India

The England batter appeared to be feeling the pressure after opening the Test against New Zealand with scores of one and 16 at Lord's, before managing just eight at Trent Bridge.

However, Bairstow delivered a knock for the ages in the second innings in Nottingham, scoring England's second-fastest Test century – from 77 balls – as the hosts chased 299 with ease.

The 32-year-old finished unbeaten on 136 before he plundered 162 in the following Test at Headingley, having come in at 21-4, and combined in a vital 209-run partnership with debutant Jamie Overton.

Bairstow continued to frustrate New Zealand in the second innings at Leeds, breezing to 71 not out, as England comfortably reached their target of 296 to complete a series whitewash of the Black Caps.

But more fireworks from Bairstow were to follow against India in the rescheduled final Test, with the Yorkshireman crafting 106 – his third century in four innings – to keep England in the first-innings contest.

India subsequently set England 378 to win and Brendon McCullum's side obliged to complete their highest successful chase in five-day cricket, Bairstow finishing unbeaten on 114 alongside Joe Root (142 not out).

That marked a sixth century of 2022 for Bairstow, which is the most by a player while batting at number five or lower in a calendar year and joint-most by an England batter in the same time period (level with Root).

Bairstow's efforts have been recognised by cricket's governing body and he will now eye further success in the upcoming three-Test series at home to South Africa before heading to Pakistan.

"I would like to thank the fans for voting for me as the ICC Men's Player of the Month," he said.

"It has been an incredible five weeks for England. It has been a positive start to our summer with four excellent wins against high-class opposition in New Zealand and India.

"We are enjoying our cricket as a team and playing with clarity and positivity. Even though I have scored four centuries in this period, I would like to acknowledge my team-mates who have been excellent in every department and are playing with immense confidence."

Rahul has not played for almost three months after undergoing a hernia operation and suffering with COVID-19.

The batter has been passed fit to lead India at Harare Sports Club, where the opening match of the series will be staged on Thursday, with VVS Laxman stepping in as India head coach while Rahul Dravid takes a break.

Rahul scored an unbeaten century on his ODI debut at the same venue six years ago and is eager to make up for lost time.

He told reporters on Wednesday: "My ODI and T20I debut was in Harare. I got a 100 in my first game, so I have great memories here.

"Hopefully I can add on to those memories. Coming back here after so many years and getting the opportunity to lead your country, obviously when you look back, it's very pleasing.

"As a person you can see how much you've grown and how far you've come as a player. It gives me great joy. Hopefully I can add to those good memories and play some good cricket over the next week."

India suffered a 3-0 series defeat to South Africa in Rahul's only previous series as skipper, but the tourists will be expected to dish out a whitewash of their own in Harare.

Shikhar Dhawan captained India to a 3-0 clean sweep of West Indies in the 50-over format last month and the opener will be vice-captain as they look for a fourth consecutive series triumph.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant are among the players who have been rested ahead of the Asia Cup. Shahbaz Ahmed will be hoping to make his debut after the all-rounder replaced the injured Washington Sundar.

Zimbabwe ended a three-year wait for an ODI series win by beating Bangladesh 2-1, but this will be a much bigger challenge. 

Regis Chakabva will skipper the hosts in the absence of Craig Ervine, who is out with a torn hamstring.

Chahar must make his mark

Deepak Chahar will make his long-awaited return after a six-month absence due to quad and back injuries.

With so much competition for places, the seamer will know he must take his chance. The 30-year-old was not included in India's Asia Cup squad, but he is on standby.

Raza key to Zimbabwe's hopes

Sikandar Raza was named player of the series in Zimbabwe's triumph over the Tigers this month.

The all-rounder scored two centuries, as well as taking five wickets, and Zimbabwe will look to him to contribute again with both bat and ball.

While highlighting a number of stars at the tournament so far, including the likes of Australia’s Glenn Maxwell, New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra and South Africa’s Quinton De Kock and Aiden Markram, Richards singled out Kohli as his standout performer at the world’s greatest cricket showcase.

“There have been a whole host of talented individuals on show but to top them all, you cannot look past Virat Kohli,” Richards said.

“I am a huge fan of Virat, I have been for a long time, and he continues to show why he has to go down as one of the all-time greats, right up there with the likes of the great Sachin,” he added.

Kohli, who turned 35 during the tournament, is currently third on the leading run-scorers table behind Ravindra and De Kock with 543 runs from eight innings with two centuries and four fifties at an average of 108.60.

