Ben Stokes

Stokes threw caution to wind on day one of the first Test, waving his side in at 393 for eight in the hope of snapping up a late wicket at Edgbaston.

Joe Root was batting beautifully on 118 when the signal came from the balcony and would surely have kept the scoreboard ticking had he been left to his own devices, but Stokes swapped the promise of extra runs for four late overs at the Australia openers.

That meant a quick skirmish between long-time sparring partners Stuart Broad and David Warner, but England were unable to generate a breakthrough that would have capped a thrilling day of action.

It was the fifth time Stokes has declared in the first innings in his 14th Test as full-time captain and Bairstow praised the intent of forcing the change where others might have let the game drift to a natural close.

“I’m sure there’s many decisions Ben has made that have taken commentators and other people by surprise, but it was no surprise to us,” said the wicketkeeper.

“We didn’t know anything about it, it was a scramble to get the tape on, the pads on and all the rest. But when it’s something that’s not expected, it can be the best form of attack.

“Having played the game for as long as we have, we’re aware a 20-minute slot for an opening pair is something that’s not very nice. It can be a bit niggly.

“It’s a bit of a shot to nothing – there might be an unbelievable ball in there, or a loose shot in there.

“We’ll come back tomorrow with a ball that’s four overs old, a fresh bowling attack and team that is really looking forward to the challenge.”

Bairstow, who contributed a punchy run-a-ball 78 in first Test innings back after a 10-month lay-off, was part of a vital 121-run stand with his long-time friend and foil, Root.

The Yorkshire duo have shared some memorable partnerships across the years and Bairstow beamed as he reflected on Root’s outstanding century.

It was his 30th in Test cricket but a first against Australia since 2015, ending a sequence of 12 unconverted Ashes fifties.

“It was brilliant. There are some special traits that he’s got and he does special things,” he said.

“As someone who has known him for a really long time, been through thick and thin, ups and downs and lots of different things together, it was an absolute pleasure to be out there with him.

“He’s a fantastic player and talent. He loves batting, loves being out there, loves the occasion, loves representing his country. It takes a lot of skill, a lot of endeavour and patience.”

Bairstow also savoured his own contribution. A freak golfing accident last August left him with three separate fractures in his left leg, a dislocated ankle and ligament damage and he revealed recently he feared for his career.

After 12 boundaries and a seemingly-endless supply of hard-run ones and twos, it was like he had never been away.

“I’m delighted to be back out there on the big stage, during the big dance. It’s something you want to be part of and it didn’t disappoint,” he said.

“There were a few nerves kicking about as you can probably imagine, but when I found my flow and got into the battle, it was really enjoyable to be out there again.”

Key has flown out to India for the second time, having been part of the touring party earlier in the tournament, and will begin the process of picking the bones out of a miserable title defence with Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott in the coming days.

A 160-run win over Netherlands in Pune on Wednesday gives them something positive to talk about after five successive defeats and put England back on track for Champions Trophy qualification in 2025 ahead of their final game against Pakistan.

There have been questions over the leadership of the side in India, which Key may wish to examine more closely, but Buttler has made it clear he wants to lead what will be a much-changed squad when it tours the West Indies next month.

Asked if he would be travelling as skipper, Buttler said: “Yeah, I’d like to. I know Rob Key arrives into India today. We can have some good conversations with him and the coach and make a plan for that tour. But, yes, I would like to.

“I’m competitive, I want to win any game I play, whether it’s a game of cards or a game of cricket. So I’m delighted with this win. It’s been a frustrating time, not winning games of cricket or playing as well as we’d like, I’m delighted with this win.”

Match-winner Ben Stokes, whose backs-against-the-wall 108 set England up for victory, will not be going to the Caribbean as he heads for a knee operation at the end of the tournament.

Some, including his friend and former team-mate Steve Harmison, felt Stokes should have been sent home for surgery as soon as the semi-finals were out of reach but his presence carried the side through a familiar batting wobble against the Dutch.

At one stage they had slipped from 133 for one to 192 for six and, without Stokes’ bullish knock, would have fallen far short of their winning mark of 339.

The man himself told the post-match presentation “I don’t leave anyone hanging” and Buttler said an early exit was never on the cards.

“No, we haven’t had any conversations like that. It’s not Ben’s style at all,” he said.

“He’s committed, he wants to play and he wants to put in performances like you saw here. Anytime you need someone to stand up when the team’s under pressure, he’s had a history of always doing that for whoever he’s playing for.

“We’re very lucky to have him in the team and I thought his innings today was exceptional.”

England head to Kolkata on Thursday, where they conclude their disappointing campaign against Pakistan at the weekend.

