As India marches toward the Asia Cup final, one thing is crystal clear -- Abhishek Sharma isn't just participating in this tournament; he's redefining it.
Mohammed Siraj produced a stellar display across five gruelling Tests to prove that he possesses both the heart and the craft to lead India's pace battery.
England captain Ben Stokes went on to call Jofra Archer an 'incredibly gifted cricketer', irrespective of the colour of the ball in his hand.
The Ashes could be decided within days at an Adelaide Oval furnace where England's hopes of wresting back the urn will fire anew or flame out entirely against a strengthened Australia.
Bazball is in the firing line, with former players and pundits decrying the high-risk game on Australia's spicy pitches.
'I've never seen anything like it in my life.'
'It is an immense honour, a responsibility I couldn't have imagined.'
Since McCullum took over, England have won six out of their seven Tests
"Came here to give myself every chance to play just as batter": Stokes after being ruled out of Oval Test
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.
England's style validated despite defeat to Australia, says McCullum
The England and Wales Cricket Board has sacked its data analysts, Freddie Wilde and Nathan Leamon, weeks ahead of the Test series against India, as head coach Brendon McCullum wants to put more emphasis on gut feeling and intuition.
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.
England tearaway Jofra Archer is willing to do everything in his power to secure a ticket on the plane that will fly to Australia
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.'
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.
Washington Sundar's bold prediction that the visitors would seal the win 'probably in the first session' turned into a haunting soundbite, as England staged a spirited comeback to snatch a 22-run victory and a 2-1 lead in the series.
The five-match Test series against India at home is a massive test for England's 'Bazball' brand of cricket under skipper Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.
Abhishek Sharma opened up about a small but meaningful habit-pulling out a chit from his pocket after scoring a century in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Joe Root returned to England's one-day international squad for the first time since their ill-fated World Cup title defence in November
England coach Brendon McCullum on Monday described his Indian counterpart Gautam Gambhir as a "strong leader of men", backing him to achieve success with the national team in near future.
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.
Bairstow's highest score in the series so far was 37, posted in the opener in Hyderabad
Rajaneesh Gupta lists the amazing numbers that make Rohit Sharma one of the finest ODI batters of his time.
Brendon McCullum - playing his last Test match- produced a sensational display of stroke-play, blasting to the fastest hundred in Test cricket history. McCullum took 54 balls to reach the three-figure mark, two less than the previous record. Viv Richards and Misbah-ul-Haq held the previous record with 56-ball hundreds. In terms of time taken, McCullum's hundred in 78 minutes is the joint fourth fastest in Test cricket. Statistician Rajneesh Gupta glances at the records of the fastest hundreds in Test cricket:
A few days ago, when young England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir saw a missed call from a New Zealand dialling code number, he ignored it thinking it could be from "anyone random".
The contest between England's dialled-down "Bazball" approach and Australia's more methodical batting could determine who prevails in the Ashes series beginning in Perth on Friday.
Selected at number three ahead of the burgeoning talent of Jacob Bethell, who averaged 52 on his first Test tour of New Zealand, Pope settled after early scares to compile his ninth Test century.
England captain Ben Stokes underwent surgery in November for his long-standing left-knee problem.
Despite losing the series, McCullum maintains positive outlook.
'Mohammed Siraj and the passion of the Indian boys was too strong and ultimately they deserve to win this Test match.'
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.
Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum believes new captain Shreyas Iyer can be the next superstar in world cricket.
Broad said 'Baz' McCullum had already made a difference.
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.
Jofra Archer will play his first Test in more than four years as he replaces fellow seamer Josh Tongue for the third Test at Lord's.
'Bazball' has changed the dynamics of England's batting approach in Test cricket and their Kiwi coach Brendon McCullum is very clear that irrespective of outcome, his team won't deviate from its aggressive tactics against India in the five-Test series, where most tracks will offer substantial turn.
Glenn McGrath said his prediction this time is based on how England were held to a 2-2 series draw by India in the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy five-Test series.
'...he's not shown any obvious signs of dismissal and he's played stylishly.'
Former West Indies skipper Denesh Ramdin feels the role of wicketkeepers has evolved over the years since Adam Gilchrist came into prominence.
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