Joe Root delivered a T20 masterclass to steer the Royals to an equally thrilling eight-wicket victory over Pretoria Capitals at Centurion.
India's historic first-ever Test win at Edgbaston by a massive 336 runs after losing the first Test was a triumph of Grit, Resilience, Excellence, Aggressiveness, and Tactfulness, a truly GREAT performance that will be remembered for years, asserts veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
'Shubman Gill did not look as technically tight or calm as usual when he came out to bat on the fourth evening, but his team fought so hard on Monday in a fabulous Test.'
Gill, 25, was appointed captain in May following the retirement of two great Indian batsmen and leaders in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Former Test skipper Joe Root has ruled himself out of contention for England's white-ball captaincy, saying the ship has sailed to take over the role following Jos Buttler's resignation.
Images from Day 4 of the second Test between England and India at Edgbaston, in Birmingham, on Saturday.
England star batsman Joe Root has expressed his confidence in the team's approach under coach Brendon McCullum, saying the 'Bazball' philosophy perfectly complements the players' skills. Root, returning to England's ODI setup for the series against India, sees endless possibilities for the team under McCullum's guidance. He highlighted the exciting blend of skills within the squad and believes this team has the potential to achieve great things.
The Kiwi star showered praise on Root for the phenomenal display he has produced on the crease. He admitted that he is a fan of the Englishman and the other two members of the 'Fab Four', Virat Kohli and Steven Smith.
'...when they feel that they need me for any format, they would summon. My job is to perform and be ready for call ups.'
India equal England's first-innings score of 387 with Test in balance
England captain Ben Stokes went on to call Jofra Archer an 'incredibly gifted cricketer', irrespective of the colour of the ball in his hand.
England were comfortably placed at 225 for two at stumps after bowling out India for 358 on the second day of the fourth Test in Manchester on Thursday.
Pain, Punt and Pant: Keeper of India's fortune fights back with broken foot
India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday
'There's always some calculated thinking behind it.'
'What a player he is. He bowls, bats and executes a crucial run out of Rishabh Pant but there is no talk of workload management. But with India it is not like that.'
Joe Root returned to England's one-day international squad for the first time since their ill-fated World Cup title defence in November
Images from Day 2 of the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval, London, on Friday.
Harry Brook became only the sixth England batter to hit a triple century in Tests as the visitors piled on the runs on Day 4 of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan on Thursday.
India finished day three of the second Test on 64/1 to lead England by 244 runs after they dismissed the hosts for 407 in the first innings at Edgbaston on Friday.
The Proteas will now face the Group A runners-up in the semifinals, with India and New Zealand set to battle for Group A placings in Dubai on Sunday.
Brook is fourth in the list of highest run-scorers in 2024 behind table-topper Root, India's Yashasvi Jaiswal (1,478 runs at 54.74) and England's Ben Duckett (1,149 runs at 37.06).
Shubman Gill played a masterful captain's knock with his second century of the series on the opening day of the second Test
England's performances have dipped since 2022, however, with the side failing to defend their T20 and 50-overs World Cup titles.
Ahead of England's five-match Test series against India at home, head coach Brendon McCullum hailed young all-rounder Jacob Bethell
Joe Root's century in vain as England were shown the door.
With the series nicely poised at 1-1 going into the third Test, the narrative built around both the teams has changed significantly following India's 336-run routing of England at Edgbaston.
Artherton's successor and former England captain Nasser Hussain believes Kohli transformed the way India plays Test format with his "aura, swagger, and passion".
Led by Shubman Gill, a defiant India put on a mentally strong and technically disciplined response to keep the series alive with England 2-1 up. While there were plenty of positives to take forward, a few concerns continue to linger as the series heads to a decider at The Oval.
Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope scored centuries to take England to a massive 498/3 at the close on the first day of their one-off Test against Zimbabwe.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday.
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.
Captain Shubman Gill and the ever-dependable K L Rahul gave India a glimmer of hope with resilient half-centuries after a well crafted hundred from Ben Stokes extended England's supremacy in the fourth Test in Manchester on Saturday.
Stokes, the leading wicket-taker of the series with 17 scalps, will be a mere spectator at The Oval, robbing the series finale of his charismatic on-field presence.
'Greatness isn't just about what they achieve in their prime. It's about how they adapt, endure, and finish.'
'Kohli, Smith, and Root are writing the final chapters of their stories, and we should honour their courage as much as their brilliance.'
An injury-plagued India could be forced to depart from their preferred template when they takes on a reinvigorated England in the fourth Test starting in Manchester on Wednesday.
South African legend AB de Villiers has mooted the idea of a women's SA20 league, as the success of the men's version across the three editions has given them a "model and recipe" to follow.
Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been recognised for their exceptional performances in 2024 by being named in the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year.
Pakistan beat England by nine wickets in the deciding third Test to win the series 2-1 in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
IMAGES from the Group B Champions Trophy match between Australia and England in Lahore on Saturday
