Christopher Woakes

James Anderson, Jofra Archer and Dom Bess were all part of the XI that helped England become the first visiting nation to win a Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai since Pakistan in 1999, ending an eight-game unbeaten streak for the hosts.

However, none of the trio will be involved when the two teams face each other again at the same venue.

While Archer is ruled out with an elbow injury, Anderson has been rested and Bess left out of a 12-man squad. Stuart Broad seems certain to play, with the other seam-bowling spot between Chris Woakes and Olly Stone. Moeen Ali will be the second spinner; the all-rounder has not featured in Test cricket since August 2019.

Captain Joe Root admitted it was not an easy decision to give Anderson a break considering how well he performed in the opener, but England had to look at the bigger picture during such a busy year.

"Everyone's heart was in favour of him being available for this game but also you have to look at the bigger picture and ideally if he is available for two of the last three, that is a huge asset for us with the way he is bowling and his reputation, as well as his numbers and the way he has performed in recent games," Root told the media.

India, meanwhile, head into this match under pressure; they have only ever lost the first two games of a home Test series against England once previously, when they went on to suffer a 3-1 defeat in 1976-77.

Virat Kohli pointed to a failure by the bowling unit to keep England's scoring rate in check in the aftermath of the opening defeat, with slow-bowling duo Washington Sundar and Shahbaz Nadeem struggling to provide support for pacemen Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma, as well as frontline spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Axar Patel missed that match due to a knee injury but came through a fitness test on Thursday. Kuldeep Yadav could also get an opportunity on a pitch that, according to Ajinkya Rahane, will spin from the outset.

"I am sure it will turn from day one," Rahane said on the eve of the game. "We will have to wait and see how it behaves in the first session and take it from there."

In a boost for India, there will be fans present for the second of four matches in the series. The ground is allowed to be 50 per cent full, though there will be social distancing measures in place amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Captain Kohli in the spotlight

India have now lost four Tests in a row under Kohli, who departed the tour of Australia after his side had been shot out for 36 to lose the series opener in Adelaide. He returned home for the birth of his first child, with stand-in Rahane then leading the side to a 2-1 triumph.

Kohli made scores of 11 and 72 upon his return to the XI, but those numbers were not enough to stop him slipping to fifth in the International Cricket Council's Test rankings for batsmen.

Root keeps on digging in

Root underpinned England's triumph last time out with a double hundred in a mammoth first innings of 578, in the process continuing his stunning run of form following on from a hugely successful tour to Sri Lanka.

The right-handed batsman has managed 684 runs in his previous three matches, which equates to 39 per cent of his side's total runs in Test cricket in 2021. There have been useful contributions from his top-order colleagues so far overseas, but no other batsman has reached three figures in an innings during the calendar year.

Key match facts

- England have only managed to register one Test series win in India since their 2-1 tour win in 1984-85 - their successful tour in 2012 being the solitary triumph during that period (D1 L4).
- India still lead the head-to-head record with England in Tests played at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, winning five compared to the visitors' tally of four after the series opener (D1).
- England have managed to record six overseas Test wins in succession ahead of this match – victory in this game will equal their longest ever run in the format (seven in a row between 1911 and 1914).
- Rishabh Pant has a batting strike rate of 70.6 in Test cricket, only two men (with a minimum of 600 runs scored) have higher rates for India (Virender Sehwag at 82, plus Kapil Dev at 81)
- Broad (517) is three scalps away from going into sixth place on the all-time leading Test wicket-takers list, jumping above Courtney Walsh (519); the Englishman has picked up 41 wickets at an average of 14.5 since the start of 2020.

A seven-wicket win in Galle gave the tourists a 1-0 lead in the rearranged series, following on from an overseas triumph in South Africa a year ago, plus successes against West Indies and Pakistan on home soil.

Joe Root led from the front with a double-century last time out and, with the recalled Jonny Bairstow and debutant Dan Lawrence also contributing runs, the tourists have gone with the same batting line-up.

Anderson comes into the side as England make just the one change, with Broad given a rest, as Mark Wood retains his place and Olly Stone misses out along with Chris Woakes. 

As for Sri Lanka, they will once again be without Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne as he continues to recover from a fractured thumb.

Kusal Mendis has been dropped after a poor run of form with the bat – he has managed just 27 runs in his last six Test innings – while seam duo Lahiru Kumara and Nuwan Pradeep, as well as wicketkeeper-batsman Minod Bhanuka, have been allowed to depart the bio-secure bubble.

