Four-Test-old all-rounder Jacob Bethell was awarded his maiden central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) which offered two-year deals to 14 multi-format cricketers, including Test captain Ben Stokes and injury-plagued pacer Jofra Archer.
It was a wild ride while it lasted but the 'Bazball' revolution that enlivened English cricket for three years collapsed in 11 days on Australian soil in an Ashes defeat as harrowing as any in the modern era.
While Ricky Ponting has declared England "red-hot favourites," he's not writing off India just yet-especially given their familiarity with worn-out, turning tracks.
Ollie Pope, whose sensational 196 formed the core of England's 28-run win over India in the first Test in Hyderabad, said on Sunday that he practiced those sweeps and reverse sweeps extensively before arriving on these shores.
Stokes, who sustained a hamstring tear in English domestic tournament The Hundred last month, is continuing his recovery along with Zak Crawley who fractured his right little finger at Edgbaston in July.
India crushed England by 336 runs to level the series at 1-1 on Sunday
Zak Crawley, Tom Hartley, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Gus Atkinson and assistant coach Marcus Trescothick met the Dalai Lama at his residence.
Ben Stokes was ruled out due to a shoulder muscle tear.
England's Jacob Bethell will bat at number three for the first time in first-class cricket when he makes his Test debut against New Zealand at Christchurch's Hagley Oval on Thursday.
Ollie Pope reckons England can make 600 Test runs in a day's play
Wood injured his thigh during the first Test and has been ruled out for the rest of the series.
India after taking a 100+ run lead at the end of the first innings in a Home Test: Instances: 106. Won: 70. Drawn: 35. Lost: 1 (vs England, Hyderabad 2024).
England replace Shoaib Bashir with Liam Dawson in playing XI for 4th Test against India
The tourists had risked a defeat inside three days after India, having built a lead of 190, reduced England to 163-5 in their second innings in the second session of the day.
Jamie Overton returns to the Test line-up for the first time since earning his sole cap against New Zealand at Headingley in June 2022.
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.
Images from Day 4 of the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval, London, on Sunday.
Mitchell Starc made a late-career bid for all-rounder status when he scored a half-century and grabbed two wickets under the Gabba floodlights to push Australia to the brink of victory at the close of day three of the second Ashes Test.
Pope, who made his Test debut against India in 2018, is yet to play white-ball cricket for England and Strauss feels although the youngster will fare well in the limited overs format, he should focus on Test cricket for the time being.
Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps on Day 4 of the third Test, still 228 runs short of victory
IMAGES from the third Test between England and Sri Lanka at The Oval on Saturday
The yorker that cleaned up Ollie Pope's stumps on Saturday, February 3, 2024 on Day 2 of the second England-India Test at the Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA cricket stadium in Visakhapatnam.
Siraj, who now leads the wicket-takers' chart in the series with 18 scalps, showcased his control and Aaron particularly highlighted the use of his signature delivery.
Akash Deep's 10-wicket match-haul sets up famous win for India in the second Test against England at Edgbaston.
Since going missing from red-ball action in 2021, the 30-year-old endured a period during which injuries constantly plagued him, especially a recurring stress fracture in his right elbow.
Saud Shakeel missed out on a hundred but Salman Agha smashed a brisk 79 not out to propel Pakistan to a commanding 515 for eight at tea on the second day of the contest on Tuesday.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 3rd Ashes Test in Adelaide on Sunday.
The contest between England's dialled-down "Bazball" approach and Australia's more methodical batting could determine who prevails in the Ashes series beginning in Perth on Friday.
Jacob Bethell scored his maiden Test century to lead an England rearguard action on the fourth day of the fifth Test on Wednesday but Australia still looked firmly set for victory.
Roy was struck on the neck during training on Tuesday and although the 29-year-old passed required concussion protocols on Wednesday, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has decided to have an extra option at the top of the order.
Joe Root scored his fastest Test century while Ollie Pope struck a superb 145, as England launched a stirring fightback to reach 473/5 at the close of play on the third day of the second Test against New Zealand on Sunday.
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been reprimanded and handed a demerit point for deliberately stepping in England player Ollie Pope's way as he went for a run which led to "inappropriate physical contact" during the first Test at Hyderabad.
England have named two uncapped players in Essex duo Sam Cook and Jordan Cox in the squad for the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge later this month.
Images from Day 2 of the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval, London, on Friday.
Nitish Kumar Reddy made a promise to himself post the Australia tour that he would improve his bowling.
England's Stokes praises Australia's Head, supports his own errant batters
Mitchell Starc and Ben Stokes set the scene for a dramatic Ashes series.
This was the first time in five years that India had put down so many chances in an innings.
Mohammed Siraj was penalised 15 per cent of his match fee and docked one demerit point following an aggressive reaction to the wicket of England opener Ben Duckett.
'I'm worried. We're going to wander in and have a little game with the 'A' team. (It will be) 'Alright mate, how are you? Good on ya' and we're going to go and perform?'
