England will draft in the big-hitters from their in-form Test team as they look to bounce back from a T20I series defeat to India in their three-match ODI series.

Jos Buttler's first series as permanent white-ball captain following Eoin Morgan's retirement did not go to plan as India claimed a 2-1 win.

The hosts avoided a whitewash with victory in the third match at Trent Bridge, with Buttler having called on his side to be "braver" in the wake of defeats at the Ageas Bowl and Edgbaston.

Having more confidence over the course of a 50-over series should be easier for the reigning world champions with Test captain Ben Stokes and Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow –  the latter pair each in remarkable form in the red-ball game – set to link up with the squad. Fast bowler Craig Overton is also due to come into the group.

"They're obviously world-class players," head coach Matthew Mott said ahead of the series opener at The Oval on Tuesday. "As a coach, it's a great opportunity to learn from probably some of the best players in this format of all time.

"They'll bring some energy into the group, and they're really excited to be there. I don't think they'll have to change a hell of a lot from the way they've been playing, but it's a slightly different format.

"They come in pretty hot, and we're straight into it: that's the modern game. We'll see how everyone pulls up."

India's main selection issue surrounds whether to pick Suryakumar Yadav, whose electric 117 in the third T20I proved in vain.

Suryakumar's century came in just 48 balls and, with an impressive average of 53.40 from seven ODIs, India may back him to carry that form into the 50-over game and pick him over Shreyas Iyer.

The tourists won the most recent ODI series between the teams back in March 2021; however, history is against them carrying on where they left off in a seven-run series-clinching victory in Pune and prevailing at The Oval.

Indeed, India have not won successive men's ODIs against England since January 2017, while Buttler's men head into the game trying to preserve an unbeaten run at The Oval that stretches back to 2015. New Zealand were the last team to beat England in ODI cricket at the south London venue.

Rohit and Kohli's contrasting form

India's captain Rohit Sharma clearly feels at home playing in England. He has seven centuries in 24 ODI innings in England, the most by any visiting player. The 1,335 runs he has scored in England have come at a gaudy average of 66.75.

By contrast, Virat Kohli remains in a substantial slump. He has gone 77 innings in international cricket without a century. Him breaking that streak would go a long way to helping India claim another white-ball series win.

Will Buttler get back to his best?

Buttler, the top scorer in this year's Indian Premier League, endured uncharacteristic struggles with the bat in the T20I series, scoring only 22 runs across three matches. However, he was in rude form in the recent ODI series with the Netherlands, the highlight of which was his incredible 162 in 70 deliveries.

England will look for him to return to that level against much tougher opposition, but even if he cannot do so at The Oval, England have insurance in the form of Root, the world's top Test batter who has 548 runs in 10 ODI innings at an average of 68.50 at the venue, and his fellow Yorkshireman Bairstow.

Bairstow posted scores of 94 and 124 in last year's series in India and should have no difficulty translating his scorching red-ball form to the white-ball game having scored four centuries in his past five Test innings through an extremely attacking approach.

England cricketing great Kevin Pietersen has likened the controversial LIV Golf International Series to the formation of the Indian Premier League and hopes golf can soon settle its differences.

Pietersen was no stranger to controversy as a talented multi-format player, with his commitment to England questioned after the inaugural IPL, when lucrative T20 franchise cricket was born.

The South Africa-born batter captained England for just three Tests and 12 ODIs before his resignation and ultimately announced his international retirement in 2012 after scheduling disagreements – only to soon return.

Pietersen reportedly took issue with the strain put on players by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), with their involvement in franchise cricket around the world limited.

The 42-year-old, who suggested English players were jealous of those offered lucrative IPL contracts, spent the latter stages of his career in various domestic leagues, appearing in tournaments across India, Australia, Pakistan and the Caribbean.

Having been bought for a whopping £1.1million by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the second edition of the then-controversial IPL in 2009, Pietersen remains aware of the potential for differences of opinion when it comes to new beginnings in sport.

LIV Golf has come under intense scrutiny, with vocal opponents criticising the Saudi-backed breakaway league, which offers lucrative prize funds that the PGA Tour is yet to compete with.