The home side will be aiming to prevent their opponents from winning a fifth successive Test overseas, a feat England have not achieved since a run of seven in a row between 1911 and 1914.

Sri Lanka fought back well after being dismissed for only 135 in their first innings of the opening Test and captain Root knows England cannot expect to have things all their own way as they eye another triumph on tour.

He said: "They are a proud team and they have a great record at this ground. Not only that, they have some very talented players.

"We already saw that throughout the game with how it unfolded in the second innings. The way that they played with the bat in the second innings was very different to the first and showed that in those conditions, they are a very hard side to break down.

"We know that this isn't going to be an easy game for us."

LEACH IN SIGHT OF RECORD

Jack Leach was understandably a little rusty in the previous game, having only played in two first-class fixtures throughout 2020. However, the left-arm spinner improved as he clocked up the overs, claiming 5-122 in the second innings to leave England needing just 74 for victory.

His six in the match lifted his career Test tally in Sri Lanka to 24, just one behind Ashley Giles who sits top of the all-time list for England. Considering it is expected to be another spin-friendly surface in Galle, Leach will fancy his chances of taking top spot before the short tour concludes.

SRI LANKA AIM TO STOP THE ROT

Despite showing some defiance with both bat and ball in the opening Test, Sri Lanka have now lost three in a row. They have not suffered a longer losing run since a four-game span between December 2015 and May 2016.

Their first-innings total of 135 left them with too much ground to make up second time around, so the continued absence of opener Karunaratne is a blow.

KEY MATCH FACTS

- England will be looking to record a third successive Test series win against Sri Lanka for the first time.
- England have lost only one of their Tests since the start of 2020 (W7, D2) and are undefeated in their last six of that stretch (W4, D2) – the last time they went on a longer unbeaten run was a 13-Test span (W7, D6) from November 2012 to August 2013.
- Joe Root made 228 last time out, his maiden Test double-century in Asia. That innings included 74 runs from conventional sweep shots, almost twice the number of his previous high in a Test match (41 at Pallekele versus Sri Lanka in November 2018).
- Lahiru Thirimanne has scored 50 or more in two of his past three Test innings at Galle, after doing so only once in his previous 12 knocks at the venue.
- Jos Buttler held on to all five catching opportunities in the series opener; only once before in his Test career has he managed to claim more catches without dropping one (July 2014 v India – 6/6).

Archer was pushing for a return in Johannesburg, but the paceman was troubled by his right elbow in the warm-up after the start was delayed due to rain on Friday.

The quick missed the tourists' victories at Newlands and St George's Park due to an elbow injury and will play no part as Joe Root's side, leading 2-1, attempt to complete a series win.

England have gone with an all-seam attack, Woakes making his first appearance of the series, Mark Wood retaining his place and spinner Bess missing out despite claiming a maiden five-wicket Test haul in Port Elizabeth.

Fast bowler Hendricks gets the nod to make his Test bow in the absence of the banned Kagiso Rabada, while batsman Temba Bavuma and Dwaine Pretorius replaces Zubayr Hamza and Keshav Maharaj respectively.

Root won the toss and elected to bat in Vernon Philander's final Test, with play due to start at 1.20pm local time. 

South Africa: Malan, Elgar, van der Dussen, du Plessis (captain), de Kock (wk) Bavuma, Pretorius, Philander, Nortje, Paterson, Hendricks.

England: Crawley, Sibley, Denly, Root (captain), Stokes, Pope, Buttler (wk), Curran, Woakes, Wood, Broad.

The hosts, who have an unassailable 3-0 lead, finished Friday on 241-6 having earlier been reduced to 12-3 by an England side who won the toss and chose to bowl first.

England showed five changes from last week's drawn fourth Test in Sydney, including a debut for Sam Billings, and started in an impressive manner.

David Warner (0), Usman Khawaja (6) and Steve Smith (0) all went by the start of the 10th over, while Marnus Labuschagne would have followed had Zak Crawley not fumbled.

That may well prove a decisive moment in the final Test as Labuschagne and Head launched a counter-attack by scoring 53 runs from the next seven overs.

But on 71 from 72 balls, Labuschagne comically wrong-footed himself when attacking a Stuart Broad delivery and could only watch from the floor as Australia lost another wicket.

England lost bowler Ollie Robinson to injury and their problems were compounded by the work of Head, who continued to rack up the runs when joined by Cameron Green.

Head survived a big scare on his way to reaching 101 from 113 balls, but his day was ended after he chipped a Chris Woakes delivery to Robinson at mid-on.