His last hundred, an unbeaten 101* against South Africa, saw him equal the great Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries.

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Kohli in recent times, however.

From December 2019 to December last year, Kohli only recorded one international hundred, 122* in a T20I in the Asia Cup against Afghanistan in Dubai in September 2022.

His form has since returned back to normal, with seven hundreds between December 2022 and now.

“Virat will have been through some tough times before this World Cup and some folks were even brave enough to call for his head,” Richards acknowledged.

“Credit must be given to the backroom staff and everyone who backed him. So much was said about his form but he is back on top of his game. It is phenomenal to see an individual who has had his low points bouncing back and playing like this. They say form is temporary – and he has certainly proven that class is permanent. I am so happy for him, he looks so focused and he is a credit to the game of cricket,” Richards added.

Richards then credited Kohli’s mental strength as what sets him apart from the rest, noting the many comparisons made between the two over the years.

“Virat is a go-getter and what sets him apart is his mental strength. He will have backed himself throughout, and on the occasions in the past in which I have chatted with him and we have discussed things, his mental strength has always been evident. That has been key to pushing him through to how he is playing now. Very few players, or people, are built like that,” he said.

“Many people have made comparisons between the two of us over the years, partly because of our shared intensity on the field. I love Virat’s enthusiasm – even if he is fielding at long-on or long-off, when one of his bowlers hits the pad, he is appealing. He is always in the game and I like individuals like that,” Richards added.

India are the form team in this year’s tournament and are currently unbeaten through eight games in the league phase and Richards believes that if they play the same way, there’s no stopping them in pursuit of their third World Cup title.

“In terms of this year’s competition, India have a mindset that they can go all the way playing like this. That absolutely should be their mindset and would be mine if I was in that dressing room – let’s go out with all guns blazing. That approach has worked so far and if that changes, things may go astray,” he said.

“I believe they can go all the way unbeaten, which is really something to strive for. There may be some fears of ‘we have played so well so far, there may be a bad game around the corner in the semi-final’. They have to try and nullify those and banish any negative thoughts,” Richards added.

The West Indies will play three ODIs on the sub-continent from February 6 to 20, where they will also play three T20 Internationals (T20Is). The ODIs will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 6, 9 and 11.

The matches form part of the ICC ODI Super League and the West Indies will have the opportunity to win points to be one of the top seven teams, excluding hosts India, to gain automatic qualification for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Meanwhile, the T20Is will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on February 16, 18 and 20, with that squad expected to be announced on Friday.

Roach has played 92 ODIs in which he has taken 124 wickets while Bonner made his ODI debut in Bangladesh a year ago and has so far played three matches. King has so far played four matches in this format.

Lead Selector Desmond Haynes said the squad was selected to foster healthy competition for places in the West Indies squad.

“Kemar Roach is one of our leading fast bowlers and we believe we need bowlers upfront to get early wickets, and Kemar, with an economy rate of five, is certainly good enough to play. Over the last few years, Nkrumah Bonner’s cricket has come on leaps and bounds and we believe he should be given an opportunity to play in the 50-over format,” said the former West Indies opening batsman.

“We want to have competition for places. We want to reach a stage where we have a lot of players fighting for positions. We want to broaden the pool of players we have to choose from. The team we have selected is a very good side and we are looking at this tour as part of the preparations for the World Cup in India in 2023.”

ODI squad: Kieron Pollard (Captain), Fabian Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith and Hayden Walsh Jr.

Robinson impressed on debut against New Zealand at Lord's in June, taking seven wickets.

But during the match, historic Twitter posts of a racist and sexist nature made by the 27-year-old Sussex seamer emerged and, following an investigation, he was handed an eight-match ban and fined £3,200 for breaking England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) directives.

Five of the eight games were suspended for two years and Robinson served the others while his case was examined.

He comes back into the fold as captain Joe Root heads into the five-match series, which begins at Trent Bridge on August 4, without Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes due to respective elbow and heel injuries.

Bairstow will provide wicketkeeping cover for Jos Buttler – another player to return having missed the New Zealand series following India Premier League commitments, along with all-rounder Sam Curran – and could also push for a place as a specialist batsman given the meagre efforts of England's middle order in the 1-0 loss to the Black Caps.

Stokes played through the pain in the recent ODI series win over Pakistan, returning ahead of schedule from a broken finger to captain a scratch team after a COVID-19 forced all of the initially selected squad into isolation.

