Icc Test Championship

England are set to return to action with three behind-closed-doors Tests against the Windies at the Rose Bowl and Old Trafford.

However, current five-day captain Root may be missing for one of those fixtures as his wife, Carrie, is due to give birth, with the batsman conceding he would leave the bio-secure areas in Southampton and Manchester to attend the birth.

Root has not missed a Test since being named captain in 2017 but has backed current vice-captain Stokes to step up should he not be available.

However, Pietersen has advised against having all-rounder Stokes fill the void given his own brief experience of a role he had for only three Tests.

"Do I want to see Ben Stokes change from who he is and the current player he is? Probably not, Jos Buttler would be my guy," Pietersen, who resigned as England captain in 2009, told talkSPORT.

"The entertainers and the guys that have to carry the mantle in the team sometimes aren't the best captains and sometimes struggle with the extra added pressure.

"As a player you are looked at completely differently until that phone call comes and you are announced as the Test captain.

"Responsibilities change, communication changes, the way in which you carry yourself in the dressing room changes.

"I struggled with it, I absolutely hated it and I was rubbish. You have to change and I couldn't command the respect of the dressing room. You say something and it is frowned upon, it is a completely different story."

The tourists won by 189 runs, claiming the 10th wicket in the Proteas' second innings with just over half an hour left to play on day five, as Stokes, who had previously shone with the bat, took the last three wickets in dramatic fashion.

With 26 overs remaining, it looked like the hosts would bat out the day for a draw with Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen well set and their team on 237-5

But De Kock fell for 50 after a poor shot off Joe Denly before Van der Dussen's 194-minute, 140-ball innings for just 17 ended tamely when he was caught off Stuart Broad down the legside. 

Debutant Pieter Malan made 84 after surviving for 288 deliveries, but Stokes helped England prevail and gave coach Chris Silverwood his first Test win in four attempts despite largely being without the injured James Anderson after lunch.

There are two more Tests to come in the four-match series, with the next contest in Port Elizabeth starting on January 16.

Starting the day on 126-2, Keshav Maharaj soon fell for two in the third over, Anderson dismissing him plumb lbw, with the nightwatchman not even waiting for the umpire's finger.

That brought Proteas captain Faf du Plessis to the crease for what the hosts hoped would be a match-saving partnership with Malan.

The skipper, so often his side's final-innings hero, moved on to 19 but got out in poor fashion, giving his wicket away poorly when he swept straight to Denly at square leg off Dom Bess.

That meant South Africa were four down at lunch and the crucial wicket of Malan early in the second session, Sam Curran forcing an edge to second slip where Stokes was waiting gratefully, appeared to have the tourists in control.

The hosts desperately needed a partnership and it arrived through De Kock and Van der Dussen, who managed well as the 32 overs after lunch went for just 55 runs and one wicket.

But just as it looked like South Africa were comfortable, De Kock, who brought up his fifty with a four off Curran, could not believe what he had done when he sent a long hop from Denly straight to Zak Crawley.

England then saw a field change pay immediate dividends, Anderson catching Van der Dussen at leg gully before Stokes (3-35) found the edge of Dwaine Pretorius with captain Joe Root taking a smart catch at slip.

Anrich Nortje went for a golden duck next ball, Crawley keeping his cool in the slips to make the catch at the second attempt while on the ground.

And Vernon Philander was the last man to fall as he fended Stokes to gully, ending the retiring star's attempt to see South Africa through to the close at his home stadium.

England’s prospects were growing increasingly bleak after centuries from India pair Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill on the second morning of the fifth Test but Stokes stepped up in jaw-dropping fashion.

Having teased a return to bowling for the past few weeks, the England captain showed he was worth the wait by beating the outside edge of a flat-footed Rohit and clipping the top of off-stump, sending his opposite number back in the second over after lunch for 103.

James Anderson moved to Test wicket 699 by castling Shubman Gill through the gate for 110 but India remain firmly in charge after going to tea on 376 for three, putting them 158 ahead of their opponents.

Sarfaraz Khan was unbeaten on 56 off just 59 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal ended the session on 44 not out as England’s hopes of a consolation victory at the end of the series continue to recede.

Stokes, though, provided the magic moment 251 days since he last bowled on July 1. He has been used exclusively as a batter since then and went under the knife in November to remove a bone spur and have his meniscus reinforced with stitches to try to resolve a longstanding complaint in his left knee.

He had made a “pinky promise” with England’s physiotherapist Ben Davies not to bowl on this tour but he has progressed well enough in his recovery and been operating at full tilt in practice sessions.

Even in a career full of highlight-reel moments, this was still scarcely credible from Stokes. England barely had a sniff as Rohit and Gill put on 171 and the pair each went past three figures to carry to an imposing 275 for one in response to England’s 218.