Green got to 74 before holing out at deep mid-wicket and only nine more balls were bowled due to rain, with Mitch Starc (0) and Alex Carey (10) to resume play on Saturday.

Travis keeps his Head after Crawley loses his

England could not have asked for a much better start on the green surface, with Robinson and Broad dismantling Australia's top order by dismissing Warner and Smith for ducks.

But Crawley's drop of Labuschagne, combined with England's wayward bowling from that point on, allowed Head – recently sidelined due to COVID-19 isolation – to grab the fifth Test by the scruff of the neck.

He went past the 100 mark, becoming the seventh Australian to do so in a day/night men's Test innings after Warner, Labuschagne, Khawaja, Smith, Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb.

Green shoots of recovery

Australia all-rounder Green had a maiden hundred in his sights, only to fall to Mark Wood's short-ball trap 16 runs shot of three figures.

At 22 years and 225 days, he is the youngest player to score 50 or more runs in a men's Test innings for Australia at Bellerive Oval and the fourth youngest overall at the ground.

The hosts took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series after winning by an innings and 14 runs in the third Test at the MCG on Tuesday, skittling England for just 68 in their second innings, after which Root said it was "too soon to look at things."

The 30-year-old has been England's Test captain since 2017 after taking over from Sir Alastair Cook, and will lead his side out for a record 60th time in the fourth Test in Sydney, overtaking Cook's previous record of 59.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Woakes expressed his backing for Root, saying: "Joe is a great cricketer with a great cricket brain. Hopefully he can continue [as captain].

"We haven't been able to bat well around him. You'd expect us to probably put in a lot stronger performances than we have.

"I'm sure Joe will have many more years like he's already had and hopefully we can bat better around him."

England have averaged just 187.5 with the bat in six innings, failing to score more than 300 in any of the first three Tests down under.

Root has scored 1,708 runs in 2021, which equates to 26 per cent of his team's overall total, the highest proportion of any player for their respective team in Test cricket.

When asked if Root still has the backing of the team, Woakes said: "Absolutely."

The Warwickshire all-rounder was left out of the team for the third Test having taken a combined 3-228 with the ball in the first two Tests, although his batting average of 26.25 is England's third highest of the series behind only Root (42.16) and Dawid Malan (33.66).

The future of Chris Silverwood has also been called into question with the former England bowler winning just one of his last 12 Tests as coach.

"It's hard for us to focus on people," Woakes added when asked about Silverwood's position. "Who am I to talk about people's futures other than my own?"

Eoin Morgan's side came back in thrilling fashion in the opening Twenty20 against Australia earlier in September, and the tourists snatched defeat from what looked set at one point to be a comfortable triumph in Manchester.

Four wickets – one from Jofra Archer (3-34) and three from Chris Woakes (3-32) – in a fantastic five-over spell in the middle of Australia's innings reduced Justin Langer's side from 142-2 to 147-6.

Australia's collapse came on the back of a strong start from Aaron Finch (73), whose side had ripped through England's top order after Morgan elected to bat first.

Adam Zampa (3-36) was the pick of Australia's bowling attack, which had England on the ropes until a stand of 76 between Tom Curran (37) and Adil Rashid (35 not out) helped the hosts finish on 231-9.

Yet despite Finch and Marnus Labuschagne (48) looked to be ticking Australia towards a series win, England rallied – Sam Curran (3-35) wrapping up the victory after Woakes and Archer dismantled the tourists' middle-order.

Broad started day five needing just one wicket to become the seventh player to reach the landmark and achieved the feat by removing Kraigg Brathwaite, the same batsman James Anderson dismissed to join the 500 club in 2017.

Pace great Broad, dropped for the first Test in Southampton, then took the series-clinching wicket to finish with 4-36 after the brilliant Woakes claimed 5-50 to bowl the tourists out for only 129.

Broad, who took match figures of 10-67 and smashed a half-century, and Woakes sat out a first match of the series that the Windies won at the Rose Bowl, but showed what England were missing in Manchester.

The Windies head home on Wednesday, still without a Test series win in England since 1988 after losing a contest to be renamed the Richards-Botham Trophy when they next do battle. 

Shai Hope and Brathwaite got the Windies off to an encouraging start after resuming on 10-2 following a day-four washout, but Broad ended a 39-run stand by trapping the opener bang in front to join the 500 club after a rain delay.

Broad remained in the thick of the action, running in from mid-off to catch Hope (31) and Sharmah Brooks edged behind (22) to become Woakes' second victim.

