"Came here to give myself every chance to play just as batter": Stokes after being ruled out of Oval Test
Brendon McCullum lauded senior Indian stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for their performances in the ICC Cricket World Cup.
In a must-win situation to keep the five-match series alive, England would be hoping to put a much improved performance with the bat.
Tim Southee equalled West Indies great Chris Gayle's tally of sixes in Test cricket to move to joint-fourth spot in the all-time list.
Enjoyment is a huge part of why I'm still playing: Jonny Bairstow
England tearaway Jofra Archer is willing to do everything in his power to secure a ticket on the plane that will fly to Australia
England coach Brendon McCullum, known for his aggressive 'Bazball' approach, has surprised everyone by promising a "watchful" style of cricket in the limited overs series against India. He also confirmed that captain Jos Buttler will focus solely on batting and won't be keeping wickets during the tour. The tour begins with the first of the five-match T20I series at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, followed by three one-day internationals. This ODI series serves as a dress rehearsal for both teams ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, which will be held in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19.
Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a commanding 29-run win over Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens, powered by a blazing batting display from Finn Allen and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, despite strong resistance from GT's top order.
England wicketkeeper Jordan Cox has been ruled out of the three-Test series against New Zealand after fracturing his thumb in a net session during a tour match in Queenstown.
England captain Ben Stokes went on to call Jofra Archer an 'incredibly gifted cricketer', irrespective of the colour of the ball in his hand.
New Zealand's Twenty20 champions Otago Volts enter the tournament as a strong contender for the title. Brendon McCullum is a proven match-winner, while all-rounder Dmitri Mascarenhas is capable of making a difference with both bat and ball.
'England can regain the urn next summer'
England's Test team coach Brendon McCullum feels the cricketing landscape is changing quickly and the time is not far when several players will choose big money in T20 leagues across the world over playing for their respective countries.
Ahead of England's five-match Test series against India at home, head coach Brendon McCullum hailed young all-rounder Jacob Bethell
The 33-year-old said his rehabilitation was going well and that he would undergo a scan on Wednesday.
Curran hasn't played for England since he featured in a white-ball series against the West Indies in November last year and was recently overlooked for the side's ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign
Bairstow is the only English batter yet to play a significant knock in the Test series against India.
England skipper Ben Stokes on Thursday said the hosts don't think the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin makes India any lesser side as their "ginormous" talent pool is enough to fill the void.
'I remember the last Test series (home series against England) as well. We lost the first match and in the second match, Rohit Sharma single-handedly took India to a position from where you could not have lost.'
KKR, the IPL winners in 2012 and 2014 under Gambhir's captaincy, became the first team the enter the playoffs this season and are currently on 19 points after nine wins.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Will Jacks will replace paceman Mark Wood in an otherwise unchanged England side for the second Ashes Test against Australia in Brisbane.
England captain Jos Buttler is confident that the upcoming T20I series against India will not impact their preparation for the Champions Trophy.
The third Test at Lord's could well be the series' turning point. This isn't just about team combinations or tactical tweaks anymore. The pitch has emerged as a defining factor -- one that could tilt the balance of power in a contest hanging delicately at 1-1.
A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup.
For Ian Smith, a player of Rishabh Pant's calibre walks into any T20 side and hence the former New Zealand stumper finds it baffling that the keeper-batter hasn't been picked for the upcoming World Cup starting in less than three weeks' time.
Fleming is the head coach of CSK, while his compatriot Brendon McCullum manages KKR.
'They are up their own backsides convinced that Test cricket has changed so much that only they know anything about the modern game.'
Coach Brendon McCullum said England will continue with their attacking Bazball approach in the last two Tests.
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.
The purists might be worried about the impact of Twenty20 on players' technique, but India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja feels that the shortest format has had no effect of the cricketers' skills as they are well-trained to shift gears whenever required.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum broke the world record for the fastest Test century held jointly by his idol Viv Richards on Saturday without ever being aware he was about to make cricket history.
The spotlight will be firmly on Mohammed Shami as the Indian team contemplates his inclusion in the playing XI.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum sounded upbeat about an unchanged team - from the side that beat the West Indies recently - for the first Test of the two-match series against India starting in Auckland on Thursday.
This series begins a potentially era-defining period for Stokes and England coach Brendon McCullum, having enjoyed plenty of highs and lows over the past few years, with the Ashes series in Australia next up in the Test format, starting in November.
Ponting said he was approached by Rob Key, who was then appointed as the English Cricket Board's new director of men's cricket.
Former West Indies skipper Denesh Ramdin feels the role of wicketkeepers has evolved over the years since Adam Gilchrist came into prominence.
Captain Gill will be looking to get India back to their best in red ball cricket and he has 'Let you actions lead the way.'
Ben Stokes, has suggested that the rising spinner, Shoaib Bashir, may make his Test debut in the upcoming India series.
Kolkata Knight Riders' head coach Brendon McCullum says young batter Rinku Singh has been their find of IPL 2022 and the franchise will invest in him in the coming years.
Bazball is in the firing line, with former players and pundits decrying the high-risk game on Australia's spicy pitches.