There was no loosener from Stokes, whose angled first delivery held its line and beat Rohit’s tentative push before disturbing the stumps. Stokes barely acknowledged what he had done but Mark Wood had his hands on his head in disbelief, while Brendon McCullum cupped his hand to his mouth on the sidelines.

Anderson found a hint of reverse swing to send back Gill eight balls later and England sensed an opening. However, Stokes was frustrated at being unable to hang on to a low return catch diving forward when Sarfaraz was on two and while it was a no-ball, it was a let-off for the batter.

Stokes sent down a tidy spell of 5-1-17-1 as Sarfaraz and Test debutant Padikkal started cautiously. Sarfaraz took just nine off his first 30 balls, kept quiet by Stokes and initially Wood, before exploding with a rash of boundaries to bring up his fifty off only 55 deliveries.

Padikkal was a useful foil as their partnership advanced to an unbroken 97 in just 131 balls as India ended the session firmly in command.

England’s batting collapse on day one left them needing wickets on the second morning but India advanced an overnight 135 for one to 264 without further loss in the opening session, with both Rohit and Gill imperious.

Rohit offered the merest of chances on 68 after glancing Shoaib Bashir off his hip but Zak Crawley, perhaps unsighted at leg slip, was too late to get in position as the ball flicked off his fingertips and away.

England were unable to exert much control, with Gill disdainfully thrashing Anderson back over his head for six before carting Bashir twice over the rope. Rohit was the first to his century off 154 balls while Gill did so in the next over, off 137 deliveries, with a slog sweep for four off Bashir.

Young off-spinner Bashir and seamer Ollie Robinson woke up on Wednesday morning feeling under the weather, so the pair missed the afternoon’s practice and have been separated from the rest of the team.

While Robinson has been replaced by Mark Wood as England try to salvage a consolation win in the final match in Dharamsala, Bashir was retained as one of two spinners alongside slow left-armer Tom Hartley.

Ben Stokes doubts a late change will be necessary, even if two umpires stopping at the team hotel are also unwell. Illness to on-field official Joel Wilson and TV umpire Kumar Dharmasena might lead to fourth umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal being on standby for duties in the middle.

“I don’t think it’s anything to be too concerned about,” said the England captain, whose side trail 3-1 in the five-match series.

“The day before the game you don’t want to put anybody at risk so we’ve decided to keep them away from the team. It’s the sensible thing to do.

“When you’ve got so many people contained in the same space all the time you want to limit the chance of it spreading.

“It’s not a major issue, we just wanted to safeguard against anything spreading to someone else.”

Stokes has “not thought too far ahead” about contingencies, although England are down to two frontline spinners after electing against drafting in replacements when Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed returned home.

With the picturesque HPCA Stadium situated in the foothills of the Himalayas, against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, conditions are cooler than those England have experienced on the tour thus far.

Even Stokes expected England would have to play three seamers and a lone spinner but an inspection of a wicket he described as an “absolute belter” for batting in the last day or two has prompted a rethink.

“Playing two seamers and still having Bash and Tom gives us a good mixture when you’re a little bit unsure of what it will do as the Test goes on,” said Stokes.

Stokes insisted the XI was not predicated on him bowling competitively for the first time since July. While Stokes had surgery on a longstanding left knee injury in November, his recovery went better than expected and he has hinted in recent weeks he could send down a few overs before the trip is over.

“If I do bowl any overs in this game it will again be a bonus, just like when we picked the team for the four games before this,” he said.

Stokes wanted Wood’s “pace and firepower to break the game open”, while the 41-year-old James Anderson will go in search of the two wickets he needs to become the first non-spinner to reach 700 Test dismissals.

“It’s phenomenal to think about, especially as a seam bowler,” said Stokes. “It’s been an amazing career to date and I can’t see him stopping.

“I have played with Jimmy for a long time and I’ve never seen him as physically fit as he is right now. Being 41, showing that hunger and desire to get better every single day is testament to his attitude and commitment.”

Stokes threw his backing behind Robinson, who is England’s only change from Ranchi after struggling with back issues that led to him being down on pace and sending down 13 wicketless overs last time out.

“Ollie did everything in his power to put in a match-winning performance last week and unfortunately not everything works out the way we want it to,” added Stokes.

“When you see someone putting in the hard work and showing that desire to not only be physically and mentally fit and something happens to them that is uncontrollable, you can’t really moan about it.”

Jonny Bairstow is set for his 100th Test appearance this week and ahead of training on Wednesday, the Yorkshireman plus Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Tom Hartley, Gus Atkinson, Dan Lawrence and some members of the backroom team visited the Dalai Lama at his residence in McLeod Ganj – 10km north of Dharamsala.

Archer, one of the heroes of England's Cricket World Cup triumph last July, made an unauthorised trip home between the first and second Tests to see an unnamed person, breaking the protocols put in place for the games at bio-secure arenas.