James Bracey drops out after two consecutive ducks and a tough examination with the gloves on his maiden venture in the longest format, and there is no place for Dawid Malan.

Haseeb Hameed will again provide an alternative to out-of-form number three Zak Crawley, although Bairstow also filled that slot away from home earlier this year. Following some promising contributions in Sri Lanka he registered three noughts in four outings against India.

All of the England players allocated to franchises in the new Hundred competition will play in the first two matches before joining up with the Test squad.

Bairstow's mooted return to the Test setup brought thinly veiled irritation on Tuesday from Welsh Fire head coach Gary Kirsten, who was hoping to have the Yorkshireman available for the majority of the campaign.

Speaking to talkSPORT, former South Africa opener Kirsten said: "We're hearing that Jonny Bairstow, who we've designated as our captain, is now suddenly becoming a Test cricketer again. So we could have him for maybe one or two games"

England squad: Joe Root (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood

After Wednesday's play was called off due to heavy rain in Bengaluru, India produced a historically bad effort with the bat as Matt Henry (5-15) and Will O'Rourke (4-22) starred for the Black Caps.

Five India batters – Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin – walked for ducks as New Zealand needed just 32 overs to bowl their hosts out.

India's score was their worst-ever on home soil, having previously been all out for 75 against West Indies in 1987, and the third-lowest in their Test history overall.

Rohit opted to bat after winning the toss in what many viewed as a puzzling decision, and he admitted he had misjudged the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium surface after stumps.

"You see and you try and make the judgement. Sometimes you make the right call, sometimes you don't, and I was on the other side of it this time around," Rohit said.

"I'm hurting a little bit because I made that call. But see, for us as a team, I think these are the challenges.

"So what if we put ourselves under pressure a little bit? We want to play well. We want to challenge ourselves. 

"This time around, it didn't come off, the challenges that were thrown at us. We didn't respond well, and we found ourselves in a situation where we got bowled out for 46 runs. 

"As a captain, it definitely hurts to see that number, but in 365 days you'll make two or three bad calls. That's okay."

Only twice has Black Caps bowler Henry bettered Thursday's figures in a Test innings, with seven-wicket hauls against South Africa in 2022 and Australia in 2024, both on home soil.

Speaking to reporters after the close of play, he said: "It was a great way to start the day but it was also about the way we could build pressure with the bat. 

"There was a lot of grass taken off and we just wanted to keep it simple and there was a lot of assistance in the morning. 

"The key is to control what you can control, to work on your game and improve. With the game affected by rain, it's important to have a dominant day like this. It's obviously tough to play in India."

Smith's 131 and 54 from Marnus Labuschagne provided the highlights of Australia's innings after Aaron Finch elected to bat first, but India restricted their opponents to 286-9.

India were hampered by the loss of Shikhar Dhawan for their reply, the opener's shoulder injury casting his participation in the upcoming tour of New Zealand into doubt.

However, once Smith's resistance ended amid a flurry of late wickets, Rohit (119) and Kohli (89) guided their side to an emphatic win, completed with 15 balls to spare.

Dhawan had to leave the field early in Australia's innings and he was duly sent for an x-ray on his left shoulder, which he hurt while diving in the field.

By that stage India already had their tails up, with Mohammed Shami (4-63) having drawn David Warner (3) into a reckless shot outside off that yielded an edge behind to KL Rahul.

India had their second wicket soon after – a mix-up between Smith and Finch resulting in the latter being run out for 19.

Smith, with support from Labuschagne, made up for his mistake, the duo both working their way to half-centuries and propelling Australia to 173-2 midway through the 32nd over.

Ravindra Jadeja claimed the breakthrough wicket, though, with Kohli taking an excellent catch low to his right to dismiss Labuschagne, and the promoted Mitchell Starc fell to the same bowler three balls later.

From looking well poised, Australia were now on the back foot and, though Alex Carey (35) offered a decent cameo, the emphasis was all on Smith.

The 30-year-old – who had surpassed 4,000 ODI runs in the 34th over – brought up his ninth one-day hundred with a crisp single, and then let rip, hitting four boundaries before succumbing to Shami.

However, Australia were unable to get up to 300 as Shami also removed Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa at the death.

Despite being shorn of the injured Dhawan, India swiftly got into their stride in reply, Rohit looking in superb touch either side of the loss of Rahul (19) to Ashton Agar in the 13th over.

