Rajneesh Gupta presents all the interesting numbers from the first day of the India-England Test at Trent Bridge.
South Africa will appear in their first international assignment since the COVID-19-induced lockdown in March when they host England for three T20Is and as many ODIs, beginning on November 27 at Newlands.
England have lost the away series in India 1-3 before suffering a 1-0 defeat against New Zealand earlier this month.
India will welcome back regular skipper Virat Kohli, who missed the last three Tests in Australia to attend the birth of his daughter.
The former world number one returned to best-of-five-set tennis for the first time in 14 months at the US Open last week but, after hobbling to defeat in the second round, he decided to skip the Sept. 14-16 World Group playoff tie.
England resumed the day on 98 for two having lost their openers cheaply for the third time in as many innings this series.
Axar Patel claimed a career-best 6-38 as India bundled out England for 112 on Day 1
The left-handed batsman now has 497 points in the all-rounder rankings, while second-placed Jason Holder has 459 points.
'At the moment he's in incredible form and to play the way he has done in such tough conditions, so alien to us as England batsmen, is incredible.'
'It must be a nightmare for the selectors, but should you have your best side for that first India Test? If the next Test after this series was Brisbane in the Ashes, would we send our best side? So why when it's the first Test against India, one of the great sides, aren't we sending our best team?'
Jonny Bairstow has been rested and injured pacer Jofra Archer was left out while spinner Moeen Ali was unavailable for Test selection.
In the bowling department, pacer Mohammad Abbas (13th) and experienced leg-spinner Yasir Shah (24th), who have in the past, been ranked third and first, respectively, and left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi (32nd) are other Pakistan players to watch.
'There is no need to force it but if we keep it tight in the morning session, I believe the pressure will bring some rewards.'
Pant's scintillating 101 propelled India to 294 for seven as the hosts took a crucial 89-run lead.
England's hard-earned Test series wins over the summer with a blend of youth and experience show the side's drive to be the number one team in the world, according to captain Joe Root. England beat the West Indies 2-1 and Pakistan 1-0 in a rain-hit series which, coupled with their success in South Africa at the start of the year, continue an upward trajectory with new players in the team.
Ben Foakes feels the fresh Chepauk track will keep low and might start offering turn earlier compared to the series opener at the same venue.
India skipper Virat Kohli was pushed to the fifth spot by his English counterpart Joe Root, who rose two rungs to third in the latest ICC Test rankings for batsmen, even as Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin moved up in the bowlers' chart.
Images from Day 2 in the first Test between England and India, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Thursday.
'He is worried about how best the Punjab crisis can be resolved.'
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 3rd Test played between England and Pakistan at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Monday.
I believe that UP has been doing this consistently -- of grossly under-reporting the Covid-positive cases. Nothing else explains the glaring differences in UP's positivity rates versus other badly affected states, says Omkar Goswami.
England on Thursday suffered an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat in the third Test against India on a spin-friendly Motera track to go down 1-2 in the four-match series and the result garnered varied reactions from the British media.
England have lost their batting rhythm after playing on two difficult surfaces and looked like "startled rabbits" in the second innings of the third Test against India, according to former skipper Nasser Hussain.
Pakistan opener Abid Ali scored a half-century but England's seam bowlers used the muggy conditions to their advantage to restrict the tourists to 126 for five at the close of a rain-hit opening day of the second Test at the Rose Bowl on Thursday.
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between England and Pakistan in Manchester on Friday.
Images from Day 3 of the third and final Test between England and West Indies at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday.
Stuart Broad scored the joint third fastest Test 50 for England off just 33 balls as he helped England to fight back
Saliva ban made it difficult to maintain ball: Bumrah
Six players to watch when India host England in a four-match Test series which begins on Feb. 5
'I think there's going to be a very interesting story that's going to run through this series -- Kohli comes back as captain after Ajinkya Rahane was so good in Australia'
James Anderson claimed his fifth wicket as England enforced the follow-on against Pakistan on the third day of the third and final Test at the Rose Bowl on Sunday, despite a battling century by visiting skipper Azhar Ali.
With 794 points, pacer Jasprit Bumrah was the top-ranked Indian bowler at sixth place, while Kohli was the top-ranked batsmen.
India captain Virat Kohli said poor batting and not the pitch was responsible for the day-night third Test against England winding up inside two days, and described the performance of batsmen on both sides as "bizarre".
Zak Crawley and Jos Buttler shared a record partnership and James Anderson grabbed three wickets to put England in total control at the close on the second day of the third and final Test against Pakistan on Saturday. Images from Day 2 of the third and final Test.
Joe Root admitted that competing on spin-friendly tracks in Sri Lanka prepared them nicely for this tour.
It will also be a milestone in the career of England's talisman Ben Stokes as he captains the side for the first time.
Zak Crawley scored a maiden Test half century before South Africa fought back to restrict England to 192 for four when bad light stopped play early in the opening day of the fourth Test on Friday.
Archer would likely thrive on a pacey pitch in Johannesburg and if he is fit that would pose a selection dilemma for coach Chris Silverwood and captain Joe Root.
Images from Day 2 of the second Test between England and India, at Lord's, on Friday.
Pacer Josh Hazlewood has hinted they may be better off playing in the IPL instead of Australian domestic cricket, considering the league's success in moulding decent cricketers into "much better players". Hazlewood, who plays for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, is one of the one few Australian players who turn out in all three formats of the game and is part of the enlarged 26-man squad that was named last week.
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