England announced Archer would need to self-isolate for five days and could therefore not take his place in the XI when the second Test began at Old Trafford on Thursday.

The team's managing director Ashley Giles claimed "it could have been a disaster" that cost the England and Wales Cricket Board "tens of millions of pounds" as international cricket adjusts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet Stokes - himself no stranger to attracting headlines away from the field following a fight in Bristol in 2017 - stressed Archer will not be hung out to dry by the squad.

"I think from us as players and as England Cricket group, this is a time where our way of operating really needs to come through," said Stokes, who was later cleared of affray following the incident in Bristol.

"We really need to be there to support Jofra right now because obviously he's a big talking point.

"Obviously he is by himself because of everything else going on at the moment but it's making sure he doesn't feel like he's by himself. The worst thing we can do right now as a team is to just sort of leave him and see him in five or six days' time and then say, 'Alright'.

"Times like these for people are very, very tough and you can feel like you are all by yourself but I don't think anybody is going to allow that to happen.

"Jofra is a massive part of this group, as everybody is. If it was anybody else bar Jofra it would be the exact same way of handling it that we would do as a team.

"It's all good being there for people when things are going well but what really comes through is how you operate with someone when they need you the most."

Stokes was once again instrumental on the second day at Old Trafford, scoring 176 - his 10th Test century - as England made 469-9 declared before having West Indies 32-1 in the 14 overs before stumps.

The all-rounder made 260 alongside opener Dom Sibley, whose patient 120 might have silenced some critics following his struggles in Southampton, where he was out for a duck but went on to make a second-innings half-century.

"It's great signs for us going forward that all the noise around him after Southampton literally hasn't affected him whatsoever," Stokes added.

"It's a great way to respond to any criticism that there was by going out and banging 100."

India reached 294-7 thanks to a stunning 115-ball century from Rishabh Pant, who helped the hosts establish an 89-run lead, after surviving a big lbw shout from Bess shortly before tea.

Bess finished without reward, with figures of 0-56 in 15 overs pointing to a lack of threat from the 23-year-old off-spinner. He bowled with a lack of control at times, throwing in far too many full tosses, and will want to get among the wickets on Saturday morning and put a bad Friday behind him.

He was recalled for this contest in Ahmedabad having been left out for the second and third Tests, both of which England lost after making a winning start to the series in Chennai.

England spin coach Jeetan Patel said Bess had "needed a break" and was "jaded" by his experience of that opening match.

But Patel trusts Bess is capable of troubling batsmen again, and said of his disappointing performance so far in this match: "It's no real one thing, it's just a fact it didn't work out for him today.

"There's still room for him to improve, like everyone in this group, but Bessy's still very young. He's still learning how to bowl red ball at Test level which is very difficult. He'll be better for these experiences going forward.

"There's some things with Bessy that we'd like to get into. He's got time after this Test match to get back and look at that, but right now he's got a job to do and that's getting those three wickets tomorrow.

"He would have liked to have bowled a lot better today and liked to have given a lot more to the group, and it didn't work out for him. They played him very well. They sat on him and looked for balls to score off when they could.

"Right now he will be quite down and quite tired, but the beauty of this game is the fact there is another opportunity tomorrow."

Ben Stokes, by contrast, was hailed as England's 'Superman' by Patel. 

Stokes took 2-73 in 22 overs to follow up his 55 with the bat on Thursday, and at stumps he appeared exhausted, having been running in amid searing heat.

"Stokesy's your man. He's the guy you want to go to for anything really," Patel said. "He's almost like a Superman with this sort of stuff. He really does enjoy the tough battles.

"He bowled a lot of overs today. He almost bowled the whole first session and he got some crucial wickets for us on the way.

"He's pretty cooked as you can imagine, but he's a warhorse and he loves it. He loves when it gets tough and he loves when it gets hot and tiring, and that's when he stands up most. Hopefully we see the best of him again tomorrow."

Patel said Pant's innings was "pretty special" but claimed the match was "still quite in the balance".

"He came out after that tea break and took it to us," Patel said of Pant's effort. "Hats have to go off to how they played that."

Captain Joe Root and the recalled Jonny Bairstow combined to put on an unbroken third-wicket partnership worth 110 in the final session, the duo finishing unbeaten on 66 and 47 respectively as the tourists dominated the opening day of the series.

As for Sri Lanka, their problems started prior to the game getting underway as skipper Dimuth Karunaratne was ruled out due to a fractured thumb. 

Stuart Broad (3-20) claimed two early wickets as Sri Lanka were reduced to 25-3; they never recovered and were bowled out for the lowest first-innings score in a Test staged at Galle International Stadium.