Rohit, who made 209 from 158 balls against Australia in Bengaluru seven years ago, set about targeting Ashton Agar and Labuschagne – who he hit for a huge six – as captain Kohli also clicked into gear.

A single to third man off Josh Hazlewood took Rohit to another glorious hundred, his eighth against Australia, and his sixth maximum brought up the century partnership before he finally fell to Zampa.

At that point, India needed just 81 from 13.2 overs and Shreyas Iyer (44 not out) quickly settled in alongside Kohli to make victory certain, despite the captain falling to Hazlewood with 13 still required.

Rohit was named skipper in December but only now, in the series opener in Ahmedabad, has he been able to lead his side due to a hamstring injury.

It was worth the wait, however, as India cruised to victory in their 1,000th ODI, aided by 60 runs from 51 balls from Rohit.

That knock, which included 10 fours and a six, set the tone for a straightforward chase after West Indies had been bowled out for 176.

Even that modest total required some heavy lifting from Jason Holder, whose 57 improved markedly on a woeful 7-79 start after the Windies skipper survived a scare.

Holder could have been the victim of a hat-trick ball from Yuzvendra Chahal (4-49), but his inside edge fell short of short leg.

Chahal's fellow spinner Washington Sundar – returning for his second ODI more than four years after his first – finished with 3-30 to help ensure a straightforward target for Rohit and Co.

An opening partnership of 84 with Ishan Kishan took any jeopardy out of the situation, as India comfortably made 178-4 in 28 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Holder reaches milestone in attempted rescue act...

A stunning spell from Chahal, whose four wickets took him to 103 in 60 ODIs (the fifth-fastest India bowler to 100), had West Indies in all sorts of trouble, but it also brought Holder out into the middle.

The captain led the way as the tourists belatedly showed some fight, making 57 to pass 2,000 ODI runs (2,011) and become the fifth West Indies player to reach that mark along with 100 wickets in this format. Holder has 141 ODI wickets but could not add to that tally.

But both innings belong to opposite number Rohit

There is little doubting Rohit's ability with the bat, and the opener's 60 took him past Sachin Tendulkar (1,573) onto 1,583 ODI runs against West Indies, with only Virat Kohli (now 2,243) scoring more for India.

The full-time captaincy role is a new one, however, and Rohit was just as impressive in that sense. Rewarded for putting his faith in the spinners, the skipper also had three successful reviews from three to account for Darren Bravo, Nicholas Pooran and Shamarh Brooks.

Mehidy Hasan was the Tigers' hero, putting on 51 for the last wicket with Mustafizur Rahman to secure a highly unlikely victory at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

India looked certain to take a 1-0 lead after taking five wickets for only eight runs, putting Bangladesh on the ropes at 136-9 in pursuit of 187 to win.

Mehidy came to the rescue, making an unbeaten 38 with support from Mustafizur (10 not out) to get his side home with four overs to spare, the pair defying the odds by combining for Bangladesh's second-highest 10th-wicket stand.

The tourists had also collapsed, slumping from 152-4 to 186 all out, KL Rahul sparing them huge embarrassment by making 73.

India captain Rohit warned they must learn to handle the pressure after a stunning end to the start of a three-match series.

The opening batter said: "We did not bat well. We bowled pretty well and kept them under pressure until the end. They held their nerves in the back end.

"If you look back at how we bowled, of course the last few overs, we would have liked to get a wicket. We kept taking wickets all through. It wasn't enough runs. Another 30-40 runs would have made a difference.

"With KL and Washy [Washington Sundar, who made 19], we could have got there. Unfortunately, we lost wickets in the middle, and it is not easy to come back. The pitch was a bit challenging, the odd ball was turning.

"You have to understand how to play. There are no excuses, we are used to such types of conditions. We need to look at how to bat against their spinners in these conditions. The genes are there, these guys grew up playing in such conditions.

"It is all about handling pressure. Once you do, it gives you confidence. It is important to learn how to handle those pressure situations. Hopefully, we change things around in the next game."

India captain Rohit hit back at former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq after questioning how Rahul Dravid's side found swing in their Super 8s meeting with Australia.

Inzamam had referenced Arshdeep Singh's ability to move the white ball in the 15th over against Australia, suggesting "some serious work was done on the ball".

Speaking at Wednesday's pre-match press conference, Rohit responded: "Wickets are so dry, all teams are getting reverse [swing]. 

"[You] need to open your mind sometimes. This is not Australia."