Rain ensured early lunch was taken with the Windies in deep trouble on 84-5 and Dom Bess - who did not bowl a ball in the match - ran Roston Chase out before another shower took the players off again.

Captain Jason Holder, Shane Dowrich - who took a nasty blow to the face while wicketkeeper - and Rahkeem Cornwall were snared lbw in a devastating spell from Woakes.

Broad fittingly finished it off, Jos Buttler taking an excellent catch down the leg side to dismiss Jermaine Blackwood and give England's man of the moment 10 wickets in a Test for the third time.

Broad goes from seething in Southampton to main man in Manchester

Broad was furious after being left out for the first match of the series and could only watch on as the Windies took a 1-0 lead in Southampton.

The paceman has let his performances do the talking in the remainder of the series, playing a major part in England's turnaround with bat and ball.

His dismissal of Brathwaite saw him become the fourth seamer - and the second-youngest bowler behind Muttiah Muralitharan - to claim 500 Test scalps and he put the icing on the cake by taking the last wicket with his first ball of a new spell.

Hope fails to live up to expectations

It was an all too familiar story for Hope on the last day of what has been a poor tour for a batsman who has not shown what he is capable of.

Hope played positively as he made his highest score of the series, hitting six boundaries before throwing his wicket away attempting to dispatch Woakes for a seventh.

The number three heads home without making a half-century three years after making a century in both innings at Headingley. He has not reached three figures in a Test since that famous win in Leeds.

Woakes makes his mark

Woakes was also omitted for the defeat at the Rose Bowl and has responded impressively. 

He took five wickets in the second Test and added another in the first innings this week before ending the series on a high note.

The all-rounder was on the money on the final day, rewarded for consistently bowling on a probing line and length with a fourth five-wicket Test haul.

The Warwickshire player had a spell in the nets at Edgbaston on Thursday, with professional cricket attempting to slowly get back up and running amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Woakes, 31, had to follow strict guidance on social distancing and admitted the experience "was a lot different" to a usual session.

"But with what everyone's been through, it was nice to get out there and get the ball back in hand really," he said.

"It's been two months since I last bowled. It was nice to be back in the middle, albeit a little different."

The 2019 World Cup winner admitted to feeling "a little bit sore this morning".

"The first waddle to the toilet was a bit interesting," Woakes said. "But it's okay, the body actually is not too bad.

"But having not bowled for two months there were a few things that were sore - sides certainly.

"I woke up this morning knowing I'd had a bowl yesterday, but it was nice to be out there."

It remains to be seen what cricket Woakes might have to play this summer, with England's planned home series against West Indies, Pakistan and Australia hinging on a variety of factors.

Those teams will want to be certain measures are in place that will safeguard the health of their touring parties.

"First and foremost, we just hope there's going to be some sort of cricket," Woakes said.

"That will be obviously very different but at the same time it'd be nice to have some cricket and some form of normality.

"Hopefully we can get some games - what that schedule will exactly look like we don't really know."

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is hoping international series can be salvaged, with income from lucrative broadcast contracts providing a valuable backbone of the game.

Woakes added: "Obviously it would be a boost for the game. We've all seen the projections [saying] the ECB and the game in general could be in a bit of trouble if we weren't to play any cricket this summer, so hopefully we can get some form of schedule going."

The Windies were reduced to 128-7 in reply to 204 all out at St George's on Friday, but they were 226-8 at stumps with Da Silva still there on 53.

Da Silva put on 49 with Alzarri Joseph (28) for the eighth wicket before combining with Kemar Roach (25no) in an unbroken stand of 55 to give his side a lead of 28.

Three quick wickets for Chris Woakes (3-48) had put the tourists on top, but they got a taste of their own medicine a day after Saqib Mahmood and Jack Leach put on 90 for the final wicket.

Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell (35) built solid foundations, but Ben Stokes (2-40) made a big breakthrough by pinning the captain leg before wicket for 17 to end an opening stand of 50.

The impressive Mahmood (1-39) trapped Shamarh Brooks in front and the Windies were 71-3 at lunch after Campbell gloved Craig Overton (2-71) through to Ben Foakes down the leg side, having been struck on the helmet twice by the paceman.

Woakes came to the fore early in the afternoon session, getting Nkrumah Bonner caught behind, Jason Holder taken by Jonny Bairstow on the hook without scoring and Jermaine Blackwood lbw to leave West Indies 95-6.

Kyle Mayers made 28 before gifting Stokes his wicket, but Da Silva and Joseph reduced the deficit before the quick nicked Overton behind backing off trying to smash him to the boundary.

