England

Root has made a dream start to 2021, scoring a double century in the first Test against Sri Lanka and crafting a hundred in the second match as the tourists sealed a 2-0 whitewash in Galle last month.

The England skipper continued his purple patch at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on Friday, becoming only the ninth player to reach three figures in his 100th Test.

Root was unbeaten on 128 at stumps and although Dom Sibley was dismissed in the final over of the day to end a stand of 200, England are in a strong position on 263-3.

The skipper was understandably emotional on a landmark day and was grateful for some kind words from his team-mates, particularly his deputy Ben Stokes.

He said: "It's very special. Last night the guys put a little surprise together for me – some videos from some past players, and friends and family. And Ben, in particular, stood up and said some really kind words.

"What he said should stay between the two of us and the group, but Ben's a fine human being and it was really nice of him to go out of his way to say some very special things that I will hold dear forever."

"The guys have made it very special for me and I really appreciate it. It's been an amazing two days. I was a little bit emotional [at the toss]," Root added. "I couldn't even remember our team when they asked me about it.

"I was a little bit all over the place, but thankfully when I got out there, I knew it was business as normal and I had a job to do.

"For us to start this series in the way that we have, it couldn't have gone any better, bar a little blip at the end there. So, I really hope that we can build on that tomorrow and I'm obviously delighted with how things have gone personally."

Root stressed the importance of England capitalising on such a promising start.

"We've got to look to try and get as many as we can – 600, 700 if we can, really try and make the most of the first innings while it's good," he said.

"Those foot holes are starting to wear quite quickly. So, if we can bat the whole of tomorrow and maybe into day three, then things could speed up quite quickly for us and you never know what can happen from that point onwards."

Root was full of praise for opener Sibley, who faced 286 balls in a great knock and looked untroubled until he was trapped leg before by Jasprit Bumrah (2-40)

The Yorkshireman said: "That was a fantastic innings today. To come out with maybe a few question marks in his own mind about his game against spin, for him to go and put a performance early on in this series like that, against a high quality attack delivering reverse swing as well, was really impressive.

"He should take a lot of heart and confidence from that into the rest of the series. I really did feel for him – he deserved a hundred – but that's what happens when you play against good players.

"They can take wickets later on in the day and the challenge will be to try and better that partnership that we got together, try and better that tomorrow."

Mahmood was added to the squad as cover before it was reported by The Sun that his Lancashire team-mate Anderson did not bowl in training on Wednesday due to stiffness in his thigh.

Follow veteran Stuart Broad has also been sidelined due to a tweaked right calf ahead of the second of five Tests versus Virat Kohli's side, which starts on Thursday.

Joe Root is also unable to call upon Ben Stokes, who took a break for mental health reasons, Jofra Archer (elbow), Chris Woakes (heel) and Olly Stone (stress fracture of the back).

Paceman Mahmood has not played for England in the longest format, but the 24-year-old seamer has made an impressive start to his white-ball career at international level.

He has 14 wickets in seven ODIs at an average of 19.92 and was named player of the series in the recent 3-0 win over Pakistan.

England also called up all-rounder Moeen Ali on Tuesday, while batsman Ollie Pope could return after recovering from a quad injury.

Meanwhile, both England and India have been docked two points in the ICC World Test Championship and fined 40 per cent of their match fees due to slow over-rates in the drawn first Test at Trent Bridge.

England were forced to name an entirely new squad just two days before the opening match in Cardiff due to a coronavirus outbreak in the initial party.

A new-look team including five debutants grasped their opportunity in emphatic fashion, however, as the rusty tourists were dismissed for only 141 in 35.2 overs after being put in to bat by stand-in skipper Ben Stokes.

Mahmood took two wickets in the first over and finished with excellent figures of 4-42, while Craig Overton (2-23) and Matt Parkinson (2-28) also did damage.

Fakhar Zaman top scored with 47 in a nightmare start to the three-match series for Pakistan and England reached their target from only 21.5 overs, with Dawid Malan (68 not out) and debutant Zak Crawley (58no) making unbeaten half-centuries.

Mahmood snared Imam-ul-Haq leg before with the first ball of the game and claimed the huge wicket of Babar Azam two deliveries later, the Pakistan captain edging a peach of a delivery behind without scoring.

Lewis Gregory had Mohammad Rizwan caught by wicketkeeper John Simpson and Pakistan were 26-4 when Saud Shakeel was struck in front by a fired-up Mahmood.

Fakhar, who had scored centuries in his previous two ODI knocks against South Africa, struck six boundaries before slashing leg-spinner Parkinson to Crawley at point and while Shadab Khan added 30, Pakistan folded miserably.

Shaheen Shah Afridi saw the back of Phil Salt for only seven, but Malan and Crawley eased England home with an unbroken stand of 120.

MAHMOOD MAKES HIS MARK

Mahmood playing in his fifth ODI, recorded his best international figures, while Gregory conceded only one boundary from his four overs before Overton and Parkinson claimed a couple of wickets apiece.