After launching a staunch defence of his India team-mates, Rohit urged his side to play the team and not the situation against England.

England thrashed India by 10 wickets in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals of the same competition the last time this pair met.

"We want to treat this as a normal game," Rohit added. "We don't want to be talking about that it is a semi-final.

"We are enjoying each other's company and we need to carry on. It is a knockout game. If you think too much [about it], it doesn't help.

"Honestly not a lot has changed since 2022. We have tried to play with a free mind, T20 and ODIs as well. It all depends on the conditions which have been challenging throughout the tournament here.

"We want to be a smart cricket team. I have kept things simple personally and for the players as well. We have done well with role clarity and rely on the players making good decisions on the field.

"Everyone knows they need to get the job done. We don't need to change from 2022 to 2024."

As for India's line-up, and the potential of fielding four spin bowlers, Rohit insists the pitch will dictate selection matters.

"We will see, assess the conditions and then take a call on four spinners," he continued. "We will see."

Regardless of that decision, Rohit urged his side to keep their cool when it matters.

"It is important to stay cool and calm," the opening batter said. "Staying calm has worked for me over the years. Sometimes you can lose your cool as well.

"I am happy to let you do what you want but if it is at the cost of the team then I wo'’t let it happen. Indian cricket teams are always under pressure. Most of the guys are used to it."

It proved to be a grim day for Australia, despite Todd Murphy, a 22-year-old Victoria off-spinner, taking five wickets on debut.

India racked up 321-7 by the close, leading by 144 after Australia were dismissed for 177 on day one at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.

Ravindra Jadeja followed up his five-wicket haul by leading a lower-order assault on Friday, sharing in an ongoing eighth-wicket stand of 81 with Axar Patel, both men making fifties. Jadeja reached 66 not out, with Axar 52no.

Rohit had lost opening partner KL Rahul just before the close on Thursday, so he returned in the morning looking for others to provide support, and it proved to be in limited supply.

Ravichandran Ashwin fell for 23, given out lbw after a review from Australia, and Cheteshwar Pujara (7), Virat Kohli (12) and Suryakumar Yadav (8) all went cheaply as India struggled to cope with the Australian spinners. Nathan Lyon coaxed out Suryakumar with a teasing delivery the batter went after but missed, the ball clattering into off stump.

Stability at the other end finally arrived in the shape of Jadeja, who helped to put on 61 for the sixth wicket before Rohit fell for 120, perishing to the new ball, Australia captain Pat Cummins uprooting his off stump moments after Steve Smith dropped the century-maker at slip.

That left India on 229-6 and Jadeja went on to reach a gritty half-century, while Murphy completed his five-wicket haul by having Srikar Bharat (8) pinned lbw, again getting the decision on review.

Axar's arrival helped India take the game away from Australia though, and when slip fielder Smith dropped Jadeja from the penultimate delivery of the day, frustration was etched across the face of every tourist.

Rohit's Australia breakthrough

In his eighth Test against Australia, Rohit made it to three figures for the first time. He previously had five 40-plus scores, but his highest score was the 63no he managed at Melbourne in the 2018 Boxing Day Test. This was his ninth Test century in all, and his first since making 127 against England at The Oval in September 2021.

It made Rohit, at the age of 35 years and 286 days, just the second India opener to score a Test century against Australia after turning 35, with Sunil Gavaskar the first to manage the feat.

Jadeja doubles up

This marks the sixth Test where Jadeja has taken five wickets in an innings and hit a half-century. Back in action after recovering from knee surgery, he is continuing where he left off with the bat against England last July, having hit a century at Edgbaston, albeit in a losing cause on that occasion.

Former India head coach Shastri felt India played with "complacency and overconfidence" when they lost by nine wickets to Australia in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar series. 

Having won the first two matches in convincing fashion, the setback means hosts and defending champions India now lead the 2023 series 2-1 with the fourth and final Test starting on Thursday in Ahmedabad.

Rohit said: "When you win two games, if the people outside are feeling that we are overconfident, it's absolute rubbish because you want to do your best in all four games.

"You don't want to stop by winning just two games, it is as simple as that. 

"When they talk about being overconfident and all that - especially the guys who are not part of the dressing room - they don't know what kind of talk happens in the dressing room.

"Ruthless is the word that comes to my mind, and it comes to every cricketer’s mind, being ruthless. Not to give any inch to the opposition.

