England battled to 96 for four in their second innings by the end of a dramatic fourth day at Lord's to lead Australia by 104 runs and leave the second Ashes Test on a knife-edge.
Rajneesh Gupta gives us all the numbers that matter from Day 1 of the fourth Test between England and India at The Oval, on Thursday, September 2, 2021.
England skipper Joe Root has backed James Anderson to hit peak form again, saying on Wednesday that the pace bowler's spot in the team is not in question ahead of the second Test against Pakistan starting on Thursday.
It is an perfect stage for India's mercurial skipper Virat Kohli, who loves to bring his A game to the fore when the chips are down.
A look at the newly-laid dark coloured Chepauk track is an indication that unlike the strip used during the first Test, this one will offer turn earlier than expected.
Suresh Raina helped India claim first blood in the one-day international series against England, hitting an impressive century in the tourists' rain-affected 133-run victory in Cardiff.
Stoneman selected as Cook's latest partner for the hosts
The left-handed batsman now has 497 points in the all-rounder rankings, while second-placed Jason Holder has 459 points.
Joe Root's unbeaten 149 put England in complete control of the final Test against India and they picked up the wickets of openers Murali Vijay and Gautam Gambhir before lunch on the third day on Sunday.
Kolkata Knight Riders will have to break the agonising sequence of debacles when they clash with defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL eliminator, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday.
England coach Trevor Bayliss defended India's much-criticised preparation for the ongoing Test series, saying the beleaguered visitors couldn't have fit in more practice than what they did before the disastrous first two games.
Royal Challengers Bangalore learnt it the hard way that star power does not always guarantee success after succumbing to the lowest ever score in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Sunday's match against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Images from Sunday's second IPL match, between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, in Mumbai.
England have recalled bowler James Anderson, all-rounder Ben Stokes and leg-spinner Adil Rashid to a 14-man squad for the second Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford starting on Friday.
England won the toss and batted first, reaching 172-8 from their 20 overs, with James Vince top scoring with a sprightly 38 from 24 balls, while Jos Buttler (33) and opener Jason Roy (29) also contributed.
Having found some light at the end of the tunnel, Royal Challengers Bangalore will be keen to expose the chinks in Kings XI Punjab's armoury during their must-win IPL encounter in Indore on Monday.
Australia romped to a three-wicket victory in the fourth one-day international at Adelaide Oval on Friday after threatening to dismiss England for the lowest score in the history of the format by reducing the tourists to eight for five inside seven overs.
After defeats in their opening two matches, Australia came roaring back, winning their next nine games in succession
'So many different emotions are coming out right now, I'm that excited'
Away from nets for a long period due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the players including Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Kemar Roach, Shane Dowrich, Shamarh Brooks and Raymon Reifer trained at the Kensington Oval behind closed doors
Shardul Thakur hit a local ground at Boisar in Maharashtra's Palghar district along with some domestic players.
India and England will play three ODI games beginning Sunday. Rajneesh Gupta surveys the career figures of the players who will head to battle in Pune.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes was named on Wednesday in a 16-man squad for the Ashes tour to Australia despite being arrested earlier in the week for an altercation outside a Bristol nightclub.
Murtagh produced one of the best spells of bowling ever seen at the old ground, taking five wickets for 13 runs in nine overs as England were skittled for 85.
England fast bowler James Anderson has been ruled out for the rest of the Ashes series against Australia due to a niggling calf injury.
Captain Steve Smith frustrated England with a fighting half-century and pushed Australia to 165 for four at the close of a see-sawing day two, rescuing the hosts after a top order collapse in the series-opening Ashes Test in Brisbane on Friday.
'I know a few of the Surrey guys and they are not what people make them out to be a lot of the time. But if anyone in that dressing room does think they are a big dog, they will need to sit down for a little while because there is a proper big dog coming'
Captain Eoin Morgan smashed his second half-century in two games and Adil Rashid took four wickets to help England crush Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the rain-marred third One-Day International on Wednesday.
Clinical England beat India by 31 runs at Edgbaston on Sunday to take them back in the top-four in the points table, giving themselves a shot at the semis spot.
As expected, fast bowler Jofra Archer was included in the 12 and looks poised to make his Test debut in the absence of England's record wicket taker James Anderson.
England have named uncapped Surrey batsman Jason Roy in their 14-man squad for next Sunday's one-off Twenty20 international at home to India.
The England cricket team led by Alastair Cook arrived in Mumbai from Bangladesh to engage hosts India in a five-Test series commencing at Rajkot on November 9. The tourists touched down around 3 pm and reached their hotel in South Mumbai two hours later. This is the sixth five-match Test rubber between the two countries and first in the country since the 1984-85 series between the squads captained by Sunil Gavaskar and David Gower.
For any bowling unit, facing the Dhawan-Shaw duo is a scary proposition.
Silverwood said Stokes will have to 'rein' him in during training as he is always looking push himself.
Rajneesh Gupta lists all the important numbers from day two of the Oval Test.
'With a lead of 260 going into the day session, we're in the drivers' seat'
Sri Lanka beat England by 90 runs in the sixth One-Day International at Pallekele on Saturday to take an unbeatable 4-2 lead in their seven-match series.
England's four-pronged pace attack bowled India out for 148 before the hosts reached 62 for no loss in reply to take control of the fifth and final Test on an absorbing first day at The Oval in London.
IMAGES from the T20 World Cup match played between England and Ireland in Melbourne on Wednesday
England pace bowler Stuart Broad swept aside the India middle order batting in an inspired spell on Sunday to propel his team to a crushing innings and 159 runs victory on the fourth day of the second Test at Lord's.
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