Adil Rashid was, on Tuesday, named as the sole specialist spinner in the England playing XI for the series opener against India, creating more pressure on the leg-spinner after his controversial recall to the Test side.
Stoneman selected as Cook's latest partner for the hosts
England's Ben Foakes made a memorable debut to help the tourists recover from a terrible start and reach 321 for eight wickets on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Tuesday.
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was instrumental in keeping England under check after Keaton Jennings hit a century on debut for the visitors on Day 1, on the fourth Test match, at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. Ashwin claimed the wicket of Jennings (112) and Moeen Ali (50) in a single after the duo had put on 94 runs for the third wicket as England threatened to build towards a big first innings score. The off-spinner also got the wicket of England's batting mainstay Joe Root, caught at slip for 21, before he dismissed Jonny Bairstow late in the day.
Damien Fleming says England's top six contains some of the worst batsmen he has seen play Test cricket
Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler compiled an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 124 to guide England to 231 for four at the close on Day 1 of the third Test against the West Indies in St Lucia.
England will have to set a record for the highest successful fourth-innings chase if they are to win the third Test against India after the dominant tourists declared at 352 for seven with Virat Kohli making 103.
The match officials decided to take an early lunch, moving the scheduled break ahead by 30 minutes. Even after lunch, there was no respite from the rain and it went on throughout the afternoon.
Guptill will undergo a fitness Test on Sunday after which a final decision will be taken on whether he can partner Henry Nicholls at the top of New Zealand's order.
Moeen's 120-run knock was the highlight of the opening day's play as England, having already conceded the five-match series following three successive defeats, recovered to reach 284 for four at stumps after losing two wickets quickly in the first session.
One of England's major concerns is the form of their openers. Cook has gone seven Test innings without a half-century, while Keaton Jennings -- his 12th opening partner -- is yet to cross that mark in his last 14 Test innings. The coach though backed both of them to do the job in the remaining two Tests against India.
England captain Joe Root hit a brilliant century to put his team in a strong position in their quest for a series-clinching victory on the third day of the second Test against Sri Lanka on Friday.
Images from Day 1 of the 5th Test at the Oval in London on Friday
Awesome images from the world of Sport 2018.
When Roy teamed up with Rory Burns against Ireland last week, they were England's eighth different opening partnership in the past three years and the 16th since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012.
Ben Foakes marked his Test debut with a century and impressed with his glovework, too, as England bowled out Sri Lanka for 203 before stretching their lead to 177 runs on the second day of the opening Test in Galle.
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.
South Africa fought back in the afternoon session on the third day of the fourth Test on Sunday, reducing England to 138 for six in their second innings and restricting the hosts to a lead of 274.
Two wickets from successive balls in Ben Stokes's third over removed Quinton de Kock (5) and Faf du Plessis (0) and ended faint South Africa hopes of mounting a rearguard action in pursuit of their nominal target of 492.
England pace bowler Stuart Broad swept aside the India middle order batting in an inspired spell on Sunday to propel his team to a crushing innings and 159 runs victory on the fourth day of the second Test at Lord's.
Indian cricket team will be aiming to pick up pieces while spoiling Alastair Cook's farewell party in the fifth and final Test against England starting Friday.
Having made a commendable comeback from the brink of a series defeat, India will look to increase their stranglehold on hosts England to draw parity when the two teams square off for the fourth Test, in Southampton, on Thursday.
South Africa took full advantage of an abject England batting display on Monday to complete an easy 340-run win in the second Test to level the series 1-1 with two games left to play.
Toby Roland-Jones saw his dream debut continue as he completed a five-wicket haul to end South Africa's belated resistance and ensure England maintained their domination of the third Test at The Oval on Saturday.
After India clinched the five-match series against England 4-0, veteran batsman Gautam Gambhir praised the Virat Kohli-led side for their ruthless and lethal performance.
England also named their final one-day squad before the World Cup, with fast bowlers Tom Curran and David Willey returning to a unit who defeated Sri Lanka 3-1. Tom replaces brother Sam as Liam Dawson and Olly Stone also miss out.
Earlier, resuming on 3-0 and with an overall lead of 99, England lost Keaton Jennings leg before wicket for one off the first delivery of the day from Dilruwan Perera (5-88), which seemed to unhinge their top order.
Jonny Bairstow, restored to the England side but shorn of his keeping gloves, celebrated his return with a sparkling 110 to help them to 312 for seven on the opening day of the third and final Test against Sri Lanka on Friday.
Alastair Cook, as unflappable as ever, led from the front in the final innings of his record-breaking Test career as England built a commanding 154-run lead over India at the Oval on Sunday.
Former captain Kevin Pietersen criticised England's top-order batsmen for being too passive and has called for the inclusion of Jason Roy and Dawid Malan in next week's third Test against South Africa.
Chris Woakes struck a maiden Test century and Jonny Bairstow added 93 as England dominated the third day of the second Test at Lord's on Saturday, reaching 357-6 to open up a significant 250-run lead over India.
England were reeling at 89-4 when Buttler somewhat steadied the innings before Curran clobbered six sixes in his blistering 64 to help them to a competitive score.
India skipper Virat Kohli mocked at Joe Root's 'mic drop' celebration with his own version of the gesture but the England captain took it sportingly, saying 'it adds to the spectacle of Test cricket'.
Jos Buttler hit a half-century to put England in a strong position on Day 3 of the fourth Test against India at Southampton on Saturday.
India put themselves on the cusp of completing a comprehensive series victory with England caught in a spin web following skipper Virat Kohli's career-best 235 at the end of the fourth day of the fourth cricket Test. - Scorecard Records tumbled one after another as Kohli's third double ton in as many Test series was complemented by Jayant Yadav's maiden hundred with India piling up a mammoth 631 thereby taking a lead of 231 runs. In reply, England were left tottering at 182 for 6 needing another 49 runs to avoid innings defeat as the hosts are now all but assured to regain the Anthony De Mello Trophy that they had lost back in 2012.
Spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali made a comeback to Test cricket as they were included in England's 13-man squad for the first Test against India, starting in Edgbaston, on August 1.
England continued to hold the upper hand in the first Test against South Africa by taking a first innings lead of 97 and extending it to 216 by the close on the third day at Lord's on Saturday with nine wickets in hand.
An old-fashioned green-top pitch at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound was certainly a mitigating factor in England's performance, especially early on when West Indies' four-pronged pace attack exploited the favourable conditions.
Curran's resolute 78 bailed England out after they were reduced to 86 for six at one stage. The 20-year-old put on vital lower order partnerships with Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad.
Images from Day 4 of the fifth and final Test between England and India at The Oval in London on Monday.
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