'It is just a case of trying to put a real focus on the cricket rather than the noise that comes with it.'
Praveen Kumar, who has claimed 15 wickets (@ 29.53) in the ongoing series, is a doubtful starter for the fourth and final Test against England, starting at The Oval, on Thursday, having not full recovered from the injury he sustained in the Edgbaston Test.
England batting great Kevin Pietersen has said his relentless defensive drills at the nets was the mantra to his success during the triumphant 2012-13 tour of India.
England announced on Tuesday their one-day squad for the Stanford Twenty20 competition beginning on October 25 and the tour of India starting on November 14.
Australia batsman George Bailey equalled Brian Lara's Test record for most runs off an over against England at the WACA in Perth on Monday.
Prasanna Jayawarde's patient century lifted Sri Lanka to 400 all out and England lost their captain Andrew Strauss to end the second day of the first Test on 47 for one on Friday.
England declined to enforce the follow-on after dismissing Australia for 215 on the third morning of the second Ashes Test at Lord's in London on Saturday. Australia, 156 for eight overnight in reply to England's first innings 425, batted brightly with Peter Siddle reaching his highest Test score of 35.
England tailenders James Anderson and Monty Panesar denied Australia victory in the first Ashes Test with an heroic unbeaten last-wicket stand before an ecstatic capacity 16,000-strong crowd in Cardiff on Sunday. Victory seemed assured for the Australians when Paul Collingwood was dismissed for 74 after five hours 43 minutes of dogged resistance with England still needing six to make Australia bat again and a minimum 11.3 overs remaining.
He replaces James Anderson who pulled out of the Test series in Bangladesh with a knee injury last week.
England's bowlers struck an early psychological blow ahead of next month's series against New Zealand when they ripped through a near-test strength batting line-up in a practice match on Tuesday.
England are the current World Twenty20 champions, but their success in the mega-event last year was not reflected at the 2011 Indian Premier League Players's two-day auction, that concluded in Bangalore, on Sunday.
England stood on the brink of a first Ashes series triumph in Australia for 24 years after reducing the hosts to 213 for seven in their second innings at stumps on the fourth day of the fifth Test on Thursday.
Pace spearhead James Anderson said the visitors will have to bowl and bat out of their skins to dig themselves out of trouble in the second Test.
Captain Andrew Strauss has been rested for England's forthcoming tour of Bangladesh, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Monday.
Aaqib Javed said that India skipper Virat Kohli should look to follow Babar Azam
Rishabh Pant smashed a blistering 146 and forged a 222-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja to drag India back into the contest in the rescheduled fifth Test against England in Edgbaston on Friday.
Former England all-rounder Ian Botham said England's bowlers are disappearing quicker than supplies of Stellenbosch wine, and urged them to concentrate on getting fit, rather than being involved in squat jumps.
English cricketers are unlikely to find many takers in the third Indian Premier League next year as they would be unavailable for most part of the cash-rich Twenty20 event, says Rajasthan Royals franchise CEO Sean Morris.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to field against England in the fifth One-Day International at the Barabati stadium in Cuttack on Wednesday. India brought in left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan in place of Munaf Patel and Rohit Sharma replaced the in-form Gautam Gambhir.
The Baggy Green is synonymous with the Australian cricket team's Test cap and ICC also took it sportingly and apologised with a smile
Pakistan survived a late scare to beat England by four wickets with more than a day to spare in the third Test at the Oval on Saturday.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the third Test against England?
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's on Day 2
After Steve Waugh, now Shane Warne begs to differ with Ricky Ponting on the alleged time-wasting tactics of England during the Ashes opener in Cardiff, saying the hosts played within the spirit of the game.
Aiden Markram will require surgery and is to be sidelined for six weeks
England's latest version of cricket is set for its biggest test as they face world champions Australia in a bid to reclaim the Ashes.
Rajput, a domestic bulwark, feels that it will be on Kohli's mind to prove a point by scoring in England.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is also back after missing the Asia Cup because of injury-related issues and Bresnan thinks he will hit his straps straightaway.
England closed in on a series victory over West Indies after taking complete control on the third day of the second Test on Saturday. The hosts declared their first innings on 569 for six before paceman James Anderson dismissed Devon Smith, Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons as West Indies limped to 94 for three in reply.
England have named a provisional 30-man squad for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 2nd Ashes Test played in Adelaide on Thursday.
The Ashes remains the pinnacle of Test cricket for James Anderson like any Englishman but the showdowns against India also rank pretty high as the world No.1 side brings out the absolute best in him -- the 2012 away series being a case in point.
Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor mastered a lifeless England attack to lift New Zealand to 303 for two at the close on the second day of the first Test at Lord's on Friday.
England took charge of the first Test after James Anderson and Stuart Broad took nine wickets between them in favourable conditions for seam bowling to shoot out Sri Lanka for 91 after Jonny Bairstow's excellent knock at Headingley on Friday.
England stumbled to 39 for five at the Kensington Oval to open a lead of 107 runs on Day 2 of the third Test against the West Indies.
Front foot no-ball technology will be used for the first time on a trial basis in Test cricket during the three-match series between England and Pakistan starting later on Wednesday, the International Cricket Council said.
New Zealand, on Monday, recalled temperamental all-rounder Corey Anderson for the five-match ODI series against India next month and he will play as a specialist batsman.
Captain Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara made centuries and shared a stand of 226 to put India on course for a big first-innings total against England on the first day of the second Test on Thursday. - Scorecard: Kohli was unbeaten on 151 and Ravichandran Ashwin on one as India reached 317 for four at the close after winning the toss in the first ever Test match in the port city of Visakhapatnam.
Joe Root's side completed an emphatic victory halfway through the third day when Mohammed Abbas was caught in the slip off Stuart Broad, his third wicket of the innings.
Recalled England fast bowler Steve Harmison took two wickets in two balls and James Anderson captured three to help dismiss South Africa for 194 on Kevin Pietersen's first outing as Test captain on Thursday.
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