England were comfortably placed at 225 for two at stumps after bowling out India for 358 on the second day of the fourth Test in Manchester on Thursday.
After a cautious start, Crawley and Duckett punished the straying Indian bowlers with an array of crisp boundaries. The pair blunted the new ball and raced to 77 without loss at tea.
"Just Rishabh being Rishabh": Pant's grit wins hearts as he returns to bat in Manchester Test
While former Australian opener Matthew Hayden reckons series will go India's way, two former India players believe otherwise.
Starc also pointed out that the wicket did not assist pacers that much with the new ball and expressed concerns over Nathan Lyon's injury on the final day of the Test and the setback to Hazlewood.
India equal England's first-innings score of 387 with Test in balance
Jofra Archer had a minor operation on his troublesome right elbow earlier this month
Mitchell Starc and Ben Stokes set the scene for a dramatic Ashes series.
Images from the IPL 2025 match between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur on Saturday
British media reports said all 10 English players involved with the IPL will hold a meeting with the Professional Cricketers' Association over security arrangements for a potential return to India.
Jamie Smith will return from injury to keep wickets and bat at number three in England's Champions Trophy opener against Australia in Lahore on Saturday.
England stayed calm under intense pressure to beat India by 22 runs on a final day of simmering tension and drama in the third Test at Lord's on Monday and move 2-1 up in the series.
Sonny Baker's dream moment turned into an absolute walking nightmare after he went at the top of an unwanted record
The T20I series against South Africa will be played from 10-14 September, following the ongoing ODI series where the Proteas hold an unassailable 2-0 lead heading into the final match on Sunday.
Dinesh Karthik and Nasser Hussain pointed to a string of missteps -- a dropped catch, a run out, a collapse -- that proved far more decisive than the final day's drama.
Jadeja consolidates as world No 1 Test all-rounder, Abhishek Sharma is top ranked T20I batter
England have also included seamer Reece Topley, who they hope will have recovered from an ankle injury in time to play.
England fast bowler Jofra Archer was ruled out of the Ashes series against Australia.
England's bowling attack will struggle to bowl out Australia in the Ashes if they prepare flat wickets
IMAGES from Day 2 of the third Test match between England and India at Lord's, London, on Friday.
Ben Stokes was ruled out due to a shoulder muscle tear.
England fast bowler Jofra Archer is a doubt for the Ashes after he was ruled out for the remainder of IPL 2023 due to an elbow injur.
Irfan Pathan criticised believes controlling restricting the number of overs sent down by pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah during the Lord's Test proved crucial.
Washington Sundar's bold prediction that the visitors would seal the win 'probably in the first session' turned into a haunting soundbite, as England staged a spirited comeback to snatch a 22-run victory and a 2-1 lead in the series.
KL Rahul becomes second India batter after Vengsarkar to score more than one Test ton at Lord's
Shubman Gill etched his name in the record books after becoming only the third captain in the history of Test cricket to score four centuries in a series.
Gaikwad is out of the entire IPL tournament, CSK Coach Stephen Fleming said on Thursday.
England replace Shoaib Bashir with Liam Dawson in playing XI for 4th Test against India
Jofra Archer has been plagued by injuries for the last three years.
England captain Ben Stokes is hopeful Jofra Archer can fully recover from the injury issues that have kept him out of the team since March 2021 in time for next year's Ashes series, but added that the bowler would not be rushed back into action.
Australia's batting maestro Steve Smith provided an update on the injury he sustained on his finger during their World Test Championship final defeat against South Africa at Lord's.
Left-arm spinner Liam Dawson returned to England Test set up after a gap of eight years, replacing injured Shoaib Bashir in the squad for the fourth Test against India.
'What a player he is. He bowls, bats and executes a crucial run out of Rishabh Pant but there is no talk of workload management. But with India it is not like that.'
Phil Salt set Old Trafford ablaze with a destructive century, smashing multiple records, as England hammered South Africa by 146 runs to level the three-match T20 International series 1-1 on Friday
England fast bowler Jofra Archer has been ruled out until the summer after undergoing a second operation on his injured right elbow, the country's cricket board (ECB) said on Tuesday.
In the recently concluded five-match Test series against England, India's star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant stood tall as a beacon of determination, battling through injuries to deliver a string of gutsy, crowd-pleasing knocks that underlined his value to the side.
Prasidh Krishna has emerged as a key weapon for Gujarat Titans -- especially in the middle overs, where his extra pace and bounce have rattled batters.
Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar struck unbeaten centuries as India staged a superb fightback on the final day to draw the fourth Test against England.
Pain, Punt and Pant: Keeper of India's fortune fights back with broken foot
IMAGES from Day 3 of the third Test match, played between England and India at Lord's, London, on Saturday.
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