Angelo Mathews - back in the Sri Lanka XI - combined with stand-in skipper Dinesh Chandimal to put on 56 for the fourth wicket, but that was the only partnership of real note in an innings that spanned a mere 46.1 overs. 

Chandimal top-scored with 28 before he was superbly caught in the covers by Sam Curran off Jack Leach (1-55), leaving the score at 81-5 early in the afternoon session. 

Niroshan Dickwella (12) chopped a long hop from Bess to backward point, while the off-spinner also benefited from a lucky deflection off short leg Bairstow - who took the full brunt of a sweep shot - that allowed wicketkeeper Jos Buttler to catch Dasun Shanaka (23). 

Dilruwan Perera fell quickly for a duck and, after a Leach finger tip saw Lasith Embuldeniya run out at the non-striker's end, Bess bowled PWH de Silva to complete his second five-wicket haul in Tests. 

England's reply stuttered early as opening pair Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley fell cheaply, both dismissed by left-arm spinner Embuldeniya to leave the score at 17-2. 

However, Bairstow – who hit a century when batting at number three in England's previous Test on Sri Lankan soil, back in 2018 – capitalised on his opportunity back in a team minus top-order regulars Rory Burns and Ben Stokes.

Root had needed a review to overturn an lbw decision against him on 20, but otherwise made serene progress to a half-century that means his team trail by just eight runs heading into Friday's action.

England were bowled out for 578 and India, after initially toiling, closed 257-6 thanks to a sparkling knock from Pant at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.

Bess snared home skipper Virat Kohli for 11 and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane for one, before putting an end to Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara's rearguard, leaving England in a strong position to take the lead in the four-Test series.

The tourists added a further 23 runs for their final two wickets in the opening hour of Sunday's session, with Bess (34) falling lbw to Jasprit Bumrah and James Anderson missing a sweep against Ravichandran Ashwin for a single run.

India's task of chasing down England's tally was made all the more difficult when reduced to 154-4 at tea, including the loss of Kohli for just 11 when caught at short-leg by the bowling of Bess.

Kohli's dismissal came after Rohit Sharma was sent packing by Jofra Archer for six and Shubman Gill (29) was undone by Anderson's diving catch after averaging a run-a-ball up to that point.

Bess rammed home England's advantage by taking Rahane, who went to a superb Joe Root catch after chipping a drive to short cover, but India - 73-4 at that point - finally steadied the ship through Pujara and Pant.

Pujara racked up 11 fours from 143 balls en route to 73, though it was Pant who helped make a more telling dent in England's tally with nine fours and five sixes as he targeted the spin of Jack Leach.

However, Bess returned and took both Pujara and Pant, the latter being caught at deep extra by Leach for 91 from 88 balls.

Ashwin and Washington Sundar frustrated England late in the day, ending the session on eight and 33 not out respectively.

Yorkshire spinner Bess claimed 4-55 from 23 overs on the third day of the entertaining test at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The 23-year-old snared home skipper Kohli for 11 and vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane for one, before putting an end to Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara's stand.

It was the wicket of Kohli, who flicked a bat-pad catch to Ollie Pope, that gave Bess the most satisfaction in his finest outing for England in a career spanning 13 Tests.

"It is certainly up there," he said. "The calibre of the player, who he is, is phenomenal. He is a world-class player so it was special, but more for what my process was. 

"What I'm learning, what I'm doing that is getting me to that. You are always looking to get batsmen out but it's not about bowling that magic ball. 

"It's about smashing in 10, 15 balls in a good area and then something will happen. That's what I was really pleased about. I thought I held my line and length really well.

"It's not about who you are getting out, it's the consistency of balls. I thought I bowled pretty well and I think I am bowling really well at the moment. 

"It was important to make sure I had real confidence in my mentality and process. I'm 23, I'm only going to keep growing. My journey is going to be up and down."

Responding to England's 578 all out, India initially toiled before a sparkling knock from Pant – ending with 91 run from 88 balls – helped them to 257-6.

Pant stepped in with India 73-4 but, targeting the spin of Jack Leach, he hit nine fours and five sixes before Bess took over and dismissed both Pant and Pujara.

However, Bess believes Pant's high scoring was more down to the his attacking batting display, rather than Leach's bowling, as he backed the left-armer to quickly respond.

"I thought he bowled really well and that's not just me saying that. If you look at the way he bowled to Pant and [Washington] Sundar I reckon there are balls hitting the exact same box," he said.

"Pant is just a completely different player who played a phenomenal innings. Really courageous, really bold. How Leachy came back and kept smashing out a length shows the qualities he has.

"People will look at the fact he was going for 10 runs an over at one point but it doesn't matter. It's going to bring you massive opportunities if [Pant] gets it wrong.

"Leachy is so strong mentally. He has been through a hell of a lot, and that isn't going to faze him at all."

