Pakistan beat England by 14 runs at Trent Bridge on Monday as the World Cup's first centuries from Joe Root and Jos Buttler were not enough to help the hosts and pre-tournament favourites overhaul the huge target of 349 set for them.
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.
Rassie van der Dussen scored a classy century as South Africa secured a 62-run victory in sweltering heat in the first one day international to spoil England all-rounder Ben Stokes' farewell party at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
Jasprit Bumrah will have to squeeze every ounce of energy from his already overworked body, while Ajinkya Rahane will hope to get one final chance to save his international career when India take on England in the fifth and final Test, chasing a historic series win, in Manchester on Friday.
IMAGES from the first Test between England and West Indies played at the Rose Bowl Cricket Stadium, Southampton on Thursday
'I am pretty sure that Morgan went to the selectors and Ashley Giles and said he wanted his best team at all times this year in Twenty20'
England battled to 96 for four in their second innings by the end of a dramatic fourth day at Lord's to lead Australia by 104 runs and leave the second Ashes Test on a knife-edge.
Sam Curran's 78 helped England recover from 86 for six to 246 all out against India on the first day of the fourth Test.
Who do you think should be part of England's playing XI for the first Test?
Jonny Bairstow has been rested and injured pacer Jofra Archer was left out while spinner Moeen Ali was unavailable for Test selection.
A change in approach is required and for that a paradigm shift in the mindset during tricky run-chases unlike the first game at the Oval where the game was singlehandedly won by Jasprit Bumrah's six-wicket haul.
England have won nine of their last 12 ODIs and head coach Trevor Bayliss said there was never any doubt Morgan and Hales would return despite deciding not to go to Bangladesh.
England have rested fast bowler James Anderson and batsman Jonathan Trott from the next month's One-day series against India and replaced them with Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler.
England skipper Joe Root has backed James Anderson to hit peak form again, saying on Wednesday that the pace bowler's spot in the team is not in question ahead of the second Test against Pakistan starting on Thursday.
Images from Day 1 of the third Test between England and India, at Leeds, on Wednesday.
Images from Day 5 of the fourth Ashes Test, at Old Trafford, Manchester.
The 28-year-old is expected to open the batting with Surrey team mate Rory Burns for the one-off match against Ireland starting at Lord's next Wednesday.
Joe Root returned to form with a fluent 93 to lead England to a crushing 122-run victory over Sri Lanka in the fifth and final one-day international in Cardiff on Saturday.
India need one more wicket to thrash England in the third Test at Trent Bridge after the hosts ended the fourth day on 311 for nine, 210 runs short of their target.
Leach was taken to the cleaners by Pant on the third afternoon of the first Test, but fought his way back to pick six wickets over the next two days
England have not picked uncapped all-rounder Jofra Archer in a preliminary 15-man World Cup squad but have named him in squads for the warm-up games against Pakistan and Ireland.
Usman Khawaja celebrated his recall to the Test arena after two years in the wilderness with a stylish 137 to drive Australia to a declaration on 416 for eight shortly before the close of play on the second day of the fourth Ashes Test on Thursday.
ECB rotation policy became a hot topic in world cricket when they did not travel to India with their full strength squad earlier this year
Joe Root's England will have to step up their game against the turning ball to escape that fate in the test series beginning at Galle on Tuesday.
But nightwatchman Dominic Bess (40 not out) and Dawid Malan (27 not out) saw out the session to take England to 199 for three in reply to Pakistan's first-innings total of 174.
The 40-year-old Pietersen said a win against India is similar to a victory against arch-rivals Australia and urged the selectors to play both Stuart Broad and James Anderson in the same XI.
Pacer Ollie Robinson destroyed India's batting line-up with a five-wicket haul to power England to a huge victory by an innings and 76 runs, on Day 4 of the third Test, at Leeds on Saturday.
South Africa's Anrich Nortje took the vital wickets of captain Joe Root and talisman Ben Stokes as England struggled to 262 for nine at stumps on the first day of the second Test on Friday. Pace bowler Nortje, playing his fourth Test, finished with 2-54 off 17 overs as the home side restricted the tourists on a Newlands wicket that was expected to be full of runs. Images from the opening day of the second Test at Newlands on Friday.
Factbox on the five-Test Ashes series between England and Australia
Since 2011, England have managed to eke out just a single draw in 13 Ashes Tests over three tours and their last two Tests in Sydney have resulted in humiliating defeats.
Ollie Pope scored an unbeaten 91 and Jos Buttler contributed a half century as England took advantage of a tired West Indies attack to move to 258 for four on Friday when bad light brought play to a premature end on the opening day of the final Test in Manchester.
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.
The big question mark is whether England can cope with the level of expectation that surrounds them as favourites on home soil.
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.
The performance of openers Rohit Sharma and K L Rahul has been the biggest plus for India in the batting department. Both have showed remarkable temperament and technique in testing conditions to give the team a solid start.
England resumed the day on 98 for two having lost their openers cheaply for the third time in as many innings this series.
England ended day four with a 170-run lead over West Indies as Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley notched up half-centuries in the second innings of the first Test at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Saturday. Images from Day 4 of the first Test between England and West Indies.
With pacer Jofra Archer, opener Rory Burns and star all-rounder Ben Stokes back in the England squad, the visitors are likely to have some competition for spots in the team for the 1st Test against India.
Captain Quinton de Kock smashed a sparkling century as South Africa eased to a seven-wicket victory over World champions England in the opening One-Day International, at Newlands, on Tuesday.
England fast bowler James Anderson has been ruled out for the rest of the Ashes series against Australia due to a niggling calf injury.