"The opposition will never let you come into the game, never let you come into the series. And that is the mindset we have as well."

India opened the batting in the third Test, but lost seven wickets in the first session and were all out for a mere 109 runs as they failed to repeat the form that won them the past three Border-Gavaskar trophies. 

Shastri then said on commentary: "This is what a little complacency, a little bit of overconfidence can do when you take things for granted, you drop guard and this game will bring you down.

"I think it was a combination of all these things when you actually cast your mind back to the first innings, see some of the shots played, see some of the overeagerness to try to dominate in these conditions."

The victory confirmed Australia’s spot in the final of the World Test Championship and for India to do the same, they must win in Ahmedabad.

With full focus on the final Test match, Rohit believes Shastri's comments will not affect the squad and says India will continue to play with the same mindset.

"We want to do our best in all the games," said Sharma, who scored just 12 in each innings of the third Test defeat.

"If it seems overconfident or anything like that to the outsiders, it doesn't really matter to us.

"Ravi himself has been in this dressing room, and he knows what sort of mindset we have when we play. It's about being ruthless, not being overconfident."

India won the first Test on Saturday after establishing a healthy first innings lead before bowling the tourists out for just 91 to win by an innings and 132 runs.

Australia could not handle the bowling of Ravichandran Ashwin in particular, with the spinner taking 5-37 in the second innings on a Nagpur surface that favoured spinners throughout.

In total, 24 of the 30 wickets to fall came via spin, but Rohit – who scored 120 in India's innings – detailed his approach to dealing with the conditions in his home country.

"The last few years the kind of pitches we have been playing in India, you've got to have application, a clear mindset and some sort of plan about how you want to go about and get those runs," he said at the post-match presentation.

"Since I started opening the batting, I have tried to figure out what can threaten me when I'm batting and working out my methods of scoring runs. I have grown up playing a lot in Mumbai on surfaces which turn a lot.

"I feel you need to be unorthodox as well, you need to use your feet, you need to get to the pitch of the ball, and at the same time try and put pressure on the bowler as well.

"You can't let the bowler bowl six balls on the spot, you've got to try and do something different, and that something different can be your way of doing it, whether it's stepping down the ground, sweeping, reverse sweeping, going over the top.

"There are so many things that you can do, and it's important when you play on pitches like that, you need to understand what is your strength, what are the things you can do and not look at anyone else. I tried to figure out what are things I can do, and I just try and go and apply myself out in the middle."

The win cements India's place in second place in the ICC World Test Championship, with it looking increasingly likely they will face Australia again in the final in June.

India now have a points percentage of 61.67, behind Australia in first (70.83 per cent) but ahead of third-placed Sri Lanka (53.33 per cent), and they will seal their place in the final with two more wins from the remaining three Tests in this series.

Rohit was pleased with the manner of the victory, saying: "It was the start of the series, very important [for] where we stand in the championship table, it was important for us to start well.

"We know when you're playing a series like this it's important to start well, and I was happy that I could put up a performance which could help the team."

Looking to bounce back from their stunning defeat to the United States, Pakistan appeared to be in the ascendency when they skittled India for 119 before reaching 73-2 in their chase.

However, they slipped to 88-5 as Bumrah dismissed Babar Azam, Mohammed Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed, bowling 15 dot balls and only giving up 14 runs in four overs.

Requiring 16 off the final three balls, Pakistan saw Naseem Shah hit a couple of fours when a maximum was required as India held on. 

After falling short with the bat, Rohit knew India would have to rely on their bowlers to make it two wins from two Group A matches.

"We didn't bat well enough," Rohit said. "Halfway through, we were in a good position, 81 for 3.

"You expect guys to stitch partnerships, but we didn't put enough partnerships there. I thought we fell 15 to 20 short.

"We spoke about how every run matters on a pitch like that. We were looking at 140, but I thought the bowlers could do the job for us and they did.

"That's what's required in a tournament like this. We need everyone to show up. Those little contributions make a huge difference.

"Whoever had the ball in hand wanted to make a contribution for the team."

Asked about Bumrah's efficient performance, Rohit added: "He is going from strength to strength. We've seen over the years what he can do, I'm not going to talk too much about him. 

"We want him to be in that kind of mindset until the end of the World Cup. He's a genius with the ball, we know that, but hats off to the other guys as well."

Bumrah himself said: "We felt we were a little under-par. When the sun came out, the wicket got a bit better. 

