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.
Stuart Broad said the defending champions will miss his aura but have enough resources to replace him as a player.
A fiery spell from captain Ben Stokes dragged England back into the match but South Africa remained the happier side as they reached 289/7 at the close on the second day of the first Test at Lord's on Thursday.
Pakistan overcame belligerent resistance from England's tail-enders to win the second Test by 178 runs on Monday after bowling out the visitors for 312 with 6.3 overs remaining on the final day.
Kevin Pietersen's test future may be in doubt but the mercurial batsman was hailed as a "million pound asset" when named in England's provisional 30-member squad for this year's Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh on Wednesday.
Images from Day 4 of the fourth Ashes Test, at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Moeen Ali made a superb century to lift England to 328 all out after Pakistan had taken four early wickets on the first day of the final Test at The Oval on Thursday.
Travis Head returned from COVID-19 to smash a belligerent 101 and Cameron Green made 74 to revive Australia after a top-order collapse on the opening day of the day-night final Ashes Test against England on Friday.
Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the two matches at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton for family reasons and the England and Wales Cricket Board said he would shortly fly to New Zealand, the country of his birth.
Ben Stokes will play as a batsman only after injuring his shoulder at Old Trafford.
England fast bowler Matthew Hoggard was included in a 12-man squad for the third and final Test against Sri Lanka, starting in Galle on Tuesday. Fast bowler Stuart Broad, who made his debut in the drawn second Test, was left out to accommodate the possible return of oggard, who missed the second Test with a back injury.
Himself known for his delightful cover drivers, Bell thinks Virat Kohli plays his favourite shot the best among his peers.
England named all-rounder Chris Woakes and batsman Ollie Pope on Tuesday in their squad for the final Test against India which will be Alastair Cook's last international appearance.
He, along with teammate Alex Hales, could yet be fined and suspended, however it will be some time before that conclusion can be reached.
Westley has enjoyed a prolific season for Essex in the CountyChampionship, scoring 478 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 53.11.
Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali led England's charge to a 169-run victory over Australia with a day to spare in the first Test in Cardiff, on Saturday to make a flying start in their bid to regain the Ashes
Influenza has ravaged England with several players and staff taken ill since arriving on Dec. 14.
Warner has also taken aim at his Ashes nemesis England veteran pacer Stuart Broad, implying that he will not be the force that derailed the opening batter's 2019 trip this time.
Joe Root's side completed an emphatic victory halfway through the third day when Mohammed Abbas was caught in the slip off Stuart Broad, his third wicket of the innings.
Australia secured a consolation victory in the final Test by an innings and 46 runs on Sunday before England captain Alastair Cook lifted the Ashes urn at the end of a dramatic and fluctuating series.
Jonathan Trott followed Graeme Swann, Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior into the international wilderness on Monday to leave England desperately short of experience ahead of this year's Ashes series against Australia.
Not Stuart Broad but leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who is yet to make his Test debut, is the best bet to fill in England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff's shoes in the five-day format, feels Australian spin legend Shane Warne.
'It's one more distraction that Kohli doesn't need but he is, of course, capable of leading his side to a victory in the second Test to quieten things down a bit.'
Images from Day 2 of the third Ashes Test on Friday.
Anderson, who is recuperating from a right calf injury, will feature against Leicestershire in a three-day friendly match starting on Tuesday.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 3rd Test played between England and New Zealand at Headingley on Saturday.
Along with Jonny Bairstow, Wood joined the England squad ahead of the third Test.
England were in a strong position to win the second Test against New Zealand and level their two-match series as they extended their lead to 231 runs when bad light stopped play three overs early on the third day at Hagley Oval on Sunday.
'I said before the game that if they bowl a lot at my head then they're not bowling at my stumps and trying to get me out lbw and caught behind the wicket. And I think that perhaps played into our favour a little bit in this innings'.
Brendon McCullum's buccaneering spirit was at its ruthless best on Friday as he not only plundered the fastest World Cup half century but drove another stake into the heart of the demoralised England cricket team.
'The trick is that in England you've to get people on the front foot, because the wicket's slightly slow, so as soon as you're slightly short, you get murdered around the ground. Why Yasir did really well for Pakistan is that he bowled quick leg spin...didn't allow batsmen to go on the backfoot'
New Zealand were in trouble at 37 for 3 at stumps in reply to England's declared first innings total of 325 for 9 at Bay Oval, with seven wickets tumbling in a frantic evening session.
Spinner Dom Bess was named in England's 13-man squad for the first Test against West Indies and there was no place for Moeen Ali among nine reserves, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Saturday.All-rounder Ben Stokes will lead England in the match, which will begin at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Wednesday in a bio-secure environment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
England made a bright start to their second Test against Pakistan at Headingley on Friday, after being hammered at Lord's last week, with Stuart Broad taking two early wickets and the visitors reduced to 68-4 at lunchtime.
Spectators stood up and waved sandpapers at Warner as he walked off the field
Images from Day 1 of the third Ashes Test between England and Australia at Headingley in Leeds on Thursday.
England spin bowler Graeme Swann has admitted that some of the Ashes winning heroes may have urinated on The Oval pitch during late night celebrations to 'answer a call of nature' even as a regretful ECB has decided against taking any public action.
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.
England moved relentlessly towards a series-levelling victory over Pakistan on a rain-disrupted third day of the second test in Manchester on Sunday. The hosts bowled out the Pakistanis for 198 before declining to enforce the follow-on, ending the day on 98 for one to lead by a commanding 489 runs with two days remaining at Old Trafford.
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