Da Silva remained untroubled, playing patiently and putting away loose deliveries with great support from Roach to take West Indies in front.

Relief for Woakes 

All-rounder Woakes had only taken two wickets in as many Tests before more than doubling his tally for the series on Friday.

The seamer has found wickets hard to come by overseas, but found his rhythm after lunch, banging one in short to remove Bonner and seeing the back of Holder in the same over before making Blackwood his third victim.

Stokes deserved more than the two wickets he claimed despite an issue with his knee, while Mahmood will wonder how he only struck once.

Da Silva runs could  help Windies strike gold

Wicketkeeper-batsman Da Silva dug in with Brathwaite, as West Indies secured a drawn on the final day of the second Test in Barbados.

The 23-year-old stepped up when his side needed him again after coming in at number eight with England firmly on top, batting with great composure and technique to score a fourth Test half-century.

There was a sense of deja vu a day after Leach and Mahmood's last-wicket stand, with Joseph and Roach making important runs down the order to give the Windies a lead.

De Kock replaced Faf du Plessis as skipper in the 50-over format last month and could not have scripted a better beginning to a new era, inspiring the Proteas to a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Tabraiz Shamsi took 3-38 as England were restricted to 258-8 after being put in by De Kock, Joe Denly making an ODI-best 87 and Chris Woakes 40 in a seventh-wicket stand of 91.

That was not enough for the tourists in their first ODI since winning the World Cup for the first time, with De Kock scoring an imperious 107 to become the joint-fifth fastest to 5,000 ODI runs.

Temba Bavuma fell for a classy 98 after putting on 173 for the second wicket with his new skipper before South Africa - beaten 3-1 by England in the Test series - completed the highest successful ODI run chase in Cape Town with 14 balls to spare.

England - without the rested Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler - looked destined to post a big total with Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow going along nicely, but they lost their way after both openers fell in consecutive overs.

Roy (32) holed out to debutant JJ Smuts to end a stand of 51 before Bairstow (19) fell to Andile Phehlukwayo and Rassie van der Dussen ran out Joe Root with a magnificent piece of fielding.

Spinner Shamsi got rid of captain Eoin Morgan and ended Tom Banton's first ODI knock, then bowled Sam Curran around his legs to leave England reeling on 108-5.

Denly and Woakes halted the procession of wickets, rotating the strike well and driving handsomely as they took the tourists over 200.

A third ODI half-century - 11 years after his second - for Denly was registered off 72 balls and he struck the fit-again Lungi Ngidi for two sixes before falling to Beuran Hendricks in the final over, with Woakes having become Lutho Sipamla's first international victim.

Reeza Hendricks successfully reviewed after being given lbw to Woakes in the first over of the run chase, but the England all-rounder got his man caught behind for just six.

De Kock and Bavuma then made the England attack look ordinary in a magnificent partnership, driving majestically and sweeping with conviction to put the Proteas well on their way to victory.

A reverse sweep took De Kock to a half-century and he crunched Tom Curran for six with disdain before Bavuma dispatched a poor ball from debutant Matt Parkinson over the ropes.

De Kock passed 5,000 ODI runs and fittingly brought up a 15th ODI hundred with a stylish drive off spinner Parkinson, before he was cleaned up trying to hit Root out of the ground.

Bavuma missed out on a hundred when he was struck bang in front by Chris Jordan, but Van der Dussen made an unbeaten 35 as South Africa sealed victory at a canter.

Chennai were asked to bat when Rishabh Pant won the toss and recovered well from the early losses of Faf du Plessis for nought and Ruturaj Gaikwad to post 188-7, Suresh Raina top scoring with 54.

But Dhawan (85) and Shaw (72) scythed into what looked like a daunting chase with a stunning stand of 139 for the first wicket and skipper Pant (15 not out) was there to see the Capitals home with eight deliveries to spare.

Chris Woakes (2-18) and Avesh Khan (2-23) set the tone for Delhi as Chennai slumped to 7-2 and the seamers also returned to fine effect – Avesh persuading veteran captain MS Dhoni to drag on for a duck and Woakes bowling fellow England all-rounder Sam Curran with the final ball of the innings.

Curran plundered 34 from 15 deliveries, including two sixes off brother Tom (1-40), in a breezy effort alongside Ravindra Jadeja (26 not out), their 51-run partnership capitalising upon a rebuilding job impressively helmed by Raina.

The India batsman ploughed Marcus Stoinis over for his fourth maximum to reach 50 off 32 balls and he received useful support from Moeen Ali (36) and Ambati Rayudu (23).

