Here is a compilation of some of the best photos from 2021...
Williamson said that both of them have known each other for a long time as called him as 'a mate'.
Root said England could not afford to lower their guard against an attack which featured three bowlers -- Jason Holder, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel -- who are among the top 20 in official Test rankings.
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah hasn't done any special preparation for the ongoing Test series against England, but admitted that a little bit of mindset adjustments, and staying in the present moment, worked wonders for him after a disappointing World Test Championship final against New Zealand.
The inaugural WTC final is scheduled to be held in Southampton from June 18-22.
They pushed themselves hard to win the title and it was only fair that the newly-crowned world Test champions New Zealand pushed the 'boat out a little bit' more while celebrating their momentous triumph before heading back home.
England's World Cup hero Ben Stokes was on last Tuesday named captain for the opening Test against the West Indies in place of Root, who has taken leave to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.
'If IPL would have gone on they would have had a smaller preparation but now they will be a lot more conditioned, their bowlers will have their loads up.'
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI in the ICC WTC final against New Zealand?
England have lost the away series in India 1-3 before suffering a 1-0 defeat against New Zealand earlier this month.
Agarkar said Team India has always found out ways to emerge victorious even in crunch situations.
India's fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar ruled out the possibility of a change in the playing XI after the opening day of the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand was washed out.
CWI also named 11 reserve players who will travel and quarantine with the squad to ensure replacements are readily available in case of injuries.
Australia have named the following 17-man squad for the five-Test Ashes series against England, which begins at Edgbaston on Aug. 1.
8-day bubble in India, 10-day quarantine in UK from June 2, cricketers' families to travel along.
'As a spinner, some will go your way some days and some won't, that is cricket. I don't look too much into that. I want to contribute with bat, ball and in the field. When my opportunities come I want to make sure I take them.'
The England-Windies Test series will be held at Hampshire's Ageas Bowl and Lancashire's Emirates Old Trafford, which have been chosen as bio-secure venues.
The ICC has also allocated a Reserve Day to make up for any lost time during the regular days of the Final, scheduled to be played from 18 to 22 June, with 23 June set aside as the Reserve Day.
Doull said New Zealand were definitely benefited by the two games against England ahead of the marquee clash.
James Anderson's ascension to the pantheon of Test bowlers when he claimed his 600th wicket on Tuesday can possibly be traced back to a prediction that current New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen made in 2008.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes says star pacer Jofra Archer needs full support of his teammates following his bio-secure protocol breach which led to his dropping from the ongoing second Test against the West Indies in Manchester. Archer will undergo two COVID-19 tests during a five-day isolation period after his unsanctioned trip to Brighton between the first and second Tests.
"...he is an underrated player but he contributes on a regular basis, he is a terrific player to have in your team."
Former England captain Michael Atherton believes the ICC should consider allowing more substitutions for injuries which require players to visit a hospital for treatment during a match amid the coronavirus pandemic. International cricket is set to resume after the coronavirus hiatus with England scheduled to host the West Indies team in a bio-secure environment for a proposed three-match series in July.
India are leading by 32 runs with eight wickets in hand, going into the final day of the title clash.
Mumbai Indians batsman Chris Lynn had recently requested Cricket Australia to arrange for a charter flight for Australia players after the tournament concludes on May 30.
South African fast bowler Dale Steyn could be set for another stint on the sidelines after picking up a groin injury in a county cricket match on Monday.
Pakistan cannot dwell on their defeat by England in the first Test at Old Trafford as it would make it tougher for them to respond in the next two matches, coach Misbah-ul-Haq said.
Virat Kohli was found to have breached Article 2.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to "Excessive appealing during an International Match", read a statement from the International Cricket Council.
Hardik Pandya was seen facing throwdown in the nets and mainly played with a straight bat.
Striker Mariano's header was glanced onto the crossbar by Sociedad's Andoni Gorosabel while the loose ball fell to Marco Asensio, whose shot was deflected wide for a corner from which Raphael Varane header hit the top of the bar.
Images from Day 3 of the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, at The Hampshire Bowl, in Southampton, on Saturday.
Batting legend Brian Lara believes West Indies will need to adopt a proactive approach in the upcoming three-Test series against England and consider the matches as four-day games as the visitors lack the firepower to last five days. The 51-year-old former captain said while West Indies' boast of a formidable bowling attack, their batting department is a concern, which is precisely the reason behind his statement.
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.
Villa's chief executive Christian Purslow said 10 first-team players are among 14 positive cases of coronavirus at the club.
Young opener Shubman Gill is looking in good rhythm and should continue to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma in the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand, former India batsman VVS Laxman said on Tuesday.
The England and West Indies players took a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement before the start of play in the first Test at Southampton on Wednesday as international cricket returned after almost four months. Rain delayed the start of the first Test before England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat.
He is not seeing what perhaps everyone else around him is seeing: An over-commercialised player who is really an under-performing batsman, observes Sandeep Goyal.
Panesar feels the concept of WTC is a great advertisement of Test cricket and the former spinner went on to term the summit clash as an encounter similar to arch-rivals India and Pakistan playing a Test match or the Ashes.
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.
Deepak Chahar is the first Indian bowler ever to hold the record of best bowling figures in any format of international cricket (Test/ODI/T20I), points out Rajneesh Gupta.