England have now taken 33 wickets during powerplays in the 50-over format since winning the Cricket World Cup two years ago, 11 more than any other side. No team to play over three matches in that period has a better strike rate (28.2 balls per wicket) and their rate of a boundary every 10.4 deliveries is also the best.

MALAN AND CRAWLEY CASH IN

Malan missed the 2-0 series victory over Sri Lanka due to personal reasons but played fluently on his unexpected return. He has now recorded back-to-back ODI half-centuries, having also reached the landmark against India in Pune back in March.

The left-hander also made 76 in a recent Twenty20 victory over Sri Lanka and has showed he could merit a place in all formats. Crawley struggled in the Test series loss to New Zealand, yet he looked in good touch as he struck seven boundaries in a 50-ball innings.

The Lancashire seamer is a like-for-like replacement for the injured Mark Wood, who has been ruled out due to an elbow problem sustained in the first Test.

Joe Root's side played out a draw in that opening contest against Kraigg Brathwaite's hosts in Antigua and have moved on to Barbados for the second of three tussles for the Richards-Botham Trophy.

Centuries for captain Root, Jonny Bairstow and Zak Crawley were stymied by a superb display from Nkrumah Bonner and Wood's injury, on the back of Ollie Robinson being ruled out for the opener.

Root admitted that while Durham bowler Wood would be a loss, he had little doubts about 25-year-old Mahmood's potential.

"He's very mature for a guy who hasn't played a huge amount of international cricket, and he has an understanding of how he wants to operate," Root said.

"He's been very impressive. He's got a slightly different trajectory and will give us a point of difference. He has done that when he's played in other formats.

"Clearly he has good control, especially if the ball moves with reverse swing."

West Indies batsman Bonner, whose recent emergence as a Test player has followed a false start in international cricket in the T20I format 10 years ago, is relishing another battle after his man-of-the-match performance.

"During that 10-year period when I was out, there was a lot of work I put in mentally, physically and technically, and I'm really happy to be reaping the rewards now," Bonner said, quoted by BBC Sport.

"I'm more experienced now, I understand my game a lot better. I always had that belief I could play international cricket.

"Obviously sometimes the belief goes down a little bit, but I kept working and I'm really happy to have come back."

Stokes closes in on select England landmark

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been relatively quiet with bat and ball since returning to the international fold, but he could reach a notable landmark this week.

He needs 84 more to reach 5,000 runs in Test cricket for England; in doing so, he would become just the 23rd player to achieve this feat for the team.

West Indies are one of the three teams against whom he has scored over 1,000 runs.

Roach poised to move up WI rankings

Kemar Roach needs only one more wicket to become the outright seventh-highest wicket taker for West Indies in men's Test cricket.

Roach is level with Garry Sobers on 235 wickets, and the paceman has more wickets against England (54) than against any other team in this format.

Once he moves ahead, he will have sixth-placed Michael Holding in his sights, with 249.

Despite having to pick a brand new squad ahead of the series following a COVID outbreak in the camp, England crushed Pakistan by nine wickets in the first match.

Their victory was not quite as emphatic on Saturday but was never in doubt as Pakistan proved incapable of chasing down 248.

Phil Salt (60) and James Vince (56) were the stars with the bat as England were bowled out for 247 in a game reduced to 47 overs a side following a delayed start.

Hasan Ali got himself on the honours board with 5-51 for Pakistan, but England's Saqib Mahmood (2-19) was arguably the pick of the bowlers as the tourists were left playing catch-up en route to being bowled out for 195.

Dawid Malan and Zak Crawley fell for ducks in an inauspicious start for England, but Salt racked up 10 fours for his first international half-century and Vince scored his second in 18 ODIs to turn the tide in England's favour.

England then lost the next five wickets for just 42 balls, Hasan getting the prized scalp of stand-in captain Ben Stokes, but Lewis Gregory (40) and Brydon Carse (31) put on the highest eighth-wicket partnership at Lord's in ODIs with a stand of 69.

That ensured England got to a total they easily defended as Pakistan's top order failed miserably. Imam-ul-Haq followed up his duck at Cardiff by falling for one, caught behind from Gregory, before Mahmood trapped Pakistan skipper Babar Azam lbw for 19.

Mahmood then produced a beauty to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan (5) and Fakhar Zaman scored just 10 off 45 deliveries before being skittled by Craig Overton, with Saud Shakeel (56) and Hasan (31) the only batsmen to give Pakistan hope as they saw the series slip away.

Armed with an unbeatable 2-0 lead, England will aim to seal a series sweep at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

More Mahmood magic

After taking 4-42 in the opener in Cardiff, Mahmood was outstanding once more for England.

An excellent length delivery struck Babar on the pads to dismiss Pakistan's most dangerous batsman, and the ball to remove Rizwan was similarly impressive as Mahmood got one to nip away and draw a thin edge to wicketkeeper John Simpson.

Pakistan's batting blues

Having been bowled out for 141 in the series opener, Pakistan showed only limited improvement as a collective batting unit here.

