Sri Lanka's decision to bat first backfired when they were all out for 236 on Day 1 of the first Test.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the second Test between England and Sri Lanka, at Lord's, on Thursday.
Top-order batsmen made it count as India Under-19 stretched their unbeaten run to three matches after outplaying England colts by 20 runs in the tri-series youth ODI tournament at Colombo. Electing to bat at the R Premadasa Stadium, India U-19 rode on a 113-run opening stand between Himanshu Rana (50) and skipper Rishabh Pant (71) to post a challenging 261 all out in 50 overs.
IMAGES from the Day 4 of the 1st Test between England and Sri Lanka in Manchester on Saturday
Jamie Smith's unbeaten 72 propelled England to a 23-run lead over Sri Lanka on day two of the opening Test on Thursday
The 32-year-old Sharma reached the milestone in 98 matches, more than the other Indian bowlers in the club.
England's selectors are acutely aware of the impact on players of bio-secure bubbles and with a demanding year ahead, are making sure they protect their key performers.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 2nd Test between England and Sri Lanka, at Lord's, on Sunday.
England fast bowler Jofra Archer was ruled out of the Ashes series against Australia.
Wood was also given a break after the series in the island nation where he went wicket-less in the first Test and took three wickets in the second.
India finished the penultimate day on 39-1, still 381 behind the target
England resumed the day on 98 for two having lost their openers cheaply for the third time in as many innings this series.
Images from Day 3 of the 2nd Test between England and New Zealand played at Edgbaston on Saturday
Images from Day 4 of the first Test between India and England, at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai.
Both Stokes and Archer were rested for the ongoing two-match Test series in Sri Lanka
The last time England toured India, back in early 2021, Joe Root's team went back home beaten and bruised 3-1.
Former captain Geoffrey Boycott slammed the England batsmen for showing lack of patience and technique in the rain-hit first Test against India, which finished in a draw.
Vaughan has been quite vocal in his criticism of the pitches used in the series.
Joe Root's masterful unbeaten 168 has put England in firm control of the first Test against Sri Lanka
England's all-time leading Test wicket takers James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been dropped for the three-Test tour against West Indies.
India's bid to win a 17th consecutive home Test series, however, hinges on the success of their three-pronged spin attack comprising Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
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.
'We felt that seam isn't going to offer as much in terms of being a threat, it's more of a holding role.'
In the other match of the day, Dan Lawrence and Jack Burnham hit centuries as title contender England crushed Fiji by a massive margin of 299 runs.
England on Sunday named their strongest available squad for the Ashes tour to Australia as all-rounders Ben Stokes and Sam Curran missed out but seamer Stuart Broad was included despite the calf injury he picked up in the Test series against India.
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.
Pant climbs seven places for in career-best Test rank.
England have added wicketkeeper Jos Buttler and spinner Jack Leach to their squad for the fifth Test against India at Old Trafford, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday.
India, who are 2-1 up in the four-Test series, were 24-1 at stumps and will be confident against a spin-heavy England attack with James Anderson as the lone frontline seamer.
A virgin Motera pitch has become the big talking point as captain Virat Kohli looks to get the combination right with India looking to continue their momentum to trouble England in the day-night third Test match, starting in Ahmedabad, on Wednesday.
Centuries by West Indies' Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood stymied a frustrated England on Day 3 of the second Test in Barbados on Friday. Their 183-run fourth-wicket stand lifted West Indies to 288 for four in their first innings, still 219 runs behind England at stumps.
Captain Joe Root and Coach Chris Silverwood made a boo-boo when they picked a pace-heavy attack for the pink ball third Test.
Bairstow, who was rested for the first two Tests as part of England's rotation policy, is back with the squad and is expected to play the Day/Night Test
Root's unbeaten knock was studded with 14 boundaries and a six.
India's captain Virat Kohli will have to think overtime about the balance of his squad, with a long tail, often bushy with runs, and just two openers -- one untested (Rohit Sharma) but very capable and another supremely talented (KL Rahul) but highly reluctant starter.
India will need to be ruthless and tactful in equal measure while dealing with an unpredictable England when the third chapter of a riveting Test series begins in Rajkot on Thursday.
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.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite was again a gigantic roadblock that England could not dislodge as the second Test ended in a tense draw in Barbados on Sunday.
England name nine uncapped players in new squad for series against Pakistan
There was disaster for the visitors when captain Joe Root (1), who scored a superb 228 in the first innings, was run out by a direct his from wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella to leave England teetering at 14 for three.
