Australia captain Ricky Ponting, the second most prolific Test batsman of all time, has struggled at the crease so far in the Ashes series against England.
# Stuart Broad has recorded his best bowling figures in a Test series, taking 25 wickets at 13.84 runs apiece. He is the top wicket-taker in the series.
England required nine further wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series against world number one side India at the close of the penultimate day of the first Test at Lord's on Sunday. After wicketkeeper Matt Prior had completed his sixth Test century India, set 458 to win, were 80 for one with a maximum 98 overs to be bowled on Monday's final day.
Two debatable decisions went against England in the first Test against India at Trent Bridge and middle-order batsman Joe Root said it was "little frustrating" to play without the Decision Review System.
Images from the second day's play in the second Test between India and England at Lord's.
Images from the third day's play in the first Test between India and England, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
Wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose was the only uncapped one-day international player named in England's 14-man squad on Friday for a five-match series and a Twenty20 international against New Zealand.
England, replying to South Africa's 291, were 241 for seven at close on the second day of the third Test thanks to battling innings by Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Matt Prior.
Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler is set to make his Test debut after being named to replace Matt Prior in England's 13-man squad to play India in the third Test starting at Southampton on Sunday.
England captain Alastair Cook breathed a sigh of relief that his side managed to scrape out a nail-biting draw in the series-deciding third Test against New Zealand on Tuesday, though disappointment was the over-riding emotion.
Saying that lack of opportunity to play in the hugely popular IPL is frustrating for England players, wicket-keeper Matt Prior has suggested the English Cricket Board to reschedule its international calendar.
Images from Day 3 of the third Ashes Test between England and Australia, in Manchester, on Saturday.
Images from Day 1 of the 4th Test between India and England, at the VCA stadium, in Nagpur, on Thursday.
James Anderson took five wickets to inspire England to a nerve-wracking 14-run victory over Australia on a dramatic final day of the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge on Sunday.
England's bowlers must have heaved a huge sigh of relief when they saw the back of Indian run machine Cheteshwar Pujara.
Ross Taylor's fluent 66 lifted New Zealand to 153 for four in reply to England's 232 on a fluctuating second day of the first test at Lord's on Friday.
Kevin Pietersen led an England counter-attack with a scintillating unbeaten century to lift his side to 351 for five on the third day of the second Test against South Africa on Saturday.
Shikhar Dhawan announced his arrival on the Test arena with a breathtaking unbeaten 168-ball 185 during which a number of records fell by the wayside.
DUNEDIN, New Zealand, March 10 (Reuters) - England's batsmen showed the resilience they had been lacking in their first innings to battle to a draw in the first of three tests against New Zealand at University Oval on Sunday.
Ricky Ponting came out in defence of Australia teammate Shane Warne over the sledging row.
If there is an England -India match at Trent Bridge, there has to be some controversy or the other.
If there is an England -India match at Trent Bridge, there has to be some controversy or the other.
India's bowlers let England off the hook and allowed the visitors to recover from a difficult position and post 199 for 5 by stumps, on the opening day, to leave the crucial fourth and final cricket Test in Nagpur evenly poised, on Thursday.
Images from the 3rd day's play of the 3rd Test in Kolkata played between England and India on Friday.
England were 509 for 6 in their first essay, a lead of 193 runs, at close on Day 3 of the third Test.
India recorded a comfortable nine-wicket win in the first Test at Motera on Monday. So, what India do right, and England do wrong at Motera. Discuss the day's play, and the first Test, with India Abroad's Bikash Mohapatra on Rediff ZaraBol.
Alastair Cook led from the front to inspire an England comeback on Day Four of the opening Test against India in Motera on Sunday.
England captain Andrew Strauss said there would be no knee-jerk reaction to the 3-0 series defeat by Pakistan that has seen his team's lead at the top of the Test rankings slashed to one point.
Sixteen wickets tumbled on the opening day of the third and final Test as England limped to 104 for six after skittling hosts Pakistan for 99.
# The second wicket partnership of 94 runs between Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen is Engalnd's best for any wicket against South Africa in the World Cup, obliterating the 55-run partnership between Matt Prior and Owais Shah for the fourth wicket at Cape Town on September 16, 2007.
Indian opener Virender Sehwag was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year for the second time in a row.
South Africa replaced England at the top of the world Test rankings on Monday after defeating the home side by 51 runs at Lord's to win their three-Test series 2-0.
South Africa beat England by 51 runs in the third Test at Lord's on Monday to win the series 2-0 and become the world's top-ranked side in place of the hosts.
Jonny Bairstow hit the highest score of the match to lead an England fightback against South Africa on day two of the third and final Test on Friday, keeping alive their hopes of the win they need to square the series.
Hitting out at the Australian players for their mindless sledging during the Perth Test, former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff described it as "outright abuse".
Persistent rain fell all day, after heavy rain overnight, and play was finally called off at 1535 local time. By that stage almost all of the spectators had left and they will be entitled to a full refund on their tickets.
For the second match in a row, Rahul Dravid found himself at the receiving end of controversial umpiring decisions as he was given out for caught behind in India's second innings in the final Test against England at the Oval.
In no way it could have changed the course of the match. However, it could very much have prolonged it, taking it into a fifth day.
# Ishant Sharma (4/59) recorded his best bowling figures against England, surpassing the 3 for 57 in Chennai in December 2008.
England's Ashes touring party will have seven batsmen, with six listed to play in every Test, at least until things go wrong, and Eoin Morgan will start as the seventh choice, unless injuries intervene, claims noted cricket writer and commentator Scyld Berry in a write-up for the Sunday Telegraph.
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