"We had to be disciplined with what we were trying to do. I tried to keep it simple, the wicket got better, and the swing was less. I just tried to be clear with my plan and focused on my execution."

India take on the USA next time out on Wednesday, having moved above the co-hosts to go top of the pool due to their superior run rate through their first two contests.

The Blacks Caps looked primed to make it 2-1 with two matches to play after they were set 180 to win in Hamilton on Wednesday courtesy of Kane Williamson's highest T20I score.

New Zealand needed just three to win off five balls in the last of their 20 regulation overs after Ross Taylor hit Mohammed Shami for six, but Williamson fell for a magnificent 95 two balls later.

There was more much more drama to come, with Taylor bowled off the last ball to leave the scores level with the hosts 179-6.

Williamson and Martin Guptill posted 17 off the extra over from Jasprit Bumrah and it appeared that would be enough with Rohit ​– who earlier top scored with 65 in India's 179-5 – needing 10 off two deliveries from Tim Southee, but the opener hammered the paceman for two sixes in a pulsating finale.

The stunning victory sealed India's first T20 series win in New Zealand, with Williamson and his side left shell-shocked again six months after a Super Over loss to England in the Cricket World Cup final, with the same opponents beating by the same method in November.

Williamson must have been fearing the worst when India were 69 without loss after the powerplay, Rohit clubbing three sixes in a sixth over from Hamish Bennett (3-54) that went for 27.

Colin de Grandhomme ended an opening stand of 89 when he had the in-form KL Rahul (27) taken by Colin Munro at point and the powerful Rohit was caught by Southee at long-on attempting to launch Bennett for another six. 

Virat Kohli (38) became the expensive Bennett's third victim before Manish Pandey and Ravindra Jadeja dispatched slower balls from Southee for six in a final over that cost 18 runs.

Martin Guptill blasted the second ball of the run chase from Shardul Thakur (2-21) beyond the rope, but the fast bowler sent the opener packing for 31 after he had struck another two sixes.

Munro and Mitchell Santner missed out, but Williamson raced to a 28-ball half-century before punching Jadeja for back-to-back sixes with exquisite timing. 

The skipper also set about Bumrah after de Grandhomme fell to Thakur, but he was unable to see New Zealand home, edging behind to end a stunning 48-ball masterclass that included six sixes.

New Zealand must have felt a sense of deja vu when Taylor was cleaned up by Shami (2-32) to extend the match and Rohit proved to be the Super Over hero on this occasion as Southee was given the treatment.

Opener Rohit combined with vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane (67) to put on a crucial 162-run partnership for the fourth wicket on a pitch offering considerable help for the spinners from the outset.  

Having so impressively won the opener in the four-match series at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, England seized early control at the same venue when reducing their opponents to 86-3.  

Moeen Ali marked his recall to the XI with the prized wicket of Virat Kohli – who was bowled for a duck – as a much-changed attack prospered in the first session after losing the toss. 

Olly Stone struck with just his third delivery, Shubman Gill paying for his decision not to offer a stroke as he was dismissed lbw, stunning those India fans inside the ground as part of a reduced crowd allowed to attend amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Cheteshwar Pujara made 21 before steering Jack Leach (2-78) to Ben Stokes at slip, while Kohli was left stunned in the next over when Moeen turned one prodigiously through between bat and pad to bowl the India skipper before he had a run to his name.

However, the stand between Rohit and Rahane put the tourists on the back foot. Even when the former eventually fell, sweeping Leach out to Moeen in the deep, India were already on course for a useful first-innings total, considering the conditions.  

Rahane departed soon after, bowled by Moeen when trying an ambitious sweep shot of his own, while England captain Joe Root claimed the wicket of Ravichandran Ashwin (13). 

Still, Rishabh Pant carried India to 300 in the final over and will resume on day two on 33 not out. He will have Axar Patel for company, the Test debutant reaching the close unbeaten on five.

Mixed fortunes for Moeen 

England made the tough call to drop Dom Bess despite the off-spinner taking 17 Test wickets in 2021 at an average of 22.20. Root explained the decision was down to a lack of consistency, having only bowled eight overs in India's second innings in the previous game. 

His replacement, however, was by no means more economical. Moeen reached an unwanted century as he finished Saturday's play with figures of 2-112 from his 26 overs, though he did of course dismiss Kohli.

Home comforts for Rohit

Rohit passed 150 for the fourth time in Test cricket, while all of his centuries in the format have come on home soil. This, however, was his first at Chennai.