Paine stepped down from his Test captaincy role last Friday over a historical investigation into lewd texts sent to a former Cricket Tasmania colleague in 2017.

The 36-year-old, who at the time was found not to have breached Cricket Australia's conduct code and remained captain, is still in Australia's Ashes squad to face England, though a new leader is yet to be announced.

Batter Marcus Harris previously stated Paine has "got all the support of the players" and Lyon has echoed that sentiment towards the wicketkeeper, who was appointed captain in 2018 following Steve Smith's ball-tampering scandal ban.

"I can 100 per cent guarantee he has the full support of the Australian changeroom," Lyon told reporters as Australia prepare for the first Ashes Test on December 8.

"I don't see him as a distraction at all. Come the Gabba Test match and throughout the whole series, we are professional sportspeople, and we will go out and do our job.

"Tim made a mistake, he's owned it, for me that shows great courage to be honest. Tim has got my full support. I am looking forward to catching up as soon as we get out of quarantine.

"In my eyes, Tim is the best gloveman in the country, in the world.

"The selectors said they were going to pick the best available XI and in my eyes Tim Paine is the best keeper in the world. I want him. This is very selfish, from a bowler's point of view, I want the best gloveman behind the stumps."

Off-spinner Lyon and wicketkeeper Paine have formed a strong partnership for Australia but failed to combine for a single wicket against India in the Test series loss last time out.

Since then, Paine has undergone neck surgery in September before returning to action for Tasmania's second XI against South Australia.

Pat Cummins and Steve Smith have reportedly been interviewed by Cricket Australia amid ongoing speculation the pair will step in as captain and vice-captain respectively, much to Lyon's excitement.

"You have a bowler's mindset and a batter's mindset rather than two batters; they can come together and really come up with some good guidance," Lyon said. "I am excited by the fact we are potentially going to have a bowler as captain."

Australia will head to the Gabba with added confidence as well after their T20 World Cup win in the United Arab Emirates, and Lyon claimed there is still a buzz around the camp despite Paine's resignation.

"The mood is incredible," he said. "On the back of the boys winning the World Cup, there are only nine guys here who were part of that, but the staff too, there is an unbelievable feeling in the Australian cricket changerooms right now.

"Our preparation is flying along. I'm ready to go."

Kent captain Billings was drafted in as a COVID substitute for Ben Foakes on the fourth day of England's third Test against New Zealand, which concluded on Monday.

Billings' main contribution in the seven-wicket triumph was a bizarre caught-behind off Neil Wagner that he wedged between his knees.

He is now in line for a third Test appearance, though Foakes may yet feature as he is due out of isolation on Thursday, a day out from the India Test beginning in Birmingham.

The addition of Billings is the only change made by England, who have kept faith in Crawley at the top of the order, despite some unconvincing showings against New Zealand.

Crawley finished the three-match series with 87 runs and was at fault for the comical run-out of opening partner Alex Lees in his side's second innings of the final Test.

India lead England 2-1 ahead of the final Test, which originally scheduled to be played last September but was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.

The tourists announced on Monday that Mayank Agarwal has been called up after captain Rohit Sharma tested positive for coronavirus.

India set the Black Caps just 132 to win on day three and the hosts had no troubles reaching their target at Hagley Oval.

After 16 wickets incredibly fell on Sunday, India needed a response to begin day three, but they added just 34 runs after resuming at 90-6.

Tom Latham (52) and Tom Blundell (55) ensured New Zealand cruised through their chase to win the series 2-0.

Hanuma Vihari (9) was the first to go on Monday, caught down the leg side by BJ Watling off Tim Southee (3-36).

India were unable to get anything going, although Ravindra Jadeja did manage an unbeaten 16 off just 22 balls.

Trent Boult (4-28) added the wicket of Rishabh Pant (4) and Southee also removed Mohammed Shami (5) before Jasprit Bumrah (4) was run out.

While India's bowlers caused some initial problems to Latham and Blundell, the openers set up what proved a comfortable chase for the Black Caps.

Latham fell to Umesh Yadav (1-45) and Kane Williamson (5) went off Bumrah, who bowled Blundell to finish with 2-39 before Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls helped New Zealand see out their victory.

The Black Caps beat Pakistan 2-1 in the Twenty20 International series and will be expected to inflict more misery on the tourists in the longest format.

A whitewash along with a heavy defeat for second-placed India against leaders Australia could see New Zealand return to Lord's for the World Test Championship decider, due to be staged next June.

Mohammad Rizwan will captain Pakistan in the first Test and may also have to lead the side in the second at Hagley Oval if Babar Azam has not recovered from a fractured thumb. 

Opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq (thumb) and all-rounder Shadab Khan (thigh) will also miss out in Mount Maunganui, with spinner Zafar Gohar drafted into the squad.