Their opponents still have a chance to reach the semi-finals, while Buttler’s men still need to tie down a top-eight finish to book a Champions Trophy place in 2025.

“It’s a huge game for us, vital,” he said.

“We haven’t performed the way we wanted to this whole trip, and we’d like to leave India putting in a proper performance.”

In fact, Lara pointed out that a technical and tactical approach will be integral to West Indies chances, especially given the strength of England’s line up, coupled with their aggressive approach and home conditions at Lord’s, which they will relish.

With that in mind, Lara believes the best way to defend against the opponent’s strengths is to take an attacking approach in the field.

“I think more important is how the bowlers and the captain handle it in the field because we have to stay positive. We have to stay aggressive in terms of having attacking fields, having players in attacking positions, because the way they (England) bat, England are going to have you pushing players out on the boundary – which is what they want,” Lara said during a recent interview with Sky Sports.

“You push your deep cover back or your third man back, your deep backward square back, it creates opportunities for them to get singles – four, five singles an over is actually great scoring. We’ve got to be very technical and tactical in terms of how we approach this series,” he added.

Unlike England, who has upped their game in Test cricket to what has been labelled ‘Bazball’ under Head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, West Indies has been quite the opposite.

England’s alteration has resulted in them now playing an attractive brand of aggressive cricket, particularly with the bat.

West Indies, on the other hand, have been more traditional, and Lara is of the view that the regional side should remain on the same path, instead of attempt to adopt England’s style of play.

“I don’t think first of all, as a batting team, that (aggression) is our style, which actually is a little bit of a negative. If you’re going to come up against a side that’s scoring at five and six runs an over and you’re just going to score at 2.5, three runs an over, that in itself is asking for trouble,” Lara reasoned.

“England is playing a style of cricket that is difficult to beat them, coming from behind. We’ve got to get them out cheaply in the first innings to stay in front of the game. If you get behind England – with the pace they play the game at – it’s impossible to get back into the game,” he noted.

Despite the loss of Kemar Roach to a knee injury, Lara, 55, said he is more concerned about the batting.

“I’m not worried too much about Kemar Roach missing out or the bowling attack. I think the bowling attack is pretty formidable,” he declared.

“I think the batting is where the experience is lacking. They’re trying, the batters are trying, but it’s the fact that, how much experience have they had in English conditions. So I’m hoping we can pull through in that department,” Lara ended.

The reigning champions had a stuttering start to their title defence, thrashed by nine wickets after a timid performance in the curtain-raiser against New Zealand, and will be eyeing a much-improved performance against Bangladesh on Tuesday.

The game takes place at the picturesque HPCA Stadium, framed against the backdrop of the Dhauladhar mountain range and sitting 1,500 metres above sea level.

The altitude provides a boost for big-hitting batters, with the ball travelling further in the thinner air, and Livingstone had a chance to test the theory in the IPL earlier this year. He smashed 94 in just 48 balls for Punjab Kings, launching nine sixes along the way.

And, after labouring to an under-par 282 against the Black Caps in their opener, there could not be a better venue for England to rediscover their power-hitting mojo.

“It’s an incredible ground and an incredible place to bat if it’s anything like it was that day,” said Livingstone.

“Conditions here should suit us and the boys are really excited. We want to get over what happened the other day and almost go twice as hard. We want to put on a really good show and get things kickstarted in this tournament.

“Because of the altitude the ball just flies really well here. You can feel it, it makes you more confident to take on the boundaries.

“They aren’t that big anyway and the altitude just makes it better with the power we’ve got in our line-up. It certainly helps as a batter, standing there knowing you can take the fielders on.

“It’s the kind of place you can really set up the back end of the innings and score highly. Personally, I’ve got good memories here and hopefully I can repeat it.”

Despite the remote nature of Dharamshala, an area better known for its proximity to the Dalai Lama’s residence just 10km away in McLeod Ganj, Livingstone is not the only squad member to have played here.

Sam Curran and Jos Buttler have also passed through on IPL duty, while Buttler, Joe Root and Chris Woakes all played in England’s first ever international at the venue in 2013.

England beat India on that occasion, taking seven wickets with fast bowlers, and they are likely to be tempted by an extra seamer this time.

Left-armer Reece Topley was unlucky to miss out against New Zealand and heads the queue to come in, while Gus Atkinson and David Willey also stand by with Moeen Ali’s spot vulnerable.

“It’s a good pitch, with good pace and carry and it can nip around,” Livingstone said.

“It’s probably as English a pitch as there is out here and will probably suit us more than many grounds around the country. Hopefully that can play in our favour.”