The tone was set as England ripped through their top order, with skipper Babar again gone for a low score having been dismissed for a duck in Cardiff.

For a player who averages over 55 in ODI cricket, it is a bemusing loss of form.

The Yorkshire top-order batsman posted a superb 82 off 49 balls, and combined with Moeen Ali for a fifth-wicket stand of 92 at Canberra's Manuka Oval against the world champions for a total of 178-7.

The hosts looked to threaten a successful chase throughout, with Mitchell Marsh (45) forming the bedrock of their pursuit, ably supplanted by Tim David (40) following his dismissal.

Pat Cummins supplied a late burst of pyrotechnics too, smashing a six at the start of the final over into the scoreboard to set up a nerve-jangling last act.

But Sam Curran's taut bowling, with figures of 3-25, ultimately kept any resistance at bay, to make it two wins from two for the tourists ahead of this month's tournament as Australia finished with 170-6.

Victory hands England the three-match series, with a dead rubber third encounter to come on October 14, before they play their last warm-up against Pakistan on October 17.

Curran doubles down

Having bowled the final over in the first T20I to keep Australia out at the death, it was more of the same from the Surrey left-hander, who dismissed Marcus Stonis, Glenn Maxwell and David.

If there is any doubt about his position now, it looks to have been mostly eradicated, with the 24-year-old likely to make the cut for their opener against Afghanistan on October 22.

Finch reinforces position

Back at the top of the order after Cameron Green partnered David Warner against the West Indies, Australia captain Aaron Finch appears to not be moving from his spot now.

The 35-year-old played his part in claiming the T20 World Cup last year and will do so again from his preferred position, despite a lacklustre 13 off as many balls.

The top-order batsman was a member of Jos Buttler's title-winning squad earlier this month, but was ruled out of the final through injury.

With several first-choice names rested for the ODI opener against their hosts in Adelaide however, the Yorkshire all-rounder flourished with a score of 134, even as England fell to a six-wicket loss.

Buttler will look to defend England's 50-over World Cup success next year following triumph in 2019, and Malan hopes his emphatic response on his return can help him push his name into the conversation.

"To get to the T20 World Cup final and be ruled out was gutting, so to come here, prove my fitness and score a hundred was extremely satisfying," he stated.

"I think it's always important to score runs. I think 50 overs is probably my strongest format, but it's hard to get into the team with how guys have performed the last couple of years.

"But if I keep doing what I'm doing, I might be part of that squad."

Australia captain Pat Cummins was delighted to see his side bounce back from T20 World Cup disappointment, where the hosts failed to reach the semi-final stage.

"England are always a strong team," he told Test Match Special. "It's nice for us to get back out there and make amends, remind ourselves we are still a very good team despite being disappointed."

The pair meet again on Saturday in the second of three ODIs, before they resume hostilities in The Ashes in the new year.

The hosts struggled after electing to bat first, setting a target of just 210, but England's response for a while looked in danger of falling short.

Malan picked up the pace following a considered start, however, eventually finishing on 114 not out to reach 212-7 and brilliantly drag England over the line.

Tamim Iqbal (23) began purposefully but Bangladesh soon had their momentum disrupted by Mark Wood (2-34) and Chris Woakes (1-28), the former dismissing the hosts' captain with an emphatic delivery.

The spinners then took care of Bangladesh's middle order, with each England bowler claiming at least one wicket.

Najmul Hossain Shanto (58) proved the biggest nuisance, his maiden half-century crucial in helping the hosts surpass 200.

But a tremendous catch from Jason Roy sent him back to the pavilion at 159-5 in what proved a turning point – Bangladesh added only another 50 runs.

England's chase received an early blow when Roy (4) fell to a simple Iqbal catch in the first over, while Phil Salt (12), James Vince (6) and Jos Buttler (9) were not much better.

Taijul Islam (3-54) took two of the first four wickets as England found themselves on 65-4, but amid all the floundering, Malan was calmly plugging away.

A close escape from an lbw appeal in the 22nd over proved vital, with Malan first playing it steady as he reached 50 off 92, before then getting his century off 134.

He secured the ton with a clip through midwicket that brought up his 10th boundary, and another four – whacked through wide mid-on – fittingly ensured Malan clinched victory.

Malan's the man of the moment

England's bowlers did some sterling work early on, with Jofra Archer, Wood, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid all taking two wickets each, but the generally disappointing nature of the visitors' chase meant Malan had to take on the role of firefighter.

After looking all at sea at 65-4, Malan took charge. In claiming his 100, he becomes the second-fastest player to four ODI centuries.

Taijul gave Bangladesh a chance

Bangladesh were also largely better with the ball than the bat. Taijul was the pick of the bunch for the hosts, taking three wickets – more than anyone else in the match.

His efforts were central to England getting off to a stuttering start. In the end, one man's class was the difference, and to be fair to Bangladesh, Malan looked like he could bat another 50 overs and still not get removed.

Having overhauled the Proteas' total of 179-6 with four balls in hand in Friday's opener in Cape Town, England managed to reach a target of 147 from the penultimate delivery on Sunday.