A dire mix-up, during which Jadeja collided with Avesh, saw Raina run out amid a slump of three wickets for 14 runs – a blip that proved costly as Dhawan and Shaw took the Super Kings attack apart.

They motored at around 10-an-over for the majority of their partnership. Shaw had faced only 38 balls, hitting nine fours and three sixes, by the time he skewed Dwayne Bravo (1-38) to Moeen and there was little remaining doubt about the outcome when Dhawan was trapped lbw by Shardul Thakur (2-53).

The decision to call a halt to this year's competition was taken on Tuesday amid the worsening COVID-19 pandemic in India.

After two cases were confirmed among the Kolkata Knight Riders, Monday's game against Royal Challengers Bangalore was postponed. A Sunrisers Hyderabad player then also tested positive ahead of their fixture with Mumbai Indians.

Focus is now on seeing participants leave the country safely, with fears players would need to self-isolate in India and also return a negative coronavirus test before attempting to get a flight.

However, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali and Jason Roy all boarded a flight that landed at Heathrow on Wednesday.

They will have to quarantine in government-approved hotels for the next 10 days.

The remaining three England players who were on duty - Eoin Morgan, Dawid Malan and Chris Jordan - are expected to leave India within the next 48 hours.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia boss Nick Hockley has confirmed the contingent of Australian IPL players will be moved to the Maldives or Sri Lanka in the coming days.

The Australian government has blocked citizens returning home within 14 days of being in India, meaning they will first have to isolate elsewhere.

Joe Root's side begin a three-Test series against Pakistan at Old Trafford on Wednesday, having come from behind to defeat West Indies 2-1 last month.

Woakes starred in their series-clinching victory in Manchester, collecting 5-50 as the tourists were rolled for 129 in their second innings.

Stuart Broad joined James Anderson in the 500-wicket club last time out and the presence of two all-time Test greats in the squad is only one of the complications faced by the Warwickshire all-rounder.

Jofra Archer and Mark Wood represent two genuine pace options, given their capacity to consistently hit speeds in excess of 90mph, while Sam Curran provides valuable variety with his left-arm swing bowling.

The upshot is a battery of seamers trying to impress, with England's batsmen bearing the brunt in the nets.

"It makes practice intense," Woakes told a news conference. "I think the batters will speak volumes on that.

"Down at the Ageas Bowl when we were training in prep for the West Indies series, it was extremely high intensity practice and the nets were doing a bit as well, so the batters found it hard work.

"The bowlers are trying to force their way into the team and that is only a good thing.

"I hope that I have done enough to be in that starting XI. But competition is high at the minute, we've still got two of England's greats charging in and taking wickets every time they play, and we've got exciting fast bowlers as well.

"It's not an easy team to just be cemented in. My record in England is brilliant, I'm obviously pleased with that, I want to keep getting better and improving myself and every time I get the opportunity to play for England, whether it is home or away, I'm giving 110 per cent and trying to do my best for the team."

Given such impressive reserves, it feels high time for England to improve their efforts in the opening matches of series – their loss in Southampton to West Indies following similar opening-game reverses against South Africa, New Zealand and Australia over the past 12 months.

"I'd love to be able to put my finger on it, I'm sure the management and the team would as well," Woakes said.

"It's getting to the stage where it isn't just a coincidence. We want to put that right.

"It's a new series, we'll try to make sure we're as well prepared as possible. We know the conditions here at Old Trafford, so there are no excuses."

Woakes was unsure whether Ben Stokes will be fit to bowl this week having been restricted to batting duties due to injury in the final test with West Indies.

Buttler is skipping the Oval clash as he and his wife await the birth of their second child, meaning batsman Bairstow will take the gloves, and England have called in Sam Billings as cover.

It means at least one change will be made to the XI that beat India by an innings and 76 runs at Headingley to square the series, and it appears likely Ollie Pope will be the beneficiary, coming in to fortify the middle order in a match that gets under way on Thursday.

Chris Woakes is another option for head coach Chris Silverwood, who has recalled the Warwickshire all-rounder after he recovered from a heel injury.

Paceman Mark Wood also comes into contention, as he shows signs of recovering well from the shoulder injury that kept him out of the Headingley match, but Saqib Mahmood has been released to Lancashire duty.

Silverwood said: "It is very pleasing that we have Chris Woakes returning to the Test squad. He has bowled well over the past week with Warwickshire without any real concerns with his heel injury.