The one change England would most like to make, bringing Ben Stokes back in to bolster their middle order, is unlikely to happen as he continues to struggle with a hip problem.

Without him the onus will fall on others to fashion a fitting response to their loss in Ahmedabad and Livingstone insists they are ready to oblige.

He was part of the team that lost to Ireland in the group stages of last year’s T20 World Cup and went on to lift the trophy and is unfazed a single setback.

“There’s no point looking back and regretting. We could have lost by one run or the way we did, either way, we move on,” he said.

“One game doesn’t define a tournament and if you’re going to lose a game like that you’d probably rather it was the first one.

“You can lose games and win a World Cup, we’ve shown that before. The one thing this group does well when we’ve lost a game of cricket is double down on our aggressive approach and we’ve got a chance to do that on Tuesday.”

Thursday featured a century partnership between England vice-captain Ben Stokes, 59 not out, and opener Dom Sibley, 86 no out, which helped the hosts recover from 81-3 to end day one on 207-3.

Earlier Roston Chase had breached the top-order defiance of Sibley and Rory Burns, removing the latter just before lunch for 15. Chase was back at it straight after lunch, getting rid of Zak Crawley, who had scored 76 in the second innings of the first Test, this time for a duck.

England captain, Joe Root, who looked in good shape, was setting up an England fightback when Alzarri Joseph, 1-41, had him driving to a delivery that swung away from him and left his shot in the big hands of Jason Holder at second slip.

There were to be no further reasons to smile for the West Indies who bowled 50.4 wicketless overs at Stokes and Sibley.

There was a chance after Shannon Gabriel’s half volley outside Sibley's off stump was edged to Holder, who was making his first mistake of the series, beaten for pace to see the chance floored.

“It was a typical Test day. I thought England batted well. They were very patient,” said a calm-sounding Brathwaite of the day’s events.

According to Brathwaite, while the West Indies did not grab many wickets, the team bowled well enough to still be in the game.

“I know we just got three wickets but I still think we were in the game. We didn’t give away any quick runs,” said Brathwaite.

The West Indies vice-captain expects more runs to be scored on the Manchester wicket than was the case in the first Test at the Ageas Bowl.

“It’s a decent pitch, so you know when we get a chance to bat you know, we just have to be patient and believe in ourselves,” he said.

“We would have loved more wickets but we kept in touch. It was good from us. We kept pressure on, it was just unfortunate that we didn’t take some of the chances.”

After being bowled out for 246, the tourists opted to open the bowling with their Lancastrian newcomer.

The left-arm spinner is used to fronting up with the new ball in limited-overs cricket but had never done so in his first-class career before he went head-to-head with Yashavi Jaiswal in front of 30,000 fans in Hyderabad.

It was not a bad loosener but disappeared all the way over the ropes as Jaiswal threw everything into a slog sweep that set the tone for India’s aggressive response of 119 for one.

The blow meant the 24-year-old joined a short list of players who have endured such a start, with Zimbabwe’s Sohag Gazi and South Africa’s Faf Du Plessis thought to be the only others, and another six followed just four balls later.

More conservative captains might have ended the experiment early but, although the runs continued to flow, Ben Stokes gave his new team-mate an uninterrupted nine-over spell costing 63 runs.

He came close to repaying some of that faith with a close lbw shout against Shubman Gill and Duckett says Hartley was guaranteed resounding support.

“We all back Tommy,” said the opener. “You know what Stokesy is like, he will throw him the ball and back him all day.

“He gives him however many overs to bowl, where other captains might take you off after two overs and then you’re then hiding away for the rest of the game.

“That’s Stokesy: he keeps bowling him and Tom nearly gets Shubman at the end. I’m not quite sure how that is going over the stumps, but he came back really well. I wouldn’t say I appreciated it but he (Jaiswal) played well too.”

Duckett earlier shared a bright opening stand of 55 with Zak Crawley, a partnership which proved something of a false dawn as regular wickets followed them for the rest of their innings.

Stokes was the pick of the batters with a battling 70 from number six, including three sixes and six fours.

It was his first action of note since surgery on his left knee at the end of November and the skipper looked fighting fit as he worked hard to build a competitive total.

There was plenty of turn on offer throughout the day and if, as expected, there is more where that came from, Duckett feels England may be in a better position than they seem.

“I think we were over par to be honest. It was a tricky day one pitch with consistent spin from early on,” he said.

“Stokesy, to get us to where we are, was fantastic. Come day three, day four that could be a match-winning knock if the pitch keeps getting harder to bat on.

“Pay credit to India, they played well tonight and were really attacking. They don’t always go about it like that, so it shows they think the pitch is going to get quite a bit worse. That’s good signs for us.”