A slow, low surface made batting difficult for both teams, though Dawid Malan played a crucial knock of 55 from 40 deliveries in the successful chase as England earned a four-wicket win.

The left-hander hit a six and seven fours as he overcame a sluggish start - he managed just 25 runs from his first 30 balls - to perfectly pick up the pace in the closing overs, putting on 51 for the fifth wicket with Eoin Morgan.

Lungi Ngidi (2-51) dismissed Malan courtesy of a stunning catch by Reeza Hendricks on the boundary, though England still managed 18 from that 18th over, leaving them with a simple requirement at the finish.

Chris Jordan struck the winning blow off Kagiso Rabada as captain Morgan finished unbeaten on 26, able to celebrate a 30th T20 victory during his time in charge of the team.

Tabraiz Shamsi claimed 3-25 for South Africa on a pitch that helped the spinners, Adil Rashid having picked up 2-24 earlier as England restricted their hosts to 146-6.

Rashid dismissed Hendricks and Faf du Plessis with successive deliveries – the latter stumped for the first time at international level in the format - to become only the fourth man to reach 50 T20 wickets for England.

There was also a notable milestone for team-mate Jordan too, as Quinton de Kock (30) became his 65th wicket in T20 internationals, putting him joint-top on England's all-time list, alongside Stuart Broad.

George Linde made a lively 29 off 20 balls but South Africa struggled to break the shackles. They will aim to avoid suffering a 3-0 series sweep when the teams meet again for the third and final game on Tuesday.

England secured a series sweep of the Proteas on Tuesday as Malan made an unbeaten 99 in a nine-wicket victory with 14 balls to spare.

A world-record second-wicket partnership of 167 with Jos Buttler (67 not out) should have seen Malan rewarded with a second T20I century, only for a miscalculation to see the in-form batsman take a decisive single that left him short.

Regardless, his efforts were sufficient to make history.

This sterling display saw the world number one T20I batsman move to a record 915 points, becoming the first player to pass 900 – the previous high hit by Australia's Aaron Finch in 2018.

Malan is 44 points clear of second-placed Babar Azam, the man he overtook at the summit in September.

England are now on top of the team rankings too, edging ahead of Australia on decimal points.

Sibley failed twice as England suffered a dramatic 151-run defeat in the second Test at Lord's.

The opening batsman and Zak Crawley have been omitted from a 15-man squad as Joe Root's side attempt to level the five-match series in Leeds next week.

Malan could come in at number three, with Haseeb Hameed opening after the left-hander returned to the Test set-up for the first time in three years.

Seamer Saqib Mahmood, called up as cover for the second Test, has also been included along with paceman Mark Wood, who will be monitored after suffering a shoulder injury at the Home of Cricket.

Spinner Jack Leach will return to Somerset, but remain on standby as back-up to Moeen Ali.

England head coach Chris Silverwood said: "Dawid Malan deserves his opportunity in the Test arena. He has a lot of experience across all formats and, if called upon, I am confident that he can come and do well on his home ground.

"In the limited time he has played first-class cricket this season, he has shown what he is capable of, scoring a highly accomplished 199 for Yorkshire against Sussex at Headingley in June.

"Zak Crawley will return to Kent to galvanise the excellent work he did last week in the nets at Lord's with assistant coach Graham Thorpe.

"Zak is still a massive part of our plans moving forward, but we feel he would benefit from time outside the pressure of international competition to get some time working on his skills.

"He has a bright future and I do not doubt that his time will come again in the Test arena.

"Dom Sibley needs some time away to regain his confidence after a challenging period. He will return to Warwickshire to spend time in the middle without the scrutiny and find some rhythm and confidence.

"Dom offers a lot of value to the Test environment and some time away should help him. However, he remains part of our plans.

"Jack Leach will return to Somerset to get some game time. I have been impressed with his patience and it's not easy living under the COVID protocols, especially when you're not playing.

"However, he has regained his confidence and spark, and it has been a considerable asset having him around.

"He will be on standby should we need his services, but we want what is best for him and playing cricket and getting overs into him is the way to go.

"We are hopeful that Mark Wood will be fit after injuring his right shoulder. Our medical team will be working with him each day. We will monitor where he is at when we get to Leeds.

"We also have the services of Saqib Mahmood, who's been brilliant across all formats this summer. He is confident, highly-skilled and will not be overawed if he makes his Test debut. His temperament and attitude are suited to the international arena."

England squad: Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood.

Having already clinched the series, England were set a target of 192 at Newlands thanks to unbeaten half-centuries from Faf du Plessis (54 not out) and Rassie van der Dussen (72 not out).

That was the Proteas' highest score of the series but still proved nowhere near enough to prevent England from easing to victory with 14 balls to spare as Malan and Buttler (67 not out) put on a devastating 167.

Coming off a half-century in the second match at Paarl, Malan brutally punished a missed run-out by Proteas captain Quinton de Kock with a magnificent innings, he and Buttler taking turns bludgeoning a South Africa attack absent the injured Kagiso Rabada.