Ten major champions have defected to LIV Golf, leaving a cloud hanging over the final major of the year, The Open Championship, where the R&A has allowed breakaway players to feature despite their PGA Tour bans.

Pietersen, speaking after playing the Old Course, St Andrews ahead of The 150th Open on Monday, hopes the issues between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour will soon be resolved.

"I don't really have a take on it because it doesn't matter what I think," he said. 

"But having been part of the Indian Premier League and franchise cricket around the world, I think eventually – and I hope – that everything just merges and everybody lives as one happy family in the future.

"Sport is such a unifying thing. It unifies people, it unifies countries, unifies teams, and the ability to make it into something great is important.

"So, I just hope that for the greater good of the sport, things happen in the next few years. Clearly, there was going to be an outcry at the start by certain people in certain countries. 

"But let's hope that in two, three years' time, golf is celebrated for the great game that it is."

Pietersen has been offered the chance to play at St Andrews before the major starts and believes the short distance of the course may offer the injury-hampered Tiger Woods a chance of success.

"These guys are just so special. I mean, they are quite something when they perform to the calibre of performances that we see these kinds of freak shows," he added.

"[Xander] Schauffele comes in with great form, having won three times in the last three weeks or so. Louis [Oosthuizen] as well, he won, and then he got a runner-up.

"I think you come in here with experience and – you can relate it back to cricket – there are certain grounds in the world that you go to [where] you think, 'Okay, I have a real good chance here because I know this place. I love this place and I know how to bat here.'

"So I think, in terms of golf, there will be a few players that say, 'Yep, I know this place. I like this place'. 

"Maybe even Tiger, this is not a hard walk; we walked it yesterday, this is a very easy walk. For him to be able to turn up here, show that dedication and commitment months ago towards this tournament... you never know.

"We played next to him yesterday, and he played in front of us. There's a crazy sound that comes off the back when he hits, it's very special."

Bangladesh secured a comfortable six-wicket win over the West Indies at Providence in Guyana on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in their three-match One-Day International series.

The win was Bangladesh’s first win on their tour having lost both the Test and T20 International series 2-0.

The win also means that Bangladesh have now won their last six ODIs against the hosts, a fact that West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran says the team is well aware of.

“We know Bangladesh has had us in the last couple series but that’s ok. I feel like we’re still going to win this series. We’re 1-0 down but we can come again on Wednesday with better plans and punch back,” said Pooran in a post-match interview.

The skipper lamented the team’s lack of runs on the board in the 41 overs-per-side game, being restricted to a subpar 149-9.

“We definitely didn’t have enough runs on the board. If we had got close to 175 or 200 on that wicket, it’d be interesting to see how the game would have turned out. We also could’ve bowled a bit better in the powerplay. It’s going to be a challenge for us but we just need to keep figuring out ways to win cricket games, especially in the ODI format,” Pooran said.

On the other hand, “Fantastic,” was how Pooran described debutant Gudakesh Motie’s performance with the ball.

Motie took his first international wicket on the way to a tidy 1-18 off nine overs.

“He got his opportunity in front of his home crowd and delivered. Unfortunately, he was on the losing side but the way he bowled nine overs for 18 runs is fabulous and we’re expecting him to continue to bowl like this, not just in this series but in the future as well,” he added.

The 27-year-old Motie, who also made his Test debut on this tour, got his chance in the ODI format on the back of a stellar campaign in the 2021 Super 50 Cup which saw him finish as the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets in seven matches as Guyana got all the way to the final, losing to Trinidad & Tobago.

Ben Stokes has taken Test cricket by storm with his attacking approach to captaining England, but the all-rounder must value his wicket more.

That is the message from former England batter Kevin Pietersen, who hailed the start Stokes has made as skipper, winning each of his first four Tests.

Stokes and Brendon McCullum have restored interest in the five-day game, with their aggressive intent in the longest format resulting in a series whitewash of New Zealand and victory over India.

In each of those victories, England have chased down scores of more than 275 runs and they saved their best until last with a seven-wicket win over India, completing their highest Test chase of 378 with ease.