The so-called ‘Bazball’ revolution has seen the Test side flourish under the leadership of the all-rounder in partnership with coach and former New Zealand international Brendon McCullum, with the team having claimed 11 wins in 13 matches.

Edgbaston hosts the opening Ashes Test on Friday and Stokes said despite the history between the two sides, the quality of the opposition and what was at stake, he would not deviate from their attacking game-plan against the newly crowned World Test Championship winners.

“Nothing is going to change because we’ve had unbelievable success with it,” Stokes, who said his priority was to make everything “fun”, told BBC Test Match Special.

“If we were to change anything from the last 12 months because we find ourselves in an Ashes series then anything from the last 12 months will have been completely pointless.”

“Even before getting together as a Test team for the first time with me as captain, there was one simple thing I said I had to be doing and that was being completely true to myself.

“I had to stay true to how I’ve gone about things as a player, and do them as a captain. I had 85 or 86 games before I got made captain, and the guys that I’ve played with knew me as a person and a player.

“So if I became captain and started doing things completely differently to what they knew me for, it would raise a few eyebrows.”

Pope starred in a remarkable first Test win in Hyderabad with a sparkling 196, but failed to go beyond 39 in his next eight innings and was out for a pair in Ranchi.

It was a similar story for a number of his team-mates with India able to win the final four Tests comprehensively to inflict the first series defeat of the Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum reign.

The series marked Pope’s return to action after he dislocated his right shoulder during the Ashes last summer.

While the 26-year-old spent most of the winter on the road, he was back training for Surrey on Monday and is eyeing plenty of Vitality County Championship runs before the home Test series with West Indies in July.

“Straight back into it – our choice. I feel pretty fresh,” Pope said at a sponsors event for Swiss watch brand Rado, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s official timing partner.

“Obviously I had that seven months out and leaving that India tour, if I had scored another three 70s or something, I might be feeling slightly differently but I almost feel frustrated.

“I feel like I’m in really good nick without putting together those scores, so hopefully I can go and find that rhythm of putting together big scores… at three, unless Stewie (Alec Stewart, Surrey director of cricket) drops me!

“I might miss one in that first seven or eight games, but yes, I’m itching to get back and just scoring runs and representing Surrey.”

England were strong favourites to lift the crown heading into the final over, with the Windies needing 19 off the last six balls of the match.

But Brathwaite launched an audacious assault on Stokes, heaving him over the ropes four times in a row to seal a four-wicket success.

Joe Root’s 56 off 36 balls helped England to 155 for nine in their 20 overs at Eden Gardens and that looked like being enough to earn a second T20 World Cup.

Despite Marlon Samuels’ impressive half-century, West Indies were set to fall short going into the final six balls of the match.

But Braithwaite had other ideas and sent four huge hits over the rope to win it in style and follow up their 2012 success.

England went on to thrive in the white-ball game, lifting the 50-over World Cup two years later and winning the T20 World Cup in 2022.

Batting first, Mumbai were struggling at 101 for 4 after 13 overs after Pollard was bowled by Shreyas Gopal for 6. At 7.76 an over, Mumbai were looking at a score of between 155 and 170. However, Pandya smashed 60 that included two fours and seven sixes while facing just 21 balls to propel Mumbai to a competitive 195 for 5.

What they didn’t bank on was Ben Stokes smearing Mumbai’s bowlers all over the park, scoring an unbeaten 107 from 60 balls and Sanju Sampson’s 54 from 31 balls to see the Royals race to 196 for 2 with all of 10 balls to spare.

Pollard, filling in for a second game for Rohit Sharma, who is out with an injured hamstring paid tribute to Stokes but felt for Pandya, whose heroic efforts were in vain.

“I thought Hardik brought us straight back into the game, but well played to Stokes and well played to Samson,” said Pollard who now has one loss and a win as the stand-in captain.

He believed the conditions helped the Royals more than they did Mumbai.

“The wicket ended up being a good wicket with a little bit of dew. It played into their strengths. But having said that, well played to the opposition,” said Pollard, who was not particularly concerned that the loss would impact Mumbai’s ambitions of being among the top-two teams at the end of the regular season.

“It really doesn't do much to the campaign, we still have three games to do. We just have to come out with good cricket. Our bowlers tried but it wasn't meant to be today,” he said.

“[Hardik] keeps showing time and time again, doesn't matter the position of the team. Tough luck an innings like that he ends up on the losing side.”

Nicholas Pooran delivered a masterclass in power-hitting as he hammered an unbeaten 66 off just 33 balls to lead Northern Superchargers to a thrilling seven-wicket victory over Manchester Originals in The Hundred on Sunday.