Malan accelerated towards his second T20 international century but, needing two to reach three figures, made the mental error of taking the single that got England over the line, leaving him hanging his head at the end of a remarkable display.

Du Plessis and Van der Dussen were ruthless in capitalising on a disappointing bowling showing from England with their 127-run partnership, which appeared to have lifted the hosts to a strong position as they recovered emphatically from a wobble that had reduced them to 64-3.

They combined for 10 fours and eight sixes in an innings that left Ben Stokes with a bloodied hand after a seemingly innocuous incident at the boundary.

Stokes was not required to bat, however, as Malan and Buttler rose to the challenge with remarkable ease.

Jason Roy (16) was stifled by the South Africa attack, but England soon hit their stride and produced their best powerplay performance of the series - reaching 56-1 in six overs.

Malan should have been run out in the ninth over when he elected to come back for a second, but an outstanding throw from Temba Bavuma was in vain as De Kock fumbled the ball.

That reprieve allowed Malan and Buttler to reach the 100 partnership in 53 balls. Malan needed only 26 to bring up his 50 and Buttler was not far behind - his half-century arriving in 34 deliveries.

It was Malan who took on the mantle towards the end of the innings, however, his fifth six over long-on putting him in striking distance of a hundred that he was denied after his miscalculation left him stuck on 99.

Broad finished with match figures of 10-67 after claiming the first and last wickets on the final day of the third Test at Old Trafford, where England won by 269 runs to regain the Wisden Trophy.

The England paceman trapped Kraigg Brathwaite lbw to become the seventh bowler to join the 500 club, a landmark James Anderson reached by dismissing the same batsman in 2017.

Broad took 4-36 on day five and Chris Woakes finished with magnificent figures of 5-50 to bowl the tourists out for only 129.

England great Broad was furious at being left out for England's defeat in the first Test at the Rose Bowl and responded by taking six wickets last week, before claiming 10 and scoring a quickfire half-century in the decider.

He told Test Match Special: "I was really down that week [in Southampton], but I've got some brilliant people around me to pick me up.

"I knew I was bowling well, I knew I was in good rhythm, so it was great to get an opportunity when we got here to have the chance to take some wickets."

Broad revealed he got the answers he was looking for when he spoke to head coach Chris Silverwood and national selector Ed Smith after being omitted for the opening Test and was fuelled to prove a point in Manchester.

"I had a really good chat with Silverwood and Ed Smith. To be honest it was always unrealistic to expect any seamer would play all six of these Test matches this summer with them being back-to-back and workloads," he said.

"I was just disappointed I wasn't chosen for that first game, but I sort of knew deep down I would get an opportunity.

"If I get challenged or I feel like there is a bit of a point to prove, I'm a competitive person anyway, but I came to Manchester with the bit between my teeth and it does feel really good to have been able to put some performances in.

"I think it's not as if the management staff are thinking that I couldn't do it anymore, because my record over the last 18 months particularly has been pretty strong, but it's always good to be on winning sides for England and to have contributed to winning Test matches.

"When you cross 30 it's easy to write you off, when you are 34 it's much easier to write you off, but I hope I've quietened the writers-off a little bit."

Windies captain Brathwaite spent 710 minutes at the crease to hold the tourists up with an excellent 160 in the first innings and he followed that up with a resolute unbeaten 56 in Barbados on Sunday to keep the three-match series level at 0-0.

Joe Root set West Indies 282 to win by declaring on 185-6, but Brathwaite set a record of 673 for the most balls faced by a West Indies player in a single Test as he dug in for a second time.

Brathwaite showed incredible concentration and skill as the Windies frustrated England for the second time in the series to grind out a draw, reaching 135-5 from 65 overs to set up a decider in Grenada.

Jack Leach (3-36) and Saqib Mahmood (2-21) gave the tourists high hopes of forcing a victory, but they were unable to dislodge the rock-solid Brathwaite or Joshua Da Silva (30 not out).

Spinner Veerasammy Permaul (2-29) removed Alex Lees (24) and Joe Root after England resumed on 40 without loss in need of quick runs before declaring.

Rain breaks held the tourists up, but Zak Crawley (40) and Dan Lawrence (41) built the lead, while Ben Stokes made a brisk 18 prior to striking Kemar Roach to Brathwaite at cover, having sent the paceman for a huge six over midwicket.

Jonny Bairstow made 29 off 25 balls, but the runs had dried up for England before the declaration came after more rain brought the players in once again late in the morning session.

Leach got the early breakthrough in his first over, with John Campbell caught by Leeds close to the bat. Mahmood then took centre stage, Root reacting to catch Shamarh Brooks after a Crawley juggling act and the captain held again on at first slip to dismiss Nkrumah Bonner.

West Indies were 65-3 at tea after a stand of 50 between the incredible Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood was ended by Leach, courtesy of Bairstow's catch close in to send the number five packing for 27.

