southee praised the depth and quality of the Indian Test side after a commanding performance by the visitors on Day 1
England captain Ben Stokes on Saturday said staying true to the 'Bazball' approach did not work and conceded that India were too good in their own conditions, always finding a way to wriggle out of tight curves.
England last won the Ashes in 2015 and have not won a series in Australia since 2011 but Root was optimistic about their chances this time around.
Boycott defends Jadeja, Sundar for declining draw offer; slams England's bowling
'They're all going to score because they are naturally gifted players but the real high-risk way of playing, I'm afraid it hasn't worked.'
Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps on Day 4 of the third Test, still 228 runs short of victory
With Stokes and Brendon McCullum at the helm, Ahmed cuts a relaxed figure.
Six different teams have lifted the trophy over the years, with the West Indies, England and reigning champions India the only nations to have won it twice.
Besides the surface, the behaviour of the Dukes has also come under scanner with the softer ball hardly offering anything to the bowlers.
Greg Chappell said that the Indian management should have sent a clear message to Ravindra Jadeja to hit boundaries and go for the win instead of looking to play out time, during the third Test against England at Lord's.
England captain Ben Stokes said fast bowler Jofra Archer is 100 percent ready to play his first Test since February 2021.
Moeen cautioned that the team cannot solely rely on him, especially when there are other talented players in the squad.
'...he's not shown any obvious signs of dismissal and he's played stylishly.'
'He (Pandya) can command a spot in the top five on his batting alone. He could also be one of the top three seamers in any team if he was just a bowler.'
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 2nd Test played between England and South Africa played in Old Trafford on Friday.
Archer has not picked up a red cricket ball since May 2021 for Sussex after a series of injuries kept delaying his return.