Pooran's explosive innings, highlighted by eight towering sixes, turned the tide in a match that seemed to be slipping away from the Superchargers at various points.

The Superchargers, chasing 153 for victory, found themselves in a precarious position at 29 for 2, needing over 100 runs with more than half the innings gone. The situation was made even more daunting by a suspected hamstring injury to Ben Stokes which forced him to leave the field.

Despite the early setbacks, Pooran, who has been in scintillating form throughout the tournament, stepped up to the challenge. He walked in with everything to do and proceeded to unleash a brutal assault on the Originals' bowlers. Alongside Harry Brook, who contributed a crucial 43, and Adam Hose, Pooran methodically dismantled the opposition's attack, ensuring that the Superchargers stayed alive in the competition.

The Originals, led by Phil Salt's blistering 61, had earlier posted 152 for 7, riding on the momentum of the highest-ever Powerplay score in the competition. However, the Superchargers' spinners, led by Mitchell Santner with figures of 3 for 24, pulled things back, restricting the Originals to a manageable total.

The chase, though steep, was made to look routine by Pooran's brilliance. The West Indian powerhouse demonstrated his ability to take the game away from the opposition with clean hitting and smart rotation of strike. Brook and Hose provided valuable support, ensuring that the Superchargers crossed the line with 62 balls to spare.

Reflecting on his match-winning knock, Pooran said, "It's definitely one of my better innings, knowing the situation of the game. Walking into bat with 100+ runs to get, and in this format, it creeps up on you very fast, but I was really happy that I could contribute and be there to the end."

He added, "You don't win tournaments with just one person contributing. It's really good when your teammates can contribute, and hopefully, we can go to our game on Tuesday and fight. If we lost the game today, we'd be out of the tournament. I'm happy that I could be there to the end, contribute, get the win for the team, and hopefully, the result will be the same again on Tuesday."

The victory keeps the Superchargers' hopes alive as they prepare to face London Spirit in a must-win game at Headingley on Tuesday.

England sealed a series victory over the Windies in last week's second Test at Trent Bridge, scoring over 400 in both innings of a Test match for the first time as they made totals of 416 and 425.

Vice-captain Pope managed a superb first-innings knock of 121 before Joe Root (122) and Harry Brook (109) brought up their centuries in the second innings.

England have become renowned for their all-out batting style – dubbed 'Bazball' – under head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.

Pope believes that approach suits England's batters and feels they could make history by breaking the record for most runs made by a team in a single day of Test cricket – Sri Lanka's 509-9 versus Bangladesh in July 2002.

"I got asked on day one, 'do you get told to play like that?' No, we don't. It's just our natural game and the way we go about it," Pope said.

"Sometimes we might score 280 to 300 in a day, but that's okay and probably because we're reading situations.

"There might also be a day where we go and get 500 to 600 at some point in the future as well, and that's a cool thing to have."

England came within three runs of that record Sri Lanka total on their 2022 tour of Pakistan, and Pope believes their success is down to the ruthlessness of the batting order.

"There's a real hunger – there always is a hunger – but now there's an extra bit in that batting line-up," Pope added.

"We want to be as ruthless as we can as a batting unit, but still play the way we do because that's our natural game.

"Obviously being ruthless is being part of Test cricket as well."

Much like West Indies batsmen had no response to Gus Atkinson's precision in the first Test at Lord's, the Caribbean side's bowlers did little to slow England's batting onslaught on this occasion, though it was not for a lack of trying. This, as several chances were squandered in the field, and England rode their wave of fortune to post a daunting 416 all out.

Ollie Pope, who was dropped twice on 46 and 54 by Jason Holder and Alick Athanaze, plundered 121 from 165 deliveries. His knock, which had 15 boundaries and a solitary six, was backed by Ben Duckett's 59-ball 71 and captain Ben Stokes, who made 69.

Alzarri Joseph got three for 98, as Kavem Hodge (2-44), Jayden Seales (2-90), and Kevin Sinclair (2-73), a late addition for Gudakesh Motie, who woke up feeling ill, picked up the other wickets.

With the batsmen having done their part, the England bowlers will be basking in the prospects of possibly ending this contest within three days and taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Scores: England 416 all out (88.3 overs)

After winning the toss, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite was optimistic of an improved bowling performance, and he would have relished his decision when Alzarri Joseph removed Zak Crawley with the third ball of the innings. However, Pope and Duckett pelted the boundary in a 105-run second wicket stand, but that was eventually broken when Shamar Joseph had the latter caught by Holder, who took four catches in total.