Jason Holder faced 24 balls before departing for a duck, as Lawrence took a great diving catch at cover for Leach, but Brathwaite continued to stand firm with support from Da Silva in an unbroken partnership of 42.

Brathwaite shows incredible staying power

Another incredible captain's innings from Brathwaite at the top of the order left England scratching their hands.

The opener made England toil with a marathon 489-ball knock in the first innings and he dug in again when his team needed him on the final day.

Brathwaite's 184 balls faced on Sunday under great pressure moved him beyond the record of 582 that were delivered to Brian Lara, when he made his sensational 400 against England in April 2004.
 

England fall short despite Mahmood burst and Leach marathon

Mahmood led the way for England as he took 2-12 in an impressive opening spell.

Leach also did damage and racked up 94.5 overs in the match, but the spinner could not find a way to dismiss the phenomenal Brathwaite.

Malan and Livingstone struggled during Sunday’s emphatic 74-run defeat to New Zealand at Edgbaston, which kept the four-match T20 series finely poised at 2-1 to the world champions ahead of Tuesday’s finale in Nottingham.

While Malan and Livingstone were both named in last month’s preliminary squad for the 50-over World Cup, Harry Brook remains the elephant in the room after Ben Stokes’ decision to reverse his ODI retirement saw Brook left out.

Brook has responded in scintillating fashion and even white-ball captain Jos Buttler admitted there is a “long time” left with England not forced to nail down their final 15-man squad until September 28.

Trescothick admitted: “When there is that element and the noise from outside the changing room is going on, of course you start to question (things) sometimes, especially if you are not playing well, but you deal with these anxieties and problems on many occasions.

“It is up to the individuals, with our help as coaches, to get the best out of them and to get them in the right frame of mind. That’s all you try and do, right?

“You can only keep going into the middle, keep going into the nets and doing the right things because eventually it falls back into place.

“These are challenging times and we know that. Selection always brings that little something but it is about pushing and to keep giving them that opportunity.

“That is what we will do from our point of view, support them as much as we can and give them every opportunity then leave the rest for either them to score runs or the selectors to do what they want to do after that.”

If Brook is to force his way into England’s World Cup squad and final XI, Malan and Livingstone are heading up the list of vulnerable parties.

Malan contributed an 11-ball innings of two in Birmingham after a four-ball duck at Old Trafford and while he scored 54 in the series opener, the 36-year-old was dropped by Trent Rockets in last month’s Hundred to highlight his lack of fluency.

But Trescothick insisted: “We have been working at various times in the nets and opportunities when we do, talking about the fundamentals of what he does when he plays well and what he gets right.

“We won’t change that practice in what we’re trying to achieve, but it takes a bit of time.

“You know when you are going from not having batted much for the period the players have been in The Hundred, they need an innings, they need a score.

“Sometimes it is a journey, sometimes it is quickly but we will keep doing the same stuff and eventually it will click back into place. There is no doubt about it.”

Trescothick is equally convinced about Livingstone despite a lean spell with the bat with a top score of 28 in The Hundred, while he has not passed fifty for England since last July against Netherlands.

“Before we know it, he will be back and playing a major part,” England’s assistant coach said of Livingstone, who took one wicket for 55 on Sunday.

“He has played a decent amount of games, but he wouldn’t have batted a massive amount, so you still need that rhythm, timing and volume of balls you face. That’s what we will try between now and going into the World Cup to obviously get that volume up.

“The package Liam brings, the all-round cricketer we know he is and what we’ve seen in the past, let’s just give him that little bit of time.

“We know what he can do. He can win you the game with the ball or win you the game in the field, or with the bat so let’s let it happen.”

With the Test series in India already lost, England are searching for a consolation win and Zak Crawley made a battling 79 but the tourists unravelled from 137 for two and 175 for three to 218 all out.

Kuldeep Yadav collected five for 72 while Ravichandran Ashwin marked his 100th Test with figures of four for 51 as all 10 England wickets fell to spin in chilly conditions before India closed on 135 for one.

The in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal muscled three sixes in his 57 off 58 balls while Rohit Sharma went to stumps on day one of this fifth and final Test on 52 not out to leave India just 83 runs behind.

“It’s been a disappointing day,” Trescothick said. “We were hoping for a lot more with winning the toss. We’re a bit behind the game, it’s not quite the score we wanted.

“We got to lunch quite nicely, had a bit of luck here and there and managed to get to that point where we were OK and the afternoon was where it all changed.

“Kuldeep spun the ball hard, more than we’ve seen from anyone else so far. Of course we’re disappointed to not quite match up to what we expect.

“But you never look upon it as ‘we’re dead and buried’. Everyone will take a look at themselves and potentially go, ‘All right, I can be better than I’ve been’ and hopefully we can put that right.”

While the dismissals of Jonny Bairstow, on his 100th Test, Joe Root and Ben Stokes within eight balls was the turning point as England dramatically crumbled, Ollie Pope had another forgettable outing.

Pope’s brilliant 196 underpinned a famous England triumph in Hyderabad in the series opener but he has made just 100 runs in his eight other innings and often appeared skittish when at the crease.

