Zak Crawley came through a testing examination from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to make an unbeaten fifty for England in their fifth Test against India in Dharamsala.

England reached lunch on the opening day on 100 for two, with Crawley 61 not out, as the tourists bid for a consolation win, with India in an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Crawley and Ben Duckett put on 64 for the opening wicket despite Bumrah and Siraj exploiting helpful seam bowling conditions to regularly test their techniques – although both India bowlers somehow went wicketless in their spells.

Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav snared both Duckett for 27 and Ollie Pope for 11, the latter from the ball before the end of the session.

Ben Stokes has suspected the pitch would be “absolutely belting” for batting so had little hesitation at what to do upon winning the toss, allowing Shoaib Bashir a little more time at convalescence after missing Wednesday’s final practice because of an upset stomach.

Ollie Robinson was back at the team hotel and with England down to 13 players, assistant coaches and ex-internationals Marcus Trescothick, 48, and Paul Collingwood, 47, were listed among the substitute fielders.

The cooler conditions in the foothills of the Himalayas initially aided India’s seamers and especially Bumrah, who went past the outside edge on a number of occasions. An 85mph delivery behaved like a leg-break; fizzing off the pitch, beating Crawley all ends up and sailing over middle stump.

Crawley had success off back and front foot, with some eye-catching drives through covers, while Duckett hunkered down as England’s opening pair dug deep to put on their fifth 50-stand of the series.

Bumrah’s figures of 7-1-24-0 hardly justified an exceptional opening salvo while Siraj had an lbw shout when Crawley was on 29 turned down, which stayed with the on-field umpire despite brushing leg stump.

Ravichandran Ashwin was introduced in the 15th over on his 100th Test and was greeted with a paddle sweep off Duckett, who undid his hard work in Kuldeep’s first over as a leading edge ballooned into the offside and was caught over his shoulder by a diving Shubman Gill.

Crawley was gradually gaining in fluency and brought up his fifty with a drive off Kuldeep for his ninth four before advancing to the ineffective Ashwin and hammering the spinner for six.

But after England moved to three figures, Pope danced down the wicket to Kuldeep, whose googly beat the outside edge and allowed Dhruv Jurel to whip off the bails in the final act before lunch.

Talented batsman Adrian Hetmyer has been appointed Guyana’s captain for the upcoming Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 tournament in Antigua later this month.

Hetmyer, the nephew of Guyana and West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer, will have prolific opener Emmanuel Lewis as his deputy in the 14-man squad.

SQUAD: Parmeshwar Ram, Justin Dowlin, Danvir Seegobin, Emmanuel Lewis, Adrian Hetmyer, Rovaldo Pereira, Richard Ramdehol, Khush Seegobin, Sohail Mohammed (WK), Shamar Apple, Brandon Henry, Gilbert Griffith, Jathniel Nurse and Arif Khan.

RESERVES: Trilok Nanan, Reyaz Latif, Bhomesh Lall, Feeaz Baksh, Kumulchan Ramnarace, Eron Benjamin and Mickle Sharma.

The squad was selected following the Inter-County 50-over competition, which Demerara won in early February.

The team is being sponsored by OES Guyana Inc., whose sponsorship will assist in preparing and outfitting the players for the regional tournament, set to bowl off on March 24.

England are confident Shoaib Bashir will be available for the fifth Test against India despite an upset stomach that has led to the tourists taking precautionary measures to prevent an outbreak.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

England are confident Shoaib Bashir will be available for the fifth Test against India despite an upset stomach that has led to the tourists taking precautionary measures to prevent an outbreak.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

England have brought back express fast bowler Mark Wood as they attempt to salvage a consolation victory against India in the fifth Test in Dharamsala.

Ollie Robinson makes way after a wicketless outing last week on his competitive comeback in Ranchi, where India moved into an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

Wood replacing Robinson is England’s only change to their XI as they persist with two spinners in Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir despite the coolest conditions of the tour in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Bashir – alongside Robinson – missed practice on Wednesday due to an upset stomach but it is not thought the issue will stop him from playing in 24 hours’ time, where middle-order batter Jonny Bairstow will make his 100th Test appearance.

Ben Stokes contends England have “massively evolved” since last summer’s Ashes and dismissed the notion that losing in India represents a step backwards under his leadership.

England have troubled India but Stokes is facing up to his first series defeat as captain, with Rohit Sharma’s side holding a 3-1 lead heading into the final Test, starting on Thursday in Dharamsala.

Past England teams might have already let their thoughts drift towards the flight home after a long tour but Stokes was adamant this iteration are hungry to finish the series on a positive note.

Indeed, one of the major differences he sees in his side since their last assignment – a 2-2 draw against Australia – is their readiness to do what is necessary to get into the team and keep the spot.

“The individuals and the team have massively evolved on this tour,” he said. “Progression doesn’t always show itself with the results. It doesn’t mean that we’ve gone backwards.

“I think the way in which everyone committed to becoming a better version of themselves from when we last played was quite obvious; everyone’s fitter, everyone was – I don’t want to say more desire – but it was just a really different feel around how we operated from the summer before.

“When you know that you’re part of something special, you want to work your nuts off to