Joe Root (14) and Harry Brook (36) had brief stays in the middle, but Stokes and Pope added a further 80 runs for the fifth wicket to keep West Indies pinned against the proverbial ropes.

Pope was inevitably removed by Alzarri Joseph with England at 281-5, while Stokes' entertaining knock was ended by Kavem Hodge.

Jamie Smith (36) and Chris Woakes (37) chipped in with quickfire scores too, with Shoaib Bashir's dismissal in the final over of play bookending a fantastic first day for England.

Data Debrief: Speedy Duckett into the history books

Duckett needed just 32 deliveries to reach a half-century, as he kept up a pace mostly seen in T20Is.

It is the third-quickest 50 for England in their Test history, with Duckett drawing level with Ian Botham's effort against New Zealand in 1986. 

Jonny Bairstow is second on that list (30 v New Zealand in 2022), with the legendary Botham leading the way (28 v India in 1981).

Stokes suffered a hamstring injury playing in The Hundred earlier this month, ruling him out of their three-Test series against Sri Lanka.

England are looking to build on their 3-0 sweep of West Indies in July, in which Pope shone, scoring a sixth Test hundred and two half-centuries.

The 26-year-old, England's usual vice-captain, will still have Stokes' guidance if needed as he is due to be in the dressing room for the Tests despite his injury.

Pope admitted he had already turned to the 33-year-old for advice but is ready to step into the role for the first Test.

"It is still Stokesy's team and if I want to lean on him, I can, but I think he will let me do my own thing. He has said he is happy to do that," Pope said.

"He will be watching and chat with Baz [Test coach Brendon McCullum] so I can have those conversations in the intervals if I think something needs to change.

"I know how well he has managed our bowlers, especially, so I have picked his brains on it, but it will be a lot of the same messages with a different voice and in my own way.

"It's about not overcomplicating it for me. I think I read the game fairly well and Stokesy and I have often been of the same mindset. As the series goes on, it will let itself out for me.

"Brooky has a great cricket brain, [Joe Root] too, so there is plenty of experience out there to bounce a few ideas off.

"Everyone is pretty clear how they want to go about this week and the series in general."

England have won their last three Test series against Sri Lanka, one at home and two away, but were beaten by the tourists in 2014.

"We don't underestimate any of the teams that come over here," Pope added. "Our target is to win 3-0, but we realise Sri Lanka have got some good experienced guys who have played a lot of Test matches.

"The main focus is on ourselves. We will just play our best cricket and try and put on a good performance. Hopefully, the scoreboard at the end reflects that."

England’s first Test against Sri Lanka will begin on Wednesday at Old Trafford.

Rehan Ahmed has become the latest England player to run into visa problems in India but the tourists are optimistic the teenage leg-spinner will be available for the third Test in Rajkot.

The 19-year-old was initially denied entry upon the England team returning to India on Monday after a mid-series break in the United Arab Emirates because he only held a single entrance electronic visa.

The issue is different to what Shoaib Bashir encountered last month and Ahmed was granted an emergency two-day visa, allowing him to train with his England team-mates in Rajkot on Tuesday morning.

Ahmed has now applied for a multi-entrance visa and England are confident the issue will be resolved before the series, currently deadlocked at 1-1, resumes on Thursday.

“We were advised, on returning to India, that there was paperwork discrepancy with Rehan Ahmed’s visa,” an England team spokesperson said.

“The local authorities at Rajkot Airport were supportive, enabling Rehan entry on a temporary visa. The correct visa should be processed and issued in the coming days.

“He will continue to prepare with the rest of the squad ahead of the third Test.”

Bashir’s arrival was delayed because of a unforeseen snag in his paperwork, with his Pakistani heritage leading to extended checks, and meant he missed the first Test win in Hyderabad last month.

Ahmed, like Bashir, was born in the UK and is of Pakistani heritage but he was already in possession of an Indian visa after being placed on standby for England’s 50-over World Cup campaign.

That was not activated because he was not required to travel but, with all of England’s team travelling on electronic visas which are not stamped on passports, any administrative issues are harder to spot.

Ahmed, England’s youngest cricketer in all three formats, entered India for the first time ahead of the start of the series and has featured in both Tests, taking eight wickets at a decent average of 36.37.

He has also contributed 70 runs, including a cameo 23 after being bumped up to number three in the batting order as the so-called ‘nighthawk’ in the second Test, before England departed for the UAE.

Only when Ahmed had his passport scanned after England arrived at Hirasar Rajkot Airport following a chartered flight from Abu Dhabi did the oversight emerge.

England captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum remained with Ahmed while he was given his temporary stay and they arrived at the team hotel about an hour after the rest of the group.