Yorkshire duo Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root have been the standout performers for McCullum's side, and Pietersen believes the attitude of Stokes is refreshing for the England set-up and cricket in general.

"They're doing something incredible. The last few run chases, pretty much record-breaking. I have been watching it in astonishment," Pietersen said after playing the Old Course, St Andrews ahead of the 150th Open Championship.

"We were all astonished by Ben Stokes winning the toss and saying, 'we'll chase'. I mean, I'd never heard of that in my life. I was standing with Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain, and we were like, 'did he just say that?'

"No one's ever said that before and, fair play, if you're going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. The wickets have been very good, so they've been able to do that.

"Can you do that in India on day three, day four of a Test match? I'm not so sure but I think these guys are good enough.

"And if they play with that freedom, of spirit and mind, they can achieve some cool things. I'm all in to watch how it goes."

Stokes has courted criticism for embodying England's approach too excessively after somewhat cheap dismissals against New Zealand and India, though, and Pietersen urged for caution from the captain.

"The only thing I do see and want to see is that he does value his wicket a little more than then what I saw in Birmingham, he's too good a player to slog it straight in the air," he added.

"He's too good a player to do that. Just have a look at how Bairstow played has played with freedom of spirit, freedom of mind.

"He accessed all areas of the ground and he puts so much pressure on the opposition. I just think Ben is better than that, and I'm sure he'll accept that, and he'll know that I just want to see him flourishing."

Bairstow has set the benchmark for 'Bazball', an endearing term for McCullum's attacking approach that the New Zealand legend is not too great a fan of.

The 32-year-old scored the second-fastest Test hundred for England at Trent Bridge before reaching three figures in three of his next four innings, the only exception being a rapid 71 not out at Headingley.

His unbeaten 114 against India marked his sixth century of 2022, 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), and Pietersen backed Bairstow to continue playing freely.

"There's no real pressure because he's not being frowned upon by the powers that be, he is being asked by the senior management to play that way," he continued.

"I think it's a privilege to be able to go out there and just express yourself. The balls up, just give it a smack and everybody says instead of smacking it that hard, I want you to smack it harder – awesome, no pressure."

England limited-overs coach Matthew Mott admitted his side must be "braver" for the T20 World Cup after being caught by surprise by the aggressive intent of India.

India cruised to a pair of comfortable victories in their first two T20I meetings with England, securing an unassailable 2-0 series lead before Sunday's final clash at Trent Bridge.

Mott revealed new England captain Jos Buttler, who replaced Eoin Morgan before the series, called on his side to be more aggressive in the outing at Nottingham with nothing to lose.

England duly delivered by posting 215-7 – their highest ever T20I score against India – as they picked up the first win since Morgan's international retirement.

A World Cup in the shortest format is to follow in Australia later in the year after T20I series against South Africa and Pakistan, and Mott implored his team to play with more freedom.

"We learned a lot of lessons in the first two games," Mott said. "India obviously came out with a really attacking mindset and put us under pressure a lot. We expected that, but the ferocity of it took us by surprise a little bit.

"After the second loss and the series loss, I thought he [Buttler] spoke exceptionally well in the group about these being the times where you learn about character.

"It's easy when you're dominating teams but we're going to learn more about ourselves playing great teams like India and South Africa leading into a World Cup – we're going to learn more about what we need in Australia when we're put under pressure.

"We talked about just being a bit braver. If anything, we could have been accused of being a bit timid with the bat. [On Sunday] we just went out there and thought, 'it's a great wicket, let's put a score out there and hang on.'

"We don't like losing but I think there is plenty that we've taken out of this series already and it sets us up well for the summer."

Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, two Test stars, are expected to return to the limited-overs side and will likely slot in at number three and four respectively.

But Dawid Malan scored an important 77 off 39 balls in the third match against India, staking his claim for the number three position, while Reece Topley also impressed with the ball as he took 3-22.

Fast bowlers Mark Wood and Jofra Archer may miss the World Cup due to injuries, and Mott admitted competition for places is wide open.

"It was an unbelievable experience for some of those bowlers," he said. "Topley was magnificent and [Richard] Gleeson has been a real find for us.

