England still blinking after perfect Ashes start.
Factbox on the second Test match between Australia and England, which starts on Saturday:
A devastating spell from seam bowler James Anderson set England up for a nine-wicket triumph in the second test against West Indies on Saturday as the tourists went 1-0 up in the three-match series.
Pakistan's Yasir Shah claimed five wickets to put the breaks on England's scoring on Day 2 of the 1st Test at Lord's in London on Friday.
England must chase down a world-record 474 to win the second Test while South Africa have two full days to bowl them out after the tourists' batsmen provided the strongest possible platform for victory on the third day in Nottingham on Sunday.
England need six wickets on the final day to win the third Test against India after a superb bowling performance helped them reduce the tourists to 112-4, still 333 runs short of victory, at the end of day four at Southampton on Wednesday.
Ian Bell returned to form in spectacular fashion with a superb 167 and debutant Jos Buttler also shone to help England strengthen their dominant position over India on the second day of the third Test on Monday.
The waiting ends for England's new Test captain Joe Root on Thursday when he leads his side out for the start of a four-match series against South Africa at Lord's on Thursday, nearly four months after his appointment.
England's predicted line-up for the first Test in Brisbane includes Mark Stoneman, James Vince and Dawid Malan, who will walk out without a Test century to their names.
Ben Stokes provided the gloss and Joe Root the glue as England recovered from a terrible start to reach 354 for seven at the close on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's on Thursday.
England needed to prove in the first Test they could compete with Australia and the hosts showed in Cardiff they are a 'dangerous side' .
Joe Root again put Australia's bowlers to the sword and together with Ian Bell gave England the platform on Friday to push for victory in the first Ashes Test after setting the tourists 412 to win with two days remaining.
New Zealand ripped through England's top order to close in on a series-leveling victory as the hosts limped to 102 for five at lunch on the last day of the second and final Test on Tuesday.
Bairstow replaces jaded Buttler in England squad while Australia rope in Hastings, and call-up Handscomb after injury glut
England have concerns over the fitness of spinner Monty Panesar but wicketkeeper Matt Prior will not return to the team for the fifth Ashes Test against Australia, captain Alastair Cook said on Thursday.
Clarke, like most of the visiting batsmen, has struggled in the English conditions and is averaging 18 compared to his Test career average of almost 50.
The Australian media were united in their view that the Mitchell Johnson-inspired humiliation of England at Lord's marked a decisive shift in the balance of power in the Ashes series.
Australia captain Michael Clarke said he could not have asked for a better performance from his team following their 405-run mauling of England in the second Ashes Test at Lord's.
England will head into this year's Ashes series against Australia heartened by their performances against New Zealand but with nagging doubts about key areas in the team.
James Anderson became England's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket when he claimed his 384th victim in the drawn first Test against the West Indies in Antigua on Friday.
The loss to Sri Lanka has left England's quarter-final chances hanging in the balance and reliant on them beating Bangladesh in Adelaide on March 9. A wash-out would end their hopes.
Ben Stokes took two wickets in two balls to inspire England to victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's.
Factbox on the fifth Ashes Test match between Australia and England, which starts on Thursday:
Uncapped Surrey all-rounder Zafar Ansari was named in England's squad on Tuesday for the forthcoming three Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
Stuart Broad has been backed by captain Alastair Cook to lead the attack in the absence of James Anderson as England try to show they can win a major Test match without their all-time leading wicket-taker.
To say Joe Root has been galvanised since being dropped for the fifth Ashes Test that completed England's dismal 5-0 rout in Australia in the early days of last year would be an understatement.
New England captain Joe Root rode his luck to make a battling unbeaten 184 and lift the hosts to a commanding 357 for five on the opening day of the first Test against South Africa at Lord's in London on Thursday.
Eoin Morgan calls for England to make a 'fresh start' after dismal World Cup
BJ Watling scored a fine century as New Zealand dominated the final session with steely resolve to reach 338 for six on the third day of the second Test against England on Sunday.
Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara has been named as the Leading Cricketer in the World in the 2015 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.
A floundering England will be looking to avoid a potential banana skin when they take on minnows Scotland in a crucial Pool A cricket World Cup match at the Hagley Oval, in Christchurch on Monday.
Australia will miss captain George Bailey in the One-dayer against England on Friday but their focus will be to seal a place in the ODI tri-series final.
Australia captain Michael Clarke has declared himself fit to play England in the second Ashes test in Adelaide after suffering an injury scare when he rolled his ankle on Monday.
All-rounder Ben Stokes has been recalled to the England squad for the first Test against India, starting at TrentBridge next Wednesday.
Sacked batsman Kevin Pietersen has put the blow-torch on Alastair Cook's England, saying the team's series defeat to Sri Lanka showed senior players are still shell-shocked from the 5-0 Ashes whitewash.
Bangladesh lost their last nine wickets for 49 runs as England hit back from a slow start on the first day of the second and final Test in Dhaka.
James Faulkner scored an unbeaten 69 as Australia scored a thrilling one-wicket victory over England in the second one-day international in Brisbane on Friday.
A rampant Australia sealed a 5-0 Ashes series sweep by skittling England out for 166 to claim a 281-run victory with more than two days to spare in the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
A calf injury to explosive batsman Lynn opened an unlikely door for 34-year-old White, who played the last of his 88 ODIs in 2015 and has since been critical of a pro-youth policy he felt did not reward the performance of senior players.
The selectors have much to ponder after England slumped to a crushing 405-run defeat by Australia in the second Ashes Test at Lord's with calls for change in the top order coming a week after the team were lauded for their first-test victory.
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