Leicestershire leg-spinner Ahmed became the country’s youngest ever men’s Test player in 2022 when he claimed a five-wicket haul on debut against Pakistan in Karachi, but had to wait a further 14 months for another shot at red-ball cricket for England.

The teenager relished the prospect of doing battle with India and picked up 11 wickets across three Tests.

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Ahmed, 19, is refreshed and ready to go again but has not set himself any major summer targets despite a T20 World Cup being on the horizon along with home Test series against West Indies and Pakistan.

“I’m not really fussed about what I’m trying to achieve this year,” Ahmed insisted when asked about the prospect of a home Test debut this summer.

“I’ve tried to do as much as I can within myself. So, whether that’s me getting my overs in, me getting as many runs as I can, because I love my batting and I’ve underperformed; I want to bat better.

“There’s a couple of things I really want to work on and if that takes me there, that takes me there.

“And if it doesn’t, and the balance of the teams is not right and whatnot, there are loads of things to take into account.

“I’ll be playing county cricket straight away. Leicester comes first when I’m not playing for England. I didn’t know if I wanted to play because I wanted a break, but I’ve had two weeks off and I just want to play again.”

Ahmed was part of a novice three-man spin-attack alongside Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir that flourished at times in India, but there are concerns over the number of overs the trio will get during the opening months of the domestic season.

However, the 19-year-old is not about to make any outlandish demands to his Leicestershire coaches over his bowling or batting role in a team-comes-first mentality that clearly owes much to Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

He added: “It’s not a case where I come in and bat where I want.

“Obviously I’ve not been here all winter. The lads have been working hard so they deserve it first, so if I make the team and I play, then hopefully I’ll get a bat.

“Bowling in matches is something I’ve lacked a bit. I’ve bowled a lot in white-ball, not heaps of overs in red-ball plus it’s April, going to be nipping round corners.

“I don’t expect to bowl loads of overs because if the seamers are getting wickets, they are getting wickets and the team comes first, but I’ll be bowling loads in training.”

Ahmed is also sure to be bouncing ideas off new buddy Bashir, who may struggle for overs at Somerset, after the pair struck up a close bond during the India tour.

“Bash was unbelievable to be with.  He made the made the trip so (much) fun for me,” Ahmed revealed.

“And his confidence was different level and that’s something I love to see because that’s exactly like how I was as well, we just kept bouncing off each other. It was great.

“I think the way Bash came into the game. Even with Harts coming in, the way I came in, it gives hope for everyone else as well.

“It doesn’t mean you have to bowl a load of overs in the champo and focus on swing and seam.  You just need to be different and be committed to it.”

The Sussex quick is being eased back into action having struggled with stress fractures in his elbow.

His last Test for England was more than three years ago in February 2021, but he has since represented England in white-ball cricket, with his last outing coming in a T20 against Bangladesh last year.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Key confirmed that Archer will not play a part in England’s red-ball summer, when Ben Stokes’ side have Tests against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.

“The whole plan with Jofra is he’s going to play white-ball cricket for this summer and going into the winter,” Key told Sky Sports.

“Then hopefully next summer, when we play India and then onto the Ashes, we get him back for Test cricket.

“It’s a slow process to get him back for all forms.”

Although Archer will not be involved in Test cricket for England, the aim is that he can be fit for this year’s T20 World Cup taking place in the West Indies and the United States.

Key is also hopeful the fast bowler can be involved in the T20 series against Pakistan in May.

“Jofra has been out with Sussex in India for pre-season and bowled quickly out there, he bowled really well,” Key added.

“He has now gone back to the Caribbean where he’s going to play a bit of club cricket, all about getting himself ready for that T20 World Cup.

“He’ll hopefully play the Pakistan series, but it’s always fingers-crossed at the moment with Jofra.

“What we’re going to do is take it slower (rather) than trying to go too quickly so that we get him back for not just a short period but we get him for a long period.”

Bashir, a British Muslim with Pakistani heritage, has experienced difficulty having his application approved and was forced to fly back to London from Abu Dhabi to resolve the issue, ruling him out of Thursday’s first Test.

It is not the first time players with links to Pakistan have experienced hold-ups in India, with Lancashire’s Saqib Mahmood and Australia opener Usman Khawaja among that number. The Pakistan Cricket Board wrote to the International Cricket Council late last year due to delays over visas for their World Cup squad.

England skipper Ben Stokes said on Tuesday he was “devastated” for the uncapped 20-year-old and his opposite number offered solidarity.

“I feel for him honestly,” said Sharma.