On a slow, worn surface, the right-hander went along at an impressive scoring rate of 69.70 runs per 100 deliveries, hitting 18 fours and a pair of sixes. In the end, England needed help from the batsman to see the back of him.

The three-match home series, which begins on November 17, will be the first since Virat Kohli's decision to step down after the T20 World Cup.

Kohli, who will stay on as ODI and Test captain, led India in the short format for the final time on Monday, as the pre-tournament favourites bowed out of the World Cup with victory over Namibia.

The 33-year-old captained his nation in 50 T20Is – winning 30 and losing 16 – while scoring 1,570 runs, including 114 boundaries and 59 sixes.

Kohli is one of several notable absentees from the squad to face the Black Caps next week along with Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan are among the players to come into the squad.

Rohit will take over as skipper – with KL Rahul as his deputy – although it is yet to be confirmed whether he will be given the role on a permanent basis.

Following his knock of 56 against Namibia, Rohit became one of only three players – along with Kohli – to reach 3,000 T20I runs, while he has averaged 32.66 in 108 innings.

India T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj.

Virat Kohli stepped down as skipper following the 2-1 series defeat to South Africa in January, which saw India slip from first to third in the ICC Test rankings. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday that recently appointed white-ball captain Rohit would also take on the Test duties, starting with the two matches against Sri Lanka in March. 

There was no place in the squad for Pujara or Rahane, however. Ishant Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha were also overlooked. 

The quartet will instead contest the Ranji Trophy – India's domestic first-class cricket championship – in a bid to rediscover their form. 

Ravindra Jadeja was included after recovering from injury and Ravichandran Ashwin was named as part of five-spinner attack despite being a fitness concern. 

The Test series will follow a three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka that starts on Thursday. 

Sanju Samson joined Jadeja in returning from injury for that squad, while Kohli and Rishabh Pant were rested. 

Jasprit Bumrah was welcomed back into the fold after being rested for the home limited-overs series against West Indies and received the vice-captaincy for both formats. 

India Test squad:Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Ravichandran Ashwin, KS Bharat, Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Saurabh Kumar, Priyank Panchal, Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Hanuma Vihari, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav.

India T20 squad:Rohit Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Avesh Khan, Ishan Kishan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Sanju Samson, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Suryakumar Yadav.

Rahul Dravid's white-ball side progressed through the group stages with a game to spare after Wednesday's seven-wicket victory over the co-hosts in New York.

Having already overcome struggling Ireland and fierce rivals Pakistan, a third straight win in Group A was enough to send India through as Rohit's team prepare for the latter stages of the tournament.

Suryakumar Yadav's unbeaten half-century proved the difference against the USA, helping his country chase down a 111-run target with 10 balls remaining.

It could have been a different story, however, as India lost Rohit (three) and Virat Kohli to a golden duck in the start to their chase.

That stark warning left a lasting imprint on Rohit's memory as the India captain credited the battling USA showing.

"We knew it was going to be a tough task, scoring that many," Rohit said at his post-match interview. "Credit to us for chasing it down.

"SKY and [Shivam] Dube did well in the end. We knew our bowlers had to take the lead as scoring is tough on this pitch.

"Arshdeep [Singh] started off magnificently. We want options with us. As and when we feel like we could use them, we should be and that's what Dube allowed.

"Being in the Super 8s is a big relief. Playing here wasn't easy, it could've been anyone's game."

USA still have a chance of progressing to the next round after back-to-back victories over Canada and Pakistan.

"The boys were disciplined today, pleased that the game got close," USA captain Aaron Jones said. "We've wanted fans, talked about it for a couple of years.

"We'll come hard against Ireland for sure."

Opening batter Sharma was installed as Twenty20 International captain for the recent series win over New Zealand following Kohli's decision to step down at the conclusion of the T20 World Cup.

Rohit has now landed the role on a permanent basis and will also lead his country in the 50-over format.

The 34-year-old will also serve as Kohli's deputy in the longest format rather than Rahane, who has retained his place in the squad for the upcoming three-match Test series in South Africa.

Rohit, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.return to the squad to face the Proteas after being rested for the 1-0 series win over New Zealand.

Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shubman Gill and Rahul Chahar miss out due to injuries.

The first Test begins at Supersport Park on December 26.

India Test squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Mohammed Shami., Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj.

Standby Players: Navdeep Saini, Saurabh Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Arzan Nagwaswalla.