"He is an asset we have been missing both with the ball and his ability to score runs in the middle order. We are looking forward to seeing him prepare at The Oval as we go into back-to-back Tests.

"Mark Wood is making excellent recovery from his jarred right shoulder. He bowled in the middle on the last day at Headingley with our bowling coach Jon Lewis and was starting to get through his spells pain-free.

"For the first time in this series, it is pleasing to have several options with our bowling stocks as we approach the latter stages of the series.

"We would like to wish Jos and his family all the very best for the impending birth of their second child. Unfortunately, he will miss this Test, and we'll then see if he returns for the final Test at Emirates Old Trafford.

"Jonny Bairstow will take over wicketkeeping duties, which he is relishing. As we all know, he has the skills to seamlessly take over from Jos and the ability to score crucial runs in the middle order if called upon.

"Sam Billings, who was in the Test squad for the New Zealand series earlier this summer, returns as reserve keeper. He understands how we want to approach our cricket and is a popular member of the group. He will fit in well with the rest of the group."

The absence of Buttler means England lose their vice-captain, and his replacement in that role has not yet been specified.

England squad for the fourth Test against India at The Oval: Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Rory Burns, Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

A key component of the side that won the 50-over World Cup in 2019, Woakes has not featured in the shortest format at international level since November 2015.

Willey, meanwhile, will hope to get the chance to impress ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in October and November this year.

Liam Dawson is also included in a 16-man party that is minus the services of injured trio Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Reece Topley.

"With the T20 World Cup only a few months away, this summer is about perfecting our team and continue to progress on the field," England head coach Chris Silverwood said.

"We want to approach every series with an influx of players aiming to win every match and giving us the best preparation as we get closer to the tournament.

"With several high-profile players missing through injury, it allows me to look at some of our experienced players who have not featured at this level for some time.

"The likes of Chris Woakes and David Willey are very experienced cricketers, and to have them both in the mix is exciting and shows the depth of squad we have available.

"I want our team to play an attacking form of the game. I hope we can continue to excite the England fans with our approach."

The three-match series begins in Cardiff on June 23, with the second game also taking place at the same venue the following day. The Ageas Bowl will then host the finale on June 26.

England squad for T20 series against Sri Lanka:

Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

The hosts claimed the series opener in Manchester as they chased down a target of 277 on a gripping fourth day's play, despite at one stage slipping to 117-5 in their second innings.

Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes combined to put on a pivotal stand of 139 for the sixth wicket, making 75 and 84 not out respectively as England squeezed home with three wickets to spare.

Stokes contributed just nine on this occasion but his stunning knock against Australia in 2019, when he made 135 not out in a famous one-wicket win, always offers inspiration to his team-mates, according to Root.

"We knew it was going to take something special," England's captain told Sky Sports in the post-match presentation ceremony.

"I think, after last summer, it's very hard to stop believing. We know that anything is possible. 

"One thing you can never doubt about our dressing room is the character, the way that we always continue to keep believing and never give up. That's a real strong trait of ours. 

"I'm really proud and please that it has shone through today and the guys have gone on to get us 1-0 up."

England's victory puts them 1-0 up in the three-match series, a rare situation for Root and his players.

They have made a habit of losing the opener in recent history, including against West Indies on home soil earlier this year, but now have a lead to defend as the teams head to Southampton.

"I think the most important thing is we back it up again now. It's been frustrating in many ways [losing the opening game], but ultimately we've got to keep looking forward – and keep learning," Root said.

"There are definitely things we can take from this game and improve on. But I couldn't be more proud of the character we've shown, the way we approached the day and the clarity in which the way the guys played.

"On a very tough surface, to score that many runs, shows the ability of the group."

He added: "I couldn't be more proud of the lads. I thought that the way we approached the day was outstanding, and that partnership between Woaksey and Jos was magnificent.

"They were very clever about how they went about it, the way they constructed it."

The ECB confirmed on Friday that the tour – due to start at The Gabba on December 8 – would go ahead "subject to several critical conditions" being met regarding travel, quarantine and 'bubble' arrangements.

Captain Joe Root and deputy Jos Buttler are among the players that had previously stated they were not ready to commit to the series due to uncertainty over COVID-19 restrictions.

But while still holding some reservations concerning the logistical side of the tour, Woakes is looking forward to travelling to Australia after being named in England's 17-man group on Sunday.

"There is no player that does not want to be part of the Ashes," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Behind the scenes there are still things being ironed out between all sorts of levels. I think the players are relatively relaxed and the guys are desperate to go.