New Zealand have lost just two of their previous 13 Test series, winning 10 and drawing one, and have come out on top in their last two versus Pakistan.

The Black Caps were far too good for West Indies recently, claiming back-to-back innings victories.

MISBAH HOPEFUL OVER BABAR

Losing world-class batsman Babar to an injury that kept him out of the T20I series was a huge blow for the tourists.

The prolific skipper will be sorely missed in Mount Maunganui, but head coach Misbah-ul-Haq hopes he will be back to lead the side in the second Test in Christchurch.

"We are hopeful that Babar will be fit for the second Test," Misbah said. "He has started gripping the bat and practising with a tennis ball.

"You can't really predict much with injuries like that but I just hope he gets better in five or six days and he has about eight days or so to get ready, which would be a big boost for us."

Pakistan have won only one of their last seven multi-game bilateral Test series outside of their own country - losing five and drawing one. 

Their solitary victory was a 1-0 triumph over Australia in the United Arab Emirates in October 2018.

KANE ABLE TO LEAD BLACK CAPS, PAKISTAN SHOULD BE WARY OF WAGNER

Kane Williamson missed the Black Caps' hammering of the Windies in the second Test in Wellington following the birth of his first child, with Tom Latham stepping in.

He had struck a magnificent 251 in the first Test, a career-best in the longest format. 

There was no place for Devon Conway in the squad to take on Pakistan, but Will Young retained his spot as batting cover and all-rounder Daryl Mitchell was also selected with Colin de Grandhomme (ankle) ruled out.

Pakistan must be wary of Neil Wagner, who has fond memories from the only previous men's Test to be played at Bay Oval - claiming match figures of 8-134 against England in November 2019.

Wagner has taken 21 Test wickets since the start of last year when pitching the ball short of a length, six more than anybody else during that period.

KEY OPTA FACTS

- Tim Southee is four scalps away from becoming just the third player to take 300 wickets for New Zealand (431) and Daniel Vettori (361) being the others.

- Ross Taylor needs another 95 runs to become the fourth player to score 1,000 in men's Tests between New Zealand and Pakistan. He would be the first Black Caps player to achieve a feat Javed Miandad, Asif Iqbal and Inzamam-ul-Haq can boast.

- Pakistan have won more Tests against New Zealand (25) than they have against any other opponent.

- Rizwan has a catch success rate of 95.5 per cent in Tests since the start 2018 (21/22); the highest rate of any player to claim more than 10 catches across that period.

Mitchell Starc also claimed a wicket to leave West Indies on 38-4 in their second innings and needing an improbable 459 runs to avoid defeat on Sunday.

West Indies resumed play on day three on 102-4 and got off to a poor start when shining light Tagenarine Chanderpaul (47) was run-out by Starc.

Jason Holder (0) then edged Starc behind and, while Anderson Phillip (43) and Joshua da Silva (23) put together a 60-run seventh-wicket stand, the Windies soon faded again.

The tourists reached 214, and Australia then built up a seemingly unsurmountable lead as they posted 199-6 declared in their second innings and sent their opponents back in to bat.

Usman Khawaja top-scored with 45 off 50 balls for Australia, while Marnus Labuschagne (31), Steve Smith (35) and Travis Head (38 not out) all contributed in a rapid 31-over innings from Australia.

West Indies' opening batters were 15-0 off five overs when Smith brought in Boland, who took the wicket of Kraigg Braithwaite (3) off his first ball.

Boland then trapped Shamarh Brooks (0) in front with a ball that nipped back into the right-hanger from his third delivery, before snaring Jermaine Blackwood (0) with his sixth.

Chanderpaul did not fare much better as he was dismissed for a second time in the day three overs later for 17 when caught by Alex Carey off the bowling of Starc.

Labuschagne adds further misery

West Indies are winless in their past 18 Tests against Australia since 2003 and they have not had many – if any – worse days across that run than Saturday.

They lost 10 wickets for 150 runs across two innings, either side of Australia piling another 199, with Labuschagne's 31 taking him to 502 runs from his four innings – the sixth-most scored in a two-Test series.

Boland rips through Windies

Boland famously took 6-7 against England on his Test debut in last year's Ashes and he produced a display that was equally as ruthless here.

The 33-year-old, making just his fourth Test outing, claimed 3-9 off 5.2 overs bowled and now has a bowling average 9.81 for his 21 wickets.

Hazlewood, who has played only four Tests in the last two years, will not feature in Nagpur on Thursday due to an Achilles issue, with Scott Boland in line to play instead.

A side injury suffered against West Indies in November saw Hazlewood miss not only the second Test of that series, but also the first two matches against South Africa in December.

He returned for the final Test of that series, taking 5-57 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but will now have to recover from another niggle.

Hazlewood joins fellow paceman Mitchell Starc in missing the first Test of the four-match India series, while all-rounder Cameron Green is also a doubt, meaning an overseas bow for Boland is likely.