“Unfortunately I don’t sit in the visa office to give you more details on that but hopefully he can make it quickly, enjoy our country and plays some cricket as well.

“It’s not easy for anyone, it could be one of our guys wanting to come to England and being denied.”

Anderson called time on his international career at Lord's on Friday, taking four wickets on his final appearance as Ben Stokes' team embark on a new era without the legendary seamer.

While replacing Anderson, who took 704 wickets in total, is an unenviable task, Atkinson shone for England after becoming the 19th male player to take 10 wickets on his Test match debut against the West Indies. 

Atkinson's figures of 12-106 were the fourth best any player has managed in their first Test, having only made his white-ball debuts in both T20Is and ODIs over the past 12 months.

"I think the future does look very bright in the bowling department," Root said.

"We've lost our greatest ever bowler but for Gus to come in and do that shows a lot about where we are as a team. We are moving in the right direction."

With two more Tests against the Windies and a three-match series against Sri Lanka scheduled for later in the summer, Root is already looking ahead to the highly anticipated Ashes clash with Australia next year.

England will be aiming for their first series win over Australia since 2015, and Root believes Atkinson could emerge as a key figure in those conditions.

"I think as a player, the Ashes is the series that you're always looking forward to, they're the ones you're always building towards.

"When teams have gone out there, what they need for those conditions is someone like Gus that can bowl in the late 80mphs, early 90mphs, and still move the ball around and make things happen at high pace."

Root, who has played 110 matches alongside Anderson, only behind Stuart Broad (138) and Alastair Cook (130) in terms of shared matches, expressed deep admiration for Anderson's remarkable career.

England's former Test captain said: "It's been an incredible tribute, hasn't it?

"The fact we only had an hour's play [on Friday] and we got a full house at Lord's just shows the impact that Jimmy's career has had on so many people. 

"These days, they're few and far between. You don't get the opportunity to celebrate such a wonderful career and someone that's done things in the game that no one else has done before.

"I think it's something that we#ll look back at and treasure. For me, all I've ever known for England is playing alongside Jimmy and that's been for 12 years."

Though West Indies suffered a 3-0 whitewash in that ICC World Test Championship series, Seales emerged as a standout performer, as he earned the player of the series award for his 13 wickets snared across all three games.

That performance saw the 22-year-old Trinidadian move seven places up to a career-best 26th position, joining teammate Jason Holder, who held firm in that position.

Veteran seamer Kemar Roach remains the top-ranked West Indies bowler at 17th, with Alzarri following Seales and Holder as the next best-ranked player at 31st. Kyle Mayers (37th), Shannon Gabriel (43rd), Gudakesh Motie (52^nd), Roston Chase (59^th), Shamar Joseph (64^th), Jomel Warrican (66^th), and Rahkeem Cornwall (82^nd) are the other Caribbean bowlers in the top 100.

On the batting chart, Hodge inched up three places to 72nd, following a credible display in the three-match series. The 31-year-old Dominican tallied 216 runs, including a maiden Test century.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite remains the highest-ranked West Indies batsman at 41st, with out-of-favor Jermaine Blackwood slipping to 52^nd. Wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua da Silva (62^nd), Holder (70^th), Mayer (76^th), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (86^th), and Roston Chase (92^nd) are also in the top 100.

Meanwhile, England batter Joe Root reclaimed the number one Test batting position after scoring 87 in the first innings of the third and final match against West Indies in Birmingham, which his side won by 10 wickets.

This is Root’s ninth stint as number one. His first tenure at the top of the rankings commenced in August 2015, and he was last at the top in June last year after a fine performance in the opening match of the Ashes series, also in Birmingham.

While Root overtook Kane Williamson to take the top spot, Babar Azam, Daryl Mitchell, Steve Smith, and Rohit Sharma have all gained a spot each as Harry Brook slipped to seventh position after attaining a career-best third position last week.

In the weekly update to the rankings that also takes into consideration performances in the Ireland versus Zimbabwe Test in Belfast, England captain Ben Stokes, who struck 54 in the first innings in Birmingham and a quickfire 57 not out off 28 balls in the second, has moved up four positions to 30^th in the batting rankings.

Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams has re-entered the rankings in 33^rd position after scores of 35 and 40, while England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith’s knock of 95 has lifted him 31 places to 64^th position.

England fast bowler Mark Wood’s Player of the Match performance of two for 52 and five for 40 has lifted him into the top 20 of the bowling rankings for the first time in his career.

Gus Atkinson of England (up four places to 46^th), Blessing Muzarabani of Zimbabwe (re-entered in 50th position), and Mark Adair of Ireland (up three places to 63^rd) are other notable gainers in the bowling rankings.