Factbox on the five-Test Ashes series between England and Australia
Ben Stokes' first big decision as captain will be to name his team along with coach Chris Silverwood and there are tricky choices to be made with his bowling attack.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is all set to resume on Sunday with Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) locking horns against each other.
Rajasthan Royals' English batsman Liam Livingstone aspires for a successful Test career but he doesn't mind being a T20 "nomad" either and would prefer to spend his time building his white-ball brand instead of losing sleep over whether he can make it big in the longest format.
KKR have so far failed to come together as a unit and slipped to sixth in the table after starting the tournament on a high against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The Mumbai Indians No 3 hit a brilliant 79 from 47 balls, putting on 76 runs from 38 balls with Hardik Pandya (30 from 19 balls) to propel Mumbai to a huge 193-4 in their 20 overs.
Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma says Suryakumar Yadav is a handy batsman who has innovative shots.
On the other hand, the Royals have managed to win only one of their three fixtures. They lost to Chennai Super Kings in their previous match to slip down to the sixth spot. Sanju Samson and his men will be eyeing a second win.
Anderson sustained a rib injury in England's 189-run win in the second Test at Newlands and underwent an MRI scan in Cape Town.
India skipper Virat Kohli was effusive in praise of Ravchandran Ashwin after the off-spinner became only the fourth Indian, and sixth spinner in the world, to take 400 Test wickets.
'I definitely feel it's going to be a real issue and a real factor over the next couple of years, in particular'
'We'll have to play right at the top of our game to win out there but we couldn't be in a better place to go and challenge them (India).'
Axar Patel claimed a career-best 6-38 as India bundled out England for 112 on Day 1
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.
Australia talisman Steve Smith has said he will change nothing in his approach to facing Jofra Archer after being hit by a short ball from England's tearaway paceman but admitted the blow had revived troubling memories of Phillip Hughes.
Three consecutive defeats have more or less sealed their fate and for things to turn around for the Royals, every aspect of their game needs to improve and click for them.
RR will have to get their combination right as only four foreigners can make the playing XI.
Root said rotation policy is the best they could have asked for under the current circumstances, brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Waugh did not find any problems with Archer's stamina either after the Barbados-born 24-year-old bowled 44 overs and took 5-91 at Lord's.
Steve Smith was on 80 when he was hit on the neck by Test debutant Jofra Archer.
Who do you think should be part of England's playing XI for the first Test?
With just one win, Sri Lanka are currently at the sixth spot with four points and will have to win rest of their four matches to stay in contention for the semi-final.
Ponting compared the spell with the one England's Steve Harmison bowled during the famous 2005 Ashes series, in which he hit Australian openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer before leaving the former skipper with a bloodied cheek.
'At the moment he's in incredible form and to play the way he has done in such tough conditions, so alien to us as England batsmen, is incredible.'
Tendulkar also felt that Leach doesn't vary his pace a lot which will be required on tracks offer turn.
England's most successful bowler James Anderson feels he and Stuart Broad should be paired together to lead the bid for a series win in the decisive Test against the West Indies. The hosts are spoilt for choice ahead of Friday's start of the third Test at Old Trafford with Anderson, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood all looking to return to the team.
A look at the major names who were not retained by the IPL franchises.
The custom WWE Championship Title will remain with the ECB as a permanent fixture at Lord's.
The ball moved enough in last week's Southampton Test between England and West Indies to erase any lingering doubt about swing bowling under cricket's COVID-19 protocols, manufacturer of the Dukes ball said.
Mitchell Starc feels the regulation will not have much affect in the limited overs formats.
England fast bowler Mark Wood said on Thursday that players are using 'back sweat' rather than saliva to try and shine the ball in the first Test against West Indies at the Ageas Bowl. Strict health protocols are in place for the return of international cricket after a 117-day stoppage caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including a ban on saliva.
England star all-rounder Ben Stokes says losing a tight game like the fourth Twenty20 International against India on Thursday and going into a 'winners-take-all' contest will only prepare them better for the World Cup as they will get used to pressure situations.
RR have a lot of issues to sort out, particularly in the absence of key foreign players like Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes.
At the halfway point, after winning just two games out of seven, CSK are looking set to miss the play-offs for the first time in their history. Harish Kotian tells Captain M S Dhoni and Coach Stephen Fleming how to get CSK back to its winning ways.
Images from the fourth Twenty20 International between India and England, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday.
Ben Stokes returned to practice with England on Wednesday after the condition of his critically ill father improved, but three others missed out as illness continue to plague the tourists, 24 hours ahead of the first Test against South Africa at Centurion. Stokes spent Tuesday at the bedside of father Ged, who was hospitalised the day before due to a "serious illness".
MI are coming into the match after suffering back-to-back losses
South African opener Hashim Amla sat out practice on Saturday after suffering concussion in the World Cup opener, and he is a doubt for South Africa's second game at the tournament against Bangladesh.
'England against Australia at Lord's, it doesn't get much bigger than that.'
In the bowling department, pacer Mohammad Abbas (13th) and experienced leg-spinner Yasir Shah (24th), who have in the past, been ranked third and first, respectively, and left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi (32nd) are other Pakistan players to watch.
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