The short turnaround time from the high of winning a controversy-marred Asia Cup notwithstanding, Shubman Gill's India will be outright favourites against a struggling and under-strength West Indies when the teams face-off on a green-top in the first Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Swing bowler Jacob Duffy took 4/35 as New Zealand cruised to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over West Indies in the fifth and final Twenty20 International in Dunedin on Thursday, clinching the series 3-1.
Skipper Shai Hope led from the front with an unbeaten innings of 120 to help the West Indies post 294/6 and pacer Jayden Seales collected six wickets in reply as Pakistan were bundled out for just 92 to ensure the home side registered a 2-1 series triumph.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi on Monday.
Not many teams have a "purpose" like West Indies in Test cricket, Gambhir to Caribbeans
The home side, chasing a 2-0 series sweep, reduced West Indies to 140-4 with left-armer Jadeja (3-37) leading the way.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title. The 10th edition of the 20-overs global showpiece event will run from February 7 to March 8.
England were in command on 30/1 at tea after bowling West Indies out for 121 on the opening day of the first Test.
Head Coach Sammy wants Windies to emulate NZ in their upcoming two-Test tour of India.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title in familiar home conditions next month.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and the West Indies, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday.
Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze were recalled in the West Indies' 15-member squad for the two-Test series in India next month.
Captain Oliver Peake scored a century as Australia beat the West Indies by 22 runs to book their spot in the semi-finals of the Under-19 World Cup.
Chase and Greaves took a particular liking to Pakistan's part-timers of Saim Ayub and Salman Agha, with the pair each conceding 33 runs from their spell as the West Indies squared the series at 1-1 ahead of the final match at the same ground on Tuesday.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi on Friday.
Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan hit unbeaten half-centuries to help Pakistan overcome Jayden Seales' three-wicket burst
Kuldeep slips to third in ODI rankings, Maharaj regains top spot
Virat Kohli has two hundreds and a fifty in his last three innings, while Rohit Sharma has a hundred and two fifties in his last four outings.
Alex Carey scored 63 and Beau Webster 60 as Australia were bowled out for 286. West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph took 4 wickets for 61 runs on Day 1 of the second Test.
England great James Anderson, playing in his 188th and final Test before retirement, claimed his 701st wicket on Day 1.
Mitchell Starc delivered the fastest five-wicket haul in Test history on Monday as Australia crushed the West Indies by 176 runs in the third Test in Kingston, Jamaica, to complete a 3-0 series sweep.
England secured a dominant victory by an innings and 114 runs against West Indies at the Lord's on Friday
Mohammed Siraj's superb match-winning effort on the final day of the Test series against England that helped win The Oval Test match by six runs helped him clinch the award.
Manchester United's Benjamin Sesko scoring a stoppage-time equaliser to deny 18th-placed West Ham United a 1-0 win.
West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican stressed that seizing crucial moments will be the key to competing in the two-match series against India.
Steve Smith's magnificent 71 guided Australia to 221 for seven at stumps on Day 3 of the second Test against the West Indies in Grenada on Saturday, helping the tourists to build a commanding 254-run lead despite late wickets and persistent rain interruptions.
Former captains Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder were not available for selection, while all-rounder Keemo Paul missed out with injury, Cricket West Indies said in a statement on Monday.
'The prospect of Konstas facing Jofra Archer with the first ball of the Ashes on November 21 -- potentially delivered at 155km/h -- doesn't feel like a fair fight.'
Shubman Gill struck his 10th Test century, while Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets as India dominated Day 2 of the second Test against West Indies, in Delhi, on Saturday.
Root surpassed 7000 runs in ODIs and also went past Eoin Morgan to become England's leading ODI run-scorer.
Virat Kohli's stroke-filled 91-ball 93 set up India's win in the series opener against New Zealand.
India crushed West Indies by an innings and 140 runs inside three days in the first Test to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, in Ahmedabad, on Saturday.
Images from Day 2 of the 1st Test between India and West Indies in Ahmedabad
It was the perfect start to Brook's reign as white ball captain as England recorded their second-largest win in terms of runs, second only to the 242-run thrashing of Australia in 2018.
Ali's five-wicket haul followed Khan's destructive spell through the visitors' top order, with the off-spinner taking four wickets in his first three overs to leave West Indies struggling at 22-4.
South Africa built a 239-run lead over the West Indies after the second day of the second Test on Friday to take the upper hand.
West Indies miss Anderson guard of honour as run out celebration goes too far
Top-order batsman Kieran Powell was also recalled, while teenage fast bowler Jayden Seales was named in the 13-member squad for the match in Gros Islet.
Speaking ahead of the first Test from June 25 onwards at Barbados, Joseph said as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald, "To take 13 wickets across the series was a good feeling. A lot has changed. There were a lot of opportunities that came my way."
Fortunes ebbed and flowed dramatically throughout the fourth day with 14 wickets falling before Roach stroked the winning runs through the covers.
