Travis Head smashed a T20-style century to put Australia firmly in control of the first Ashes Test on Thursday as England were hit by an injury crisis during a miserable day two in the field at the Gabba.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 3rd and final Test played between England and Pakistan played at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings will renew their intense rivalry after two years when they face-off in the Indian Premier League, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday.
Chris Woakes took 5 for 19 as England claimed a comfortable nine-wicket victory in their first official World Cup warm-up match after dismissing a hapless West Indies for 122 in 29.3 overs on Monday.
Rain wiped out virtually the entire third day's play in the first Test between New Zealand and England with only 17 balls bowled in Auckland on Saturday as the hosts padded their lead to 175 runs.
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.
Ben Stokes has been named in England's 14-man squad for the three one-day internationals (ODIs) against India next month, with the all-rounder on the mend from a hamstring injury.
England trail New Zealand's first innings by 69 runs but need to survive the remaining 31 overs in the final session to stop the hosts from taking a 1-0 lead in the two match series.
After a comfortable outing in the tournament-opener against Bangladesh, title favourites England are set to face a much stiffer test against New Zealand in a crucial ICC Champions Trophy Group A fixture in Cardiff, on Tuesday.
England fast bowler James Anderson has been ruled out for the rest of the Ashes series against Australia due to a niggling calf injury.
Archer has been on the receiving end of racist abuse in the past, notably during the second Test defeat by New Zealand last year.
Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Chris Woakes is confident that their side will win the remaining matches to finish among top-two.
As expected, fast bowler Jofra Archer was included in the 12 and looks poised to make his Test debut in the absence of England's record wicket taker James Anderson.
Australia pace spearhead Pat Cummins on Friday said he is glad that the effort he put into his T20 bowling in the last four-five months is giving him the desired results in the ongoing World Cup, which has been his "main goal" for a while.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12s match between Bangladesh and England, in Abu Dhabi, on Wednesday.
India pacer Ishant Sharma, England's limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan and former Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson are among seven players who have listed themselves at the highest base price of Rs 2 crore (approx $298,000) for IPL-10 player auction.
Alex Hales scored an excellent 109 to lead England to an emphatic 95-run victory over Pakistan in the second One-day international in Abu Dhabi on Friday that levelled the series at 1-1.
Against England on Monday and then Wednesday's game versus Australia, the Indian team management would look to give the players who are still not automatic choices in the playing XI, more overs to bat or bowl to get a better idea about their current form.
Factbox World Cup match between Australia and England at the MCG.
England face a rejuvenated Australian team who have turned day-night cricket into a competitive advantage, winning all eight of their Tests under lights dating back to the format's 2015 debut.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 2nd Ashes Test played at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide on Tuesday
Images from the World Cup final between England and New Zealand, at Lord's on Sunday.
Images from the 3rd ODI between England and India played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday
A pulsating Ashes opener that had promised a grandstand finish will more than likely end early with a handsome win to Australia after Steve Smith's side pushed within 56 runs of victory at the close of day four on Sunday.
Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, have done an excellent job in restricting the oppositions but KKR's top-order batting has hurt them the most.
Up against Delhi Capitals, RCB will need to address their middle-order woes, to return to winning ways, in what could be touted as a battle of equals.
Pakistan middle-order batsman Mohammad Rizwan hit a defiant half century on a difficult batting pitch to guide his side past the 200-mark in their first innings and frustrate England in the second Test on Friday.
Shane Warne added that Jos Buttler's positive approach helped his non-striker Chris Woakes, who struck a match-winning unbeaten 84 after having averaged only 5.22 in his last six Tests.
England moved towards victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka whose batsmen showed sufficient resolve on Sunday to push the game into a fourth day if not affect a result that still seems inevitable.
Images from Sunday's second IPL match, between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, in Mumbai.
Archer would likely thrive on a pacey pitch in Johannesburg and if he is fit that would pose a selection dilemma for coach Chris Silverwood and captain Joe Root.
England have lost the away series in India 1-3 before suffering a 1-0 defeat against New Zealand earlier this month.
It would be unfair for England selectors to ask any player to make way for the uncapped all-rounder Jofra Archer in the World Cup squad.
Captain Eoin Morgan smashed his second half-century in two games and Adil Rashid took four wickets to help England crush Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the rain-marred third One-Day International on Wednesday.
England are to wait until Thursday before making a decision on whether James Anderson can lead the attack in the first Test against South Africa after the fast bowler had a scan on his calf on Tuesday.
Delhi Capitals had reached the 2019 IPL semi-finals and coach Ricky Ponting believes his team was the best in the competition despite not winning the tournament.
Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has admitted that his side need to work on their fitness and fielding ahead of next year's World T20 tournament following his side's three-run defeat against England in the second Twenty20 international in Dubai.
The four-match series will mark England's first away games in the ICC World Test Championship.
Fast bowler Jofra Archer got his maiden Test call up as he was included in England's squad for the Ashes series opener against Australia.
James Anderson claimed his fifth wicket as England enforced the follow-on against Pakistan on the third day of the third and final Test at the Rose Bowl on Sunday, despite a battling century by visiting skipper Azhar Ali.