"But we want to be under the best sort of conditions possible so we can still live our lives outside of cricket."

Woakes, who has made 39 Test appearances for England, is one of five players to have been named in both the Ashes and T20 World Cup squads.

While the focus is largely on the showdown with Australia, Woakes will not let that influence his preparations for the World Cup, which begins later this week.
 
"It's exciting that there is an Ashes series around the corner, but there is a small thing of the World Cup first, so obviously I have my eyes firmly on that," he told reporters.

"We have a T20 World Cup to focus on and prep for and as soon as that is done and dusted our attention will shift. 

"We have no choice – you don't want to get to the end of a World Cup and think 'I wasn’t fully engaged'.

"We have to give this our full attention – what is going on with the Ashes is on the back burner and with the people who are making the decisions, kind of dealing with that on our behalf. You can't get too fixated on that.

"It is important we focus on the here and now. It is a great opportunity to win some silverware for your country. The Ashes stuff will have to be parked."

The sixth-wicket pairing combined in a match-winning stand worth 139 to help Joe Root's side triumph against the odds in Manchester. 

Pakistan appeared on course to prevail when they reduced their opponents from 86-1 to 117-5, while there was a further twist in a see-saw game when Buttler departed for 75 with 21 still required. 

Stuart Broad also perished for seven following a promotion up the order, but the outstanding Woakes finished up on 84 not out to see England home with three wickets to spare.

The hosts had fought their way back into the contest with a clatter of wickets in the final session of the previous day's play, though still had work to do with the ball on Saturday morning. 

Resuming on 137-8, Pakistan's final two wickets added 32 in just 16 deliveries, Yasir Shah increasing the lead as he smacked 33 in a hurry. 

The flurry of boundaries – not all through conventional shots - hurt England, whose task became even harder when Rory Burns (10) fell early, trapped in front by the metronomic Mohammad Abbas.  

Dom Sibley (36) and captain Root (42) combined to put on 64, only for a post-lunch collapse to put Pakistan firmly in control. 

Sibley and Ben Stokes (9) both fell to leg-spinner Yasir Shah, Root edged behind off Naseem Shah and Ollie Pope (7) could do little with a brute of a delivery from Shaheen Afridi that climbed off a length, thumped into the batsman's glove and looped to gully.   

Yet Buttler and Woakes responded to the precarious situation by going on the offensive, their attacking intent paying off as Pakistan pushed fielders back to stem the sudden flow of runs. 

While Yasir Shah struck twice to create a little more tension late in the day, Woakes duly edged Shaheen to the third man boundary to get England over the line.

Paceman Woakes took 2-11 in five overs, with Stuart Broad (2-23) and Ben Stokes (2-11) also doing damage with the ball as Pakistan crumbled to 137-8 in their second innings.

That meant they led by 244, having outperformed England - all out for 219 earlier in the day - with the bat first time round, setting the stage for a run chase that the home side will hope begins early on Saturday.

Woakes told Sky Sports: "We'd have liked to have got close to them in the first innings, but we are where we are in the game, and we had an opportunity to go out there and bowl them out and thankfully we've got them eight down."

Pakistan have a fine pace attack but England could face a stiff test against the turning ball, on a pitch that has already offered plenty to leg-spinners Yasir Shah and Shadab Khan.

Asked if the wicket was likely to deteriorate, Woakes said: "Potentially, yeah. When you lose the toss on a surface like this, you're always going to be up against it, especially if there's a first-innings deficit.

"But at the same time we've given ourselves a chance. We feel we can get them. But we've still got to pick up two [wickets] in the morning."

When England bat, they cannot afford to take a cautious approach, according to Woakes.

"We've got to come out and try to be positive," he said. "If you look to sit in on this wicket, particularly against the spin I suppose, there's one with probably your name on it.

"I feel if we start well in a chase like that you've always got a chance."

Joe Root's travelling party had been isolating in their hotel rooms after all-rounder Moeen Ali returned a positive result from PCR tests taken upon arrival at the airport in Hambantota on Sunday.

Moeen will continue to observe a 10-day quarantine period, while team-mate Chris Woakes will isolate for a minimum of seven days after being deemed a possible close contact.

However, the latest round of results show Moeen to be the only positive case and the rest of the squad can begin restricted training on Wednesday. 

"All PCR tests from yesterday are negative, except for Moeen Ali, and we can start controlled training this afternoon," an ECB spokesman said.

"Close contact Chris Woakes tested negative but will continue to isolate in his room."

England's two-match series with Sri Lanka gets under way in Galle on January 14.