England head coach Brendon McCullum said recently the key for Pope is “to not have played his innings before he goes out there” but he was again ill-at-ease in his 24 balls here.

In the final over before lunch, Pope rashly charged at Kuldeep but seemingly failed to pick the left-arm wrist-spinner’s googly and was stumped by a long way by wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel for 11.

“Ollie Pope is someone who cannot stay still at the crease for a long time,” Kuldeep said. “His style is such that he steps out a lot and tries to dominate the spinners by hitting them down the ground.

“He had stepped out early, so it was easy for me to change the variation. It was not that I had planned in advance. When I saw him coming out, I changed it.”

Trescothick, though, threw his backing behind England’s number three.

“Getting into an innings is always challenging over here, and facing high quality spin,” Trescothick said. “That is part of his game he is looking to improve on.

“I think we’d all agree that after his 196 in Hyderabad we had seen an improvement and we saw parts of his game that are definitely getting better. Let’s keep allowing that to happen.

“The more we knock down and put pressure on people, the challenges will come. He’s definitely improving, as are many other players in our team.”

While Shoaib Bashir recovered sufficiently from a stomach upset to take the field, Ollie Robinson was still feeling unwell and left at the team hotel, bringing England’s number down to 13 fit players.

Trescothick and fellow England assistant Paul Collingwood have been drafted in as substitute fielders at 48 and 47 years old respectively. Trescothick, though, hopes to avoid fielding duties.

“If I do, I’ll be standing at long-leg or something like that,” the former Somerset opener said. “I think Colly’s chomping at the bit to get on there!

“I think we’ve worked out a plan; it’s not going to happen, we’re not going to get on the field, we’ve got enough reserves in place.”

The pace pair have struggled with serious injury problems over the course of their careers – perhaps unsurprising given their shared ability to hit extreme speeds in excess of 95mph – but are hopeful of taking on Australia in the coming months.

Archer last played Test cricket more than two years ago, spending much of the intervening period battling with a longstanding elbow complaint, and reacted angrily to reports this week that he had recently been forced to undergo a minor procedure on the joint.

He took to Twitter to rebuke revelations that came at a “worrying and troubling time for a player” but he was cleared to play his second IPL game of the season on Saturday and remains in England’s thoughts for their hotly-anticipated series against Australia, which begins in June.

Wood, who is also in India with Lucknow Super Giants, is also hoping to be involved after being ruled out of the whole of last summer’s international programme and expects Archer to be ready too.

“I feel for Jofra actually and I can sympathise with him quite a bit there,” the Durham quick told Sky Sports News.

“You feel like you’re just getting back and then you have a little setback and things happen. The curve’s never in a straight line is it? You know that on the way back you’re going to have bumps along the way. But he’s a champion player and I’m sure he’ll come back and be a champion again.

“I think, reading between the lines, it sounds like it’s not a massive setback that he’s going to have. He has overcome bigger things and I’m sure that he will be ready for the Ashes.

“England aren’t going to be silly with things. They’re going to know they want him for that series and they’re going to be looking ahead. He’ll get great treatment there in Mumbai and England will look after him so that, come the Ashes, he will be mentally and physically ready.”

Wood was one of the few visiting players who enhanced his reputation during England’s humbling 4-0 defeat Down Under in 2021-22 and is sure it will be a much closer contest this time around.

“I think Australia are a world-class team and I think it will be a great series,” he said.

“This (England) team is capable of achieving great things and I wouldn’t want to put any marker on it and say we can’t do anything, or set the bar at any sort of level, because I think this team can really achieve great things.”

Four days on from the stumping controversy that dogged the previous match at Lord’s, Wood bamboozled Australia with express pace that topped 96 miles per hour and claimed five for 34 in the tourists’ 263 all out.

A one-man show from comeback kid Mitch Marsh was responsible for the majority of those runs, but his breathtaking run-a-ball 118 would not have been possible had Joe Root not put him down at slip with just 12 to his name.

That was one of four drops for an England side whose collection of missed chances is starting to become a worrying theme of the summer.

Root, with 19 not out, has the chance to make amends with the bat on day two with England 68 for three in response.

With him at the crease is Jonny Bairstow, the man at the centre of last Sunday’s flashpoint dismissal and one who always brings his best when there is a score to settle.

Australia’s struggles either side of Marsh’s fireworks – four for 91 in the morning session and a collapse of six for 23 as Wood mopped up – went down well with a raucous crowd, who booed and barracked the opposition with gusto all day.

The two players involved in Bairstow’s controversial dismissal copped the worst of the anger but both held their nerve, Cummins dismissing Ben Duckett and Harry Brook and Carey pulling off a fine leaping catch.

But the moment belonged to Wood, making his first Test appearance since December and held back for the first two matches due to worries over his fitness, as he recorded his best ever performance on home soil.

Wood was part of the side that slumped to a seventh-place finish at the tournament a matter of weeks ago, with the defending champions ruthlessly exposed during a handful of stinging defeats.