Boland has taken 28 wickets across his six Test appearances.

Discussing the injury, Hazlewood said: "It's still lingering from the [Sydney] Test match [against South Africa].

"We obviously bowled after a lot of rain and the jump-offs were quite soft, where we were taking off from and they ended up replacing them as well.

"It sort of worked to a degree, but just that extra load jumping off a soft ground to bowl and again first Test match your body is not used to that sort of workload as well.

"So we thought we'd give it a few days here straight off the bat and try and get over the hump and have a bowl from Tuesday and hope it goes well."

Boland has the full backing of his team-mate, however.

"Scotty has bowled plenty at the MCG when it was a flat wicket, it probably wasn't swinging or reverse swinging so he knows how to work hard for a long period of time," Hazlewood said.

"You've got Lance Morris who has worked hard on reverse swing for the last month and then a nice lead in here with a few sessions.

"The guys are excited first of all to play in the subcontinent, they both haven't yet, but they're very well qualified to do so."

Taylor will become the first player to make 100 appearances for his country in all formats when he faces Virat Kohli's side in a first Test that gets under way at Basin Reserve on Friday.

The prolific batsman has established himself as one of the best batsmen in the world since making his international debut back in 2006 and was man of the series in a 3-0 ODI whitewash of India this month.

Bond was a team-mate of Taylor's when he made his Test, ODI and Twenty20 International debuts and the paceman has also been part of the Black Caps coaching staff after retiring in 2010.

The former quick says Taylor, who turns 36 next month, will go down as one of the best players New Zealand have ever produced.

He told Omnisport: "I've known Rosco for a long time, he's a ripping bloke and he's been a sensational player for New Zealand. He's definitely one of our greatest players.

"I didn't think he'd achieve what he has done in Test cricket, I think he's redefined himself. At the start he was a dynamic white-ball player, he could score all around the wicket a rate of knots.

"He's changed his player to also be an incredible Test player. He's changed the way he plays in one-day cricket to clearly be one of the best in the world, but now T20 as well.

"That's the sign of a great player is to continue to reinvent himself, continue to develop his game and I think what he has done has been remarkable, he's been such a stalwart for New Zealand and has been a massive part of some strong performances at major tournaments."

Bond says Taylor has plenty more runs in him yet at the highest level and can feature in the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

"It's great to see what he has achieved and hopefully he'll be going for a few more years, because I know he's motivated to keep going and he's enjoying his cricket," he added.

"I think the way he's playing, in one-day cricket he's our best player form-wise. He's talked about the next World Cup and players are going on for longer in the modern game, so I certainly wouldn't count that out as long as he's hungry and churning out runs he can be in there as long as he wants."

India have won all seven games in the ICC World Test Championship and top the rankings, but Bond thinks New Zealand can bring them back down to earth.

Asked if he is confident of a series win, he replied: "Yeah I think so, we won the last series here against them when they had a really good team.

"I think the Indian bowling attack has improved; Ishant [Sharma], [Jasprit ] Bumrah, [Mohammed] Shami is a quality line-up. You need that here.

"It's going to be challenging for New Zealand, but we are tough to beat in our own conditions and the toss is important, because the wickets tend to do a bit then just flatten out and don't turn - especially Wellington and Christchurch.

"New Zealand will miss [Neil] Wagner in the first Test, but it's an attritional game here and because New Zealand are a very fit team, they have worn teams down. I think it'll be incredibly close and because it doesn't turn, that probably takes away some of the weapons India have."

The Windies are set to face England in three Tests behind closed doors, the first beginning at the Ageas Bowl on July 8 before two matches at Old Trafford.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, which brought professional cricket grinding to a halt in March, West Indies are using Old Trafford for training and quarantining.

However, head coach Simmons is not concerned about his side keeping entertained, believing the hunger to play cricket again will help combat any feelings of boredom.

Speaking on a conference call on Saturday, Simmons said: "There's always dominoes - as you can imagine if you've been to the Caribbean that is a highly explosive form of entertainment.

"We have a golf simulation centre, we have cards, a few things the guys are enjoying. When you have characters like Jason Holder everyone is always laughing and enjoying themselves.

"The biggest challenge is boredom, but saying that in this scenario - because of doing nothing, no cricket being played for the last however many months - that will take a while to come into play.

"The guys are hungry, they want to play and practice."

Not since a 4-0 win in 1988 have the Windies won a Test series in England, but the current crop have not had to look far for inspiration, with Gordon Greenidge's double-hundred at Lord's in 1984 recently broadcast on British television.

"I saw the Test at Lord's where Gordon scored a double [hundred] on the last day," Simmons added.

"I'm not too sure how close some of the younger players are [to the past] but we're trying to bring that back, get younger guys to understand where we've come from in terms of being top of the world for such a long time.