"All the intel that I've had is that it's definitely been an area that we're looking to improve, so to be under that sort of pressure and hold our nerve gives us a lot of confidence.

"I don't think [the World Cup squad] is all locked in yet. This far out, you've got so many things that could happen – whether it's injuries or form, or whatever.

"We've got a fair idea of what we think the right make-up is, but you want players to come in and perform and really warrant that spot.

"It's still open for a lot of players and that's why we are having looks at different combinations and trying to learn."

An unbeaten double century from Dinesh Chandimal and a six-wicket haul for Prabath Jayasuriya guided Sri Lanka to an emphatic win over Australia to level the two-Test series.

Sri Lanka completed their win by an innings and 39 runs on day four.

Chandimal had earlier watched on as Kamindu Mendis (61) was bowled by Mitchell Swepson without adding to his overnight score, with Niroshan Dickwella (5) following to Nathan Lyon (2-194).

But Ramesh Mendis (29) provided ample support to Chandimal by surviving for 98 balls, as the latter brought up his double hundred with consecutive sixes against Mitchell Starc.

Chandimal was the last man standing on 206 – the highest score by a Sri Lankan against Australia in men's Tests – as Starc (4-89) and Swepson (3-103) cleaned up the tail with the hosts 190 runs ahead.

Sri Lanka continued in the ascendancy as Ramesh Mendis removed David Warner for 24, with the score on 49-1, after Dickwella earlier missed a stumping chance to remove Usman Khawaja when on just two.

Khawaja did not capitalise on that chance, falling for 29 to Jayasuriya (6-59), who removed Steve Smith without scoring four balls later, before Travis Head (5) failed in his defence against Ramesh Mendis (2-47).

Marnus Labuschagne (32) and Cameron Green (23) offered brief resistance but both were dismissed by Jayasuriya, who completed his second five-for of the Test when Starc departed for a two-ball duck.

Maheesh Theekshana (2-48) then trapped Pat Cummins (16) and Lyon (5) in front, before Jayasuriya dismissed Swepson (0) for his 12th wicket of the match to bowl the tourists out for 151 and seal Sri Lanka's first Test victory over Australia since 2016.

Dreamy Dinesh joined by Jayasuriya

Chandimal posted his maiden Test double century as he surpassed his previous high score of 164 against India in 2017 to press home Sri Lanka's advantage and help his side to a memorable win.

Kumar Sangakkara previously held the highest Sri Lanka Test score against Australia (192 in November 2007), but Chandimal eased past that benchmark with a remarkable 16 fours and five sixes in 326 balls.

Where's your Head at?

Head has struggled in the series against Sri Lanka, posting double figures in just one of three innings – though a high score of 12 leaves a lot to be desired.

More concerningly, Head has been bowled on two of his three dismissals, leading to questions over his defensive technique on spin-friendly, challenging pitches in the subcontinent.

Jonny Bairstow has been named as the ICC Player of the Month after run-laden Test outings against New Zealand and 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."

After being shut out in the respective Test and T20 series, Bangladesh struck back on Sunday to defeat the West Indies by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in their three-match ODI series at Providence in Guyana.

In the match reduced to 41 overs because of a wet outfield, Bangladesh won the toss and sent the West Indies in to bat. The home side was in early trouble losing Shai Hope first ball, bowled by an inswinger from Mustafizur Rahman for nought.

On a pitch of uneven bounce and taking spin, the West Indies struggled to rotate the strike. They lost Kyle Mayers for 10 in the 12^th over when the score was on 32. It would get a lot worse eight overs later when after limping to 55-2, they lost Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks off consecutive deliveries of the 21^st over bowled by Shoriful Islam for eight and 33, respectively.

The dismissals brought together Captain Nicholas Pooran (18) and Vice-Captain Rovman Powell (9), who together put on 20 for the fifth wicket. Mehidy Hasan Miraz removed both in quick succession to have the West Indies tottering on 91-6.

Shoriful picked up his third and fourth wickets with the dismissals of Romario Shepherd for 15 and Gudakesh Motie for 7, which along with the run out of Akeal Hosein for 3, saw the West Indies stumble to 110-9 in over 35.

