James Taylor's patient century laid the platform for England to beat Australia by 93 runs in the third One-Day International at Old Trafford in Manchester, on Tuesday, leaving the touring side 2-1 up in the series.
England batsman Joe Root and Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath have moved up to second positions in their respective ICC Test player rankings but failed to displace top-ranked batsman Steve Smith and bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.
Hosts India would look to do an encore by putting England through another rigorous spin test when the two teams square off in the third Test starting in Mohali, on Saturday.
England need two more wickets on the final day to keep their all-winning record in Tests against Bangladesh intact with the hosts 33 runs away from a famous victory in the closely-contested opening match at Chittagong.
Australian opener David Warner has surged to a career-best third in the ICC ODI Players Rankings for batsmen after accumulating 386 runs at an impeccable average of 77.20 in the recently concluded five-match series against South Africa.
Images from Wednesday's World Cup match between England and New Zealand, at Chester-le-street.
A ruthless India, sporting its new flaming orange and blue colours, will be eyeing pole position with a solid knock-out punch on an already disintegrated England in Sunday's high-profile World Cup encounter. With an unbeaten record in six encounters so far, Virat Kohli's men are all but through to the semi-finals with 11 points, but victory over England will tighten their grip at the top and, in the process, oust the world's No 1 ODI team from the global event.
A thrilling victory over England in the second match of their One-day series was tempered for New Zealand with the news that all-rounder Corey Anderson would be sent home.
England's transformation from 'startled rabbits' at this year's World Cup to record-breakers against New Zealand on Tuesday has left fans and pundits shaking their heads in disbelief.
England beat Pakistan by 44 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis scoring method in a rain-affected first One-Day International in Southampton on Wednesday.
Among others, Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has moved up to take top position among bowlers with some fine performances in a 2-0 series win over Zimbabwe.
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.
Sam Curran's 78 helped England recover from 86 for six to 246 all out against India on the first day of the fourth Test.
India now are the only team to have chased 350-plus thrice and in each of them Kohli has been the backbone with centuries in each.
Skipper Virat Kohli scored his 23rd Test century as a dominant India took giant strides towards victory in the third Test against England.
Australia will be desperately hoping to play a full game under clear skies when they face arch-rivals England in their must-win Champions Trophy clash in Birmingham on Saturday.
A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup
Karun Nair became the second Indian batsman to score a test triple hundred and his 303 not out helped the hosts post a massive 759 for seven before skipper Virat Kohli declared.
He might have scored an impressive half-century on debut but a month ago when he was plying his trade at the Bangladesh Premier League, playing Test cricket for England never even crossed his mind, revealed Liam Dawson, who led a lower-order resistance with an unbeaten 66 on Saturday.
India captain Virat Kohli maintained his red-hot form as he and Murali Vijay struck fine centuries to help the hosts overtake England on day three of the fourth Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Saturday.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq paid tribute to his batsmen after beating England by 178 runs in the second Test on Monday.
India will have to find the right balance in the ODI side and get their "act together" before the 50-overs World Cup next year, said captain Virat Kohli after his team's 1-2 loss in the three-match series, in Leeds, on Tuesday.
Skipper Virat Kohli had to once again come to the rescue of under-fire former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni whose painstaking 37 off 58 balls came in for sharp criticism after England beat India by 86 runs in the second ODI at Lord's on Saturday.
India can reclaim the top spot in the International Cricket Council ODI rankings if it blanks England 3-0 in the three-match series beginning on July 12.
They might have been disappointing so far but Indian opener Murali Vijay is still hopeful that the Indian spinners will utilise the spin-friendly conditions on the final day. Scorecard: "It's a pretty good wicket, (though it has) gone slower. There's a lot of assistance to the spinners now. Hopefully we can put some pressure in the morning session get some wickets and you never know," said Vijay after the fourth day's play at the SCA Stadium in Rajkot. Vijay feels that India still have the edge.
Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes hit an unbeaten half-century as the hosts took a lead of 128 with seven second-innings wickets remaining against England on the second day of the second and final Test in Dhaka, on Saturday.
Languishing at the bottom of ICC ODI team ranking, Pakistan have set sight on direct qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup when they take on the in-form reigning world champions and number-one ranked Australia in a five-ODI series starting in Brisbane on Friday.
Jonny Bairstow smashed a career-best unbeaten 141 and Jason Roy hit 96 as England thrashed West Indies by nine wickets in Southampton to complete a 4-0 series rout on Friday.
The West Indies laid down a significant marker ahead of the ODI series as they comfortably beat England by 21 runs in their sole Twenty20 fixture at Chester-le-Street on Saturday.
India opener Lokesh Rahul fell agonisingly short of his maiden Test double century as he helped his team to 391 for four in a robust reply to England's first innings total of 477 in the fifth and final Test in Chennai on Sunday.
India captain Virat Kohli struck a sublime double century before his bowlers picked up six England wickets to put the hosts on course for a series-clinching victory in the fourth and penultimate Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Virat Kohli, who amassed 593 runs at an average of 59.3 in the series which the visitors lost by 1-4 margin, had started the series 27 points behind Australia's Steve Smith and finished one point ahead of his closest rival.
Jonny Bairstow's composed 89 helped England survive some atrocious top order shot-making and reach 268 for eight at close of play on the first day of the third Test against India on Saturday.
England's defensive batting approach against India was a conscious decision to save the second Test on a wearing track, the touring side's captain Alastair Cook said after the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the series in Visakhapatnam on Monday.
India spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Jayant Yadav claimed three wickets apiece in the second innings to lead the hosts to a comfortable 246-run win in the second Test against England on Monday and a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. - Scorecard: England, chasing an improbable victory target of 405, were all out for 158 shortly after lunch on the fifth and final day in the first Test match being played in the port city of Visakhapatnam.
Captain Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara made centuries and shared a stand of 226 to put India on course for a big first-innings total against England on the first day of the second Test on Thursday. - Scorecard: Kohli was unbeaten on 151 and Ravichandran Ashwin on one as India reached 317 for four at the close after winning the toss in the first ever Test match in the port city of Visakhapatnam.
'England are a quality side, their bowlers put constant pressure. We need to accept what happened' 'It was a really tough five days, good toss to win'
Under fire after a below-par show on a good batting strip, the Indian spinners will aim for an improved show on a comparatively more helpful track as they take on a gritty England in the second Test, starting in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Aswhin produced one of his most impactful performance outside the sub-continent as India reduced England to 285 for nine on the opening day of the first Test in Birmingham, on Wednesday.
Despite their up and down showing in the league stage, there is no doubt that England are one of the most complete teams in the World Cup and are heavy favourites for Sunday's final, but New Zealand won't give up without a fight.
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