All-rounder Ben Stokes returns to England's squad for the first two Tests against India next month after he missed the two-match series against New Zealand in June following a finger injury he sustained during the Indian Premier League earlier this year.
A round-up of the action in the English Premier League on Monday.
Joe Root compiled his second straight century, an unbeaten 119, as England batted their way to a commanding position in the second Test against West Indies in Barbados on Wednesday.
These incredible photos show some of the spectacular scenes captured by photographers as part of the annual Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. Photographers from across the United Kingdom submitted images from wildlife to stormy waves, as well as cityscapes and 'winter wonderland' style scenes. The overall winner of the 2020 competition, whose photo stands in pride of place on the first page of the book, was Chris Frost, whose early-morning shot of Woolland Woods in Dorset shows a blanket of mist rolling over a bank of white wild garlic.
Ben Stokes' first big decision as captain will be to name his team along with coach Chris Silverwood and there are tricky choices to be made with his bowling attack.
Manchester United have scored 14 goals and earned maximum points from their four matches under interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
India batter Shreyas Iyer, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal along with Australian dasher David Warner are expected to be the top draws as over 1,200 players registered themselves for the Indian Premier League mega auction scheduled for next month.
England pacer Jofra Archer, who bowled a match-winning spell in the first T20 International against India in Ahmedabad on Friday, shared the secret to his success with the ball in T20 cricket.
Since 2011, England have managed to eke out just a single draw in 13 Ashes Tests over three tours and their last two Tests in Sydney have resulted in humiliating defeats.
Left shaken by a bunch of world-class operators, the Indian team's white-ball stars will be aiming to put up an improved batting effort in the second T20 International against England in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The 28-year-old is expected to open the batting with Surrey team mate Rory Burns for the one-off match against Ireland starting at Lord's next Wednesday.
Watford climbed into the top four of the Premier League after Tom Cleverley's 92nd-minute goal gave them a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
Images from Day 3 of the 2nd Test between England and New Zealand played at Edgbaston on Saturday
Match-by-match facts and statistics ahead of the Premier League
For skipper Virat Kohli, the primary aim will be to get an idea of his core group of players going into the ICC T20 World Cup in October.
Images from Sunday's action in the Premier League.
"I'm very proud of the fact that I stuck with my game plan ... and I was finally able to hit the shots on Sunday that we've been looking for.
Jos Buttler anchored the run chase to help the home side clinch the three-match series in Southampton on Sunday.
Twenty20 stalwarts Rashid Khan of Afghanistan and West Indian Andre Russell, with an identical 100,000 pounds reserve price, are among 239 players from outside the UK to enter the draft.
Spinner Dom Bess was named in England's 13-man squad for the first Test against West Indies and there was no place for Moeen Ali among nine reserves, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Saturday.All-rounder Ben Stokes will lead England in the match, which will begin at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Wednesday in a bio-secure environment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Against England on Monday and then Wednesday's game versus Australia, the Indian team management would look to give the players who are still not automatic choices in the playing XI, more overs to bat or bowl to get a better idea about their current form.
Sri Lanka pace bowler Lasith Malinga ripped through the England batting line-up with four wickets as the former champions handed the favourites a 20-run defeat in a low-scoring World Cup match.
Images from Sunday's action in the Premier League.
Silverwood said Stokes will have to 'rein' him in during training as he is always looking push himself.
Travis Head returned from COVID-19 to smash a belligerent 101 and Cameron Green made 74 to revive Australia after a top-order collapse on the opening day of the day-night final Ashes Test against England on Friday.
India are unlikely to tinker with the winning combination save the return of star white-ball opener Rohit Sharma
Captain Joe Root and Coach Chris Silverwood made a boo-boo when they picked a pace-heavy attack for the pink ball third Test.
Archer has been on the receiving end of racist abuse in the past, notably during the second Test defeat by New Zealand last year.
'We often in England, talk about express pace, but that's not what I'm seeing. It's relentlessness with the ball. It's (Glenn) McGrath-like that you do for a long period of time. It's not bowling bad balls and releasing the pressure.'
Jasprit Bumrah will have to squeeze every ounce of energy from his already overworked body, while Ajinkya Rahane will hope to get one final chance to save his international career when India take on England in the fifth and final Test, chasing a historic series win, in Manchester on Friday.
The T20I and ODI squads, captained by Eoin Morgan, feature five players, Moeen, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Ben Stokes and Mark Wood, who were involved in the Ashes.
Rediff.com encapsulates all the sporting action from the past week in this eye-catching photo feature.
The Year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese calendar, began on Sunday, January 22.
India captain Virat Kohli moved up a place to fourth in the ICC T20 rankings for batsmen, while his deputy Rohit Sharma climbed three spots to 14th in the latest update issued on Wednesday.
Struggling opener Shikhar Dhawan will be the focus in a spoilt-for-choice Indian team when it takes on world champion England in a three-match ODI series starting in Pune on Tuesday.
England named an unchanged squad for first match of the three-Test series against Pakistan that begins on August 5 in Manchester, the country's cricket Board (ECB) said on Wednesday. England beat West Indies 2-1 in the first international Test series since the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the sport in March, winning the third match by 269 runs on Tuesday.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
Images from the first One-day International between India and England, in Ahmedabad, on Friday.
Reigning champions Manchester City took the lead after 24 seconds but suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern wrote in an open letter to FIFA on Tuesday that the two countries would host a tournament to be proud of.
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