Jayden Seales and Anderson Phillip, who were unbeaten on 16 and 21, respectively put on 39 for the last wicket to take the West Indies to 149-9.

Shoriful returned figures of 4-34 while Mehidy took 3-36.

Needing 150 for their first victory of the series, Bangladesh lost the wickets of Liton Das for 1 with the score at 9 and Tamim Iqbal for 33 when the score was 49 but still raced to 77-2 after 13 overs.

The tourists would lose the wickets of Najmul Hossain Shanto for 37 and Afif Hossain for nine as Bangladesh closed in on the victory but Mahmudullah 41 not out and Nurul Hasan (20) ensured that there would be no further jitters as they eased to 151-4 with 55 balls to spare.

Motie, who dismissed Shanto for the first wicket of his international career, bowled well for figures of 1-18 from nine overs while Pooran took 1-39 from seven. Akeal Hosein took 1-43.

Jos Buttler hailed an "incredible" knock from India's Suryakumar Yadav after earning his first victory as England captain, with the hosts clinging on for a consolation win in the third T20I at Trent Bridge.

England held on despite Yadav scoring a terrific 117 off 55 balls, falling just one run short of matching India's best ever showing in the format – Rohit Sharma's 118 against Sri Lanka in 2017 – as Buttler's men clawed back some pride at the end of a 2-1 series defeat.

They were indebted to Dawid Malan's 77 as they racked up 215-7 for their highest ever T20I score against India and a first win since Eoin Morgan's international retirement.

While Buttler was delighted with England's response with the bat after they were bowled out for just 148 and 121 in the first two matches of the series, he reserved his highest praise for India star Yadav.

"It was good fun, a fantastic game of cricket, much more like we're used to seeing from our side," Buttler told Sky Sports. "I was really pleased with the response with the bat especially.

"It was an incredible knock from Suryakumar, one of the best hundreds I've seen, and he put us under a lot of pressure.

"The guys bowled really well at the end there. I was pleased to see [Richard] Gleeson back up another performance, CJ [Chris Jordan]'s been excellent all series, so I'm delighted for those guys."

England's Reece Topley was named player of the match after claiming three wickets but was also keen to lavish praise on India's best performer.

"I was speechless at some of the shots, they were unbelievable. He looks a hell of a player," Topley said.

"I've not come across him too much, so I was just in awe most of the time, to be honest."

After watching Yadav come agonisingly close to matching his own record T20I total, Rohit was delighted with the 31-year-old's performance in a thrilling chase.

"It was a fantastic chase, and we are proud of our fight," Rohit said.

"Suryakumar Yadav was magnificent to watch. I have been watching him for a while, and he loves this format, he is unorthodox and has a wide range of shots. 

"He never lets the tempo go. He has grown as player and is going from strength to strength."

Jos Buttler secured the first win of his tenure as England captain as the hosts clung on for a 17-run triumph over India in a thrilling third T20I at Trent Bridge. 

Dawid Malan's rapid 77 fired the much-improved hosts to 215-7, a huge tally which India looked capable of reaching after the outstanding Suryakumar Yadav scored 117 off just 55 balls.

But Reece Topley (3-22) claimed three wickets as England held off India's chase to record a morale-boosting triumph, their first since Eoin Morgan's international retirement.

Looking to recover from comprehensive back-to-back defeats, Buttler's men produced a far better performance with the bat in Nottingham as their skipper's fourth-over dismissal allowed Malan to step up for a terrific 39-ball knock.

Losing Jason Roy (27) and Phil Salt (eight) to Umran Malik and Harshal Patel within the first 10 overs did little to stem the hosts' momentum as Liam Livingstone (42 not out) joined Malan in an 84-run partnership before India belatedly stepped up their attack in the 17th over.

Ravi Bishnoi accounted for Malan and Moeen Ali – the latter for a duck – in rapid fashion before Harry Brook (19) and Chris Jordan (11) fell, but India's bowling display fell a long way short of their scintillating outing at Edgbaston last time out as England still posted a mammoth total.