Fresh from playing a crucial role in England’s Ashes comeback over the summer, Wood was unable to lift the 50-over side in the same way, chipping in with just six wickets in seven matches and going at 6.46 runs an over.

Speaking ahead of Thursday’s first Test in Hyderabad, where he is expected to provide the pace in spin-friendly conditions, Wood is eager to put those 50-over struggles firmly behind him.

“I didn’t perform well in the World Cup and that was my last involvement so I feel like I’ve got a point to prove a little bit here,” he said.

“I was very disappointed with that whole campaign, personally and as a team. Conditions might not be favourable for me but I’ll be trying to put a better show than I did at the World Cup. We came here with big expectations and we didn’t live up to it, nowhere near up to it.

“I was really upset with it. For about a week once I got home I was thinking, ‘Why did I do that?’ or ‘Why was this happening?’, ‘What did we do that for?’.

“It really hurt for a while but that’s why there is a hunger to come back into this environment. I’m ready to try to prove that was just a one-off.”

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While England’s status as defending champions meant they had been well fancied heading into the World Cup, the odds place them as distant second favourites ahead of the five-match series.

India have not been turned over at home since 2012, when Sir Alastair Cook’s England scored a famous win, losing only three of their 46 subsequent Tests.

The widespread belief that India will prevail again on the kind of turning surfaces that undermined England’s efforts in 2021 is liberating to Wood, who is focusing on the chance to do something special.

“We’ve created history in the past, (winning last year) in Pakistan. It’s a free hit, to be honest,” he said.

“Not many teams come here and win. If we give it a good go, we could go down in flames, but if we give it a go, it’s no different to any other time.”

The majority of England’s XI seems to be locked in, with Harry Brook’s return home for personal reasons opening the way for Ben Foakes to return to the team and reclaim the wicketkeeping gloves from Jonny Bairstow.

Wood and James Anderson are favoured to take seam bowling duties, with Jack Leach likely to be joined by one of Tom Hartley or Rehan Ahmed in the spin ranks.

The squad’s fourth spinner, 20-year-old Shoaib Bashir, missed a second training session on Tuesday after visa complications kept him grounded in Abu Dhabi.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has revamped its central contract system in a bid to ward off the growing threat from T20 franchises, handing out long-term deals for the first time in addition to the usual annual extensions.

Wood was one of three players to sign a lucrative three-year term, having previously admitted that a huge offer to play in the United Arab Emirates was testing his resolve, with Joe Root and Harry Brook following suit.

The ECB hoped to have agreements in place before the tournament in India but, while some were finalised swiftly, others dragged on into the campaign and the announcement was finally made last week.

By then England had already played four times, losing three, and things have continued to veer off course, leaving the defending champions rock bottom in 10th place after six rounds.

Wood does not believe the two issues are linked but acknowledges the timing of England’s unexpected dip in results has not been helpful.

“I don’t think they were a distraction, no,” he said.

“If we’re trying to look for excuses, I think players need to look at themselves a little bit more, me included.

“But we’ve not lived up to that reward of the contract. I can understand people’s frustration. I would totally get that.

“Obviously when lads are rewarded with things and then they don’t perform at the level that you think, that’s justified. But it’s not through lack of trying. We are trying our hardest to get this right.

“There’s no cracks in the group. There’s no falling out. Everyone is generally trying to do it for each other. We believe in each other. It’s just not happening the way we want.”

Wood was honest about his own status, insisting that turning out for his country remained his primary motivation while acknowledging the financial muscle being flexed by franchise owners.

At 33, and with a long history of fitness issues behind him, he sought security and was pleased to see the ECB provide it.

“My motivation has always been to play for England. That was always what I’ve wanted to do as a kid growing up. That’s the pinnacle for me, so I’m delighted with the deal,” he said.

“I had some positive conversation with (ECB managing director of men’s cricket) Rob Key, to see if he wanted me to stay in the team or what he envisioned for me going forward with England.

“He said that I was part of the plans and I’m obviously delighted to have signed three years. It gives me security for me and my family.

“But I would definitely have had to consider (franchise offers), which is why I had lots of conversations with Keysy behind the scenes.

“As an injury-prone lad, if I ever have trouble, I’ll be well looked after by England physios.

“If you’re effectively self-employed, you go to these teams and say ‘Who wants me?’. But if I have a bad season or you get a bad injury, who then looks after you? So now I’m looked after by England and employed by England.”

England’s next match sees them take on Australia in Ahmedabad on Saturday, a renewal of hostilities between the old rivals after a tense Ashes summer.

Wood excelled for England in the series, helping inspire his side to a 2-2 draw after coming into the side 2-0 down.

Australia head into the match as favourites given England’s recent struggles and their own strong form, but Wood is still hoping to shift the balance.

“It’s completely different conditions, different players, different timing, different form (from the Ashes) but we’ve played against them for years,” he said.

“In one-day cricket, we’ve done well against them in recent times. I don’t think they’ll be going into this game pooing their pants, but it’s up to us to change that.”