"Sometimes when you know the whole West Indies saga is coming from, it gives you more impetus to be pushing forward to get the team back on top."

Rabada will miss the last match of the series at The Wanderers after being sanctioned for his reaction to dismissing Joe Root on day one of the third Test at St George's Park.

The paceman roared in celebration after bowling the England captain and that resulted in him being found guilty of a level one breach of the ICC code of conduct.

It earned Rabada a fourth demerit point in a two-year period, a tally that triggers a one-match ban.

Boucher felt Rabada should have known better, but suggested the punishment was harsh after watching England take charge in Port Elizabeth by posting 499-9 declared before the Proteas were reduced to 60-2 in reply on Friday.

"I think KG has a bit of a history, he probably shouldn't have done it, but it is what it is," said the South Africa head coach.

"The level one is a slap on the wrists but unfortunately he's got too many demerit points. We played in days when bowlers used to swear at batsmen, you want to be nice and aggressive.

"He didn't look at Joe Root, but it's about how you determine the laws. KG is best when he's nice and aggressive. We'll get him to run to square leg rather than the batter. But the laws are there and you have to abide by them.

"I wasn't aware of all the demerit points [Rabada has] and how the whole system works, so to hear this morning he's going to be banned for the final Test is a massive blow for us.

"He's a world-class performer, especially at The Wanderers, where I think he would be very effective."

The former South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman added: "We spoke to the match referee [on Thursday] and we did voice our concerns over the rule and a couple of variations of the rule.

"It's a tough one to gauge about excessive celebrations in the area of the batter and making contact with the batter.

"I don't feel that he made any contact with the batter whatsoever. Yes, he was in his space, but the two put together there is probably different ways you can look at it. Bottom line is the match referee has made up his mind."

Despite a late wobble with the bat, England claimed victory with 40 balls unused on Sunday to ensure the three-match series finished level at 1-1, the second game in Durban having been washed out.

Boucher felt his team were "30 to 40 runs short" when making 256-7 with the bat, while they then made an abysmal start with the ball as Jonny Bairstow (43 off 23 balls) got stuck into Lungi Ngidi and Beuran Hendricks.

Although South Africa fought back, dropped chances from Joe Denly and Tom Banton hindered their hopes of turning things around.

"We were probably 30 or 40 runs short and then, with the ball, we just started off really, really poorly and we were playing catch-up after that," said Boucher in a news conference.

"We had chances and we didn't take our opportunities. When you are 30 to 40 runs short, you have got to bowl well, especially up front, and you've got to take your opportunities.

"We didn't do that. That's why we lost."

South Africa and England both rested frontline players for the ODI series, and Boucher indicated the Proteas would continue to experiment in their next 50-over matches against Australia.

"It's a long time until the next [50-over] World Cup, so we can afford to do that," he added.

"There are a lot of good things that happened and a couple of things we need to work on, obviously, but it is quite difficult to judge over two games.

"We'll probably use the next three games against Australia to find out some answers and ask some questions. We do believe we're going in the right direction."

Former skipper Faf du Plessis is likely to return against Australia, though, after being rested and replaced as captain by Quinton de Kock for the ODI and T20 series with England.

"We feel at this point in time he [Du Plessis] needs a bit of a break away from the game," Boucher explained.

"I would like to think, against Australia, the rest will be enough and they [Du Plessis and Kagiso Rabada] can come back and play."

The Proteas suffered a nine-wicket defeat in the third and final Test of their tour of England at The Oval on Monday, losing the series 2-1.

Boucher took on the role in December 2019, signing a four-year deal and going on to secure 11 wins in Test matches, as well as 12 ODI and 23 T20I victories.

South Africa are currently second in the ICC World Test Championship table, despite their loss in England, and Boucher's last games in charge will come at the T20 World Cup in Australia, which runs from October 16 to November 13 later this year.

A statement from CSA on Monday outlined that Boucher had resigned to "pursue other opportunities in line with his future career and personal objectives".

"While Cricket SA greatly regrets that Mr Boucher is unable to see out the term of his contract, it respects his decision and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours," the statement added.

The former Proteas wicket-keeper earned 147 Test caps during his playing days between 1997 and 2012, scoring 5,515 runs at an average of 30.30.

CSA Chief Executive Pholetsi Moseki thanked Boucher for his efforts in the role, saying: "We would like to thank Mark for the time and effort he has invested in South African cricket as the head coach over the past three years.

"He has helped navigate us through some rough waters following the departures of so many senior players through retirement and has helped lay some strong foundations for the next generation of Proteas.

"We are extremely grateful to him for the work he has done and would like to wish him well with the next chapter of his career."

CSA also confirmed it "will in due course announce its intentions regarding a successor to Mr Boucher".