Indeed, the 13 sixes racked up by England represented their most in a T20I innings against India, and they looked set for a comfortable victory when the tourists made a dreadful start with the bat.

India lost Rishabh Pant (one), Virat Kohli (11) and Rohit Sharma (11) during a desperate first five overs, only for the imperious Yadav to drag them into contention with his first international hundred.

But Yadav's 19th-over dismissal at the hands of Ali slowed India's progress, as England clung on to end an underwhelming series on a high.

Magnificent Malan carries England

Malan's 77 – the fourth-best knock of his T20I career and his best against India – proved crucial as England racked up their highest ever score against India in the format, despite another early exit for Buttler.

Yadav falls short despite terrific haul

Yadav was incredibly unfortunate to end up on the losing side after his outstanding innings, falling just short of leading India to a remarkable chase as well as missing out on making history on an individual level. 

His 117 was just one short of the highest score ever posted by an India player in the format, with Rohit having smashed an almighty 118 off just 43 balls against Sri Lanka in December 2017.

Dinesh Chandimal put Sri Lanka in control of the second Test against Australia with an unbeaten century on day three.

The hosts, playing in Galle amid the backdrop of political unrest in the country, picked up where they left off at the end of day two as they continued to excel with the bat to reach 431-6 at stumps in response to Australia's 364 all out.

Sri Lanka resumed on 184-2, but Kusal Mendis – one of the stars of the second day – added just one to his overnight total as he went for 85.

However, Sri Lanka found stability in the form of ex-captain Angelo Mathews (52) and Chandimal (118 not out), who combined for an 83-run fourth-wicket partnership.

Australia paid the price for wasting their reviews on unsuccessful leg before appeals against both Mathews and Chandimal, leaving them with none to use when Nathan Lyon trapped Mathews with a delivery that DRS showed would have hit the stumps and when ultra edge showed Chandimal had edged Mitchell Starc behind on 30.

Marnus Labuschagne's catch at short leg did eventually end Mathews' innings, but Australia found no way through the defences of Chandimal, who brought up his hundred with a quick single off Lyon.

Chandimal found yet more support from Kamindu Mendis, who struck 61 on debut, and will look to work with the tail to make Australia toil further after guiding Sri Lanka to a lead of 67 runs at the close.

Lucky 13 for Chandimal

Chandimal's century was his 13th in Test cricket and his second of the year following his 124 in Bangladesh in May. He will now look to go beyond his high score of 164 against India in 2017 and press home Sri Lanka's advantage.

Sri Lanka's show of strength

Encapsulating Australia's struggles to make inroads, this innings marked the first time five Sri Lanka batters have scored 50 or more against them. Additionally, this is only the fifth time five of Sri Lanka's top six have scored half-centuries.

West Indies One Day International captain Nicholas Pooran believes the team is still searching for the right approach to be able to reap success in the format.

Despite some promising signs in both the Test and T20 versions of the sport, the team Windies have continued to accumulate indifferent results in 50-over cricket.  Currently ranked at 9^th in the world, the team has won just 4 of the last 10 games and won only one against a team in the top 10.

In their last encounter, the team struggled to come to grips with Pakistan in a 3-0 loss after a convincing win against the Netherlands prior to that.  Recently appointed Pooran, however, believes the team is still trying to find its legs.

“There are a lot of new guys on the team and we need to learn to play together as a group.  You just have to be patient, the ODI format is between the Test and the T20, and the mindset is changing.  We just need to get the right mindset, the right template, and just stick with it for a bit, I am really looking forward to the Bangladesh game,” Pooran said.

The West Indies will play Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series, beginning in Guyana tomorrow.

Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) Senior Men’s Selection Panel has named Romario Shepherd in the 13-member squad to face Bangladesh in the three-match CG United One-Day International (ODI) Series.

Shepherd was originally a reserve but will now replace Keemo Paul, who tested positive for COVID-19 and is therefore unavailable. Odean Smith has been added as the reserve.

Shepherd bowled well in the recent T20 International (T20I) Series, where he was the leading wicket-taker with 6 wickets (average 11.33; economy 7.5) including a career-best 3-21 in the first T20I at Windsor Park, Dominica.

He will now have the opportunity, subject to selection, to play more games in front of his home crowd at the Guyana National Stadium.

FULL SQUAD

Nicholas Pooran (Captain)

Shai Hope (Vice Captain)

Shamarh Brooks

Kaecy Carty

Akeal Hosein

Alzarri Joseph

Brandon King

Kyle Mayers

Gudakesh Motie

Anderson Phillip

Rovman Powell

Jayden Seales

Romario Shepherd

Reserve: Odean Smith

India captain Rohit Sharma was delighted with his 'clinical' team, after they secured series victory over England with a comfortable 49-run win in the second T20 international at Edgbaston.

Sharma's team batted first and found themselves at 89-5 after Hardik Pandya was caught by Dawid Malan off the bowling of Chris Jordan.

This brought Ravindra Jadeja to the crease, and he smashed 46 runs off 26 deliveries to help India set England a total of 171 runs to win.

England's chase was quick to falter though, with Jason Roy getting out with the first ball of the innings after an impressive delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar was hit to slip by the opener.

The captain Jos Buttler was quick to follow after scoring only four runs, and the poor performance from England's top order was telling as they ended up all out for just 121.

Sharma was quick to praise his side after they claimed victory in the series ahead of the final game at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Sharma commented: "We knew we were up for a challenge against them, but again we came out and were quite clinical in what we wanted to do.

"And clear-minded as well, with what we wanted to execute with the bat and with the ball as well.

"When you win games it's always nice, you feel confident. There's a lot of confidence amongst the group, which to me is quite important.

"I really wanted to see how we perform after a win, and we want to keep continuing to do that and see how we can challenge us more and more as a group."

Sharma gave particular acclaim to Jadeja after his crucial innings, adding "Jadeja with his experience, recently getting a 100 on this ground as well, he seems to be confident in what he wants to do.

"At no given point did we feel that he was panicking, given the experience that he has.

"It was good to finish off on a score which I thought was par on that pitch, and then we were quite clinical with the ball."

Sri Lanka provided a fine response to keep themselves in the conversation on day two of their second Test against Australia, whom they trail by 180 runs after reaching 184-2 at stumps.

The tourists added 66 runs to their day-one total at the start of the action on Saturday before Sri Lanka began what looked to be a fairly daunting reply to 364.

Set against the backdrop of mass anti-government protests amid an economic crisis in the country, with demonstrations reaching the stadium in Galle, anyone would have forgiven Sri Lanka for being distracted.

But they were locked-in throughout on what was an impressive day for them all round on the pitch.

Steve Smith picked up where he left off on day one to ultimately finish on 145 not out, but after Alex Carey (28) was dismissed, Australian batsmen dropped like flies as they put on just 35 runs for their last four wickets partly thanks to Prabath Jayasuriya's (6-118) tremendous six-for on debut.

Sri Lanka's innings started poorly, with Pathum Nissanka sent packing for six by Mitchell Starc (1-28) in the ninth over to leave them 12-1.

Dimuth Karunaratne (86) was then almost run out on 18 and also had a lucky escape just before tea when nearly finding the clutches of Mitchell Swepson (1-31).

But there were otherwise few scares for Sri Lanka as Australia's attack faded in the face of Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis (84 not out).

That was until Swepson's return, as he slammed a delivery into Karunaratne's pads to snare him leg before.

Mendis continued to elude Australia, however, providing a steadying a presence as Sri Lanka reached the close in good shape.

Jayasuriya has a day to remember

On his Test debut, Jayasuriya produced a memorable showing with the ball. His performance undoubtedly proved key in preventing Australia reaching 400.

His figures are the second best by a Sri Lankan bowler on a Test debut, with only Praveen Jayawickrama (6-92) against Bangladesh in 2021 doing better.

Mendis, Karunaratne frustrate Australia

Mendis and Karunaratne may not have put on runs at a devastating rate, but that is not always what is required in Test cricket. They were playing the long game and it worked.

Australia's attack did not provide Sri Lanka with the opportunities to quickly build a big total, but their second-wicket stand kept the hosts on track and they head into day three in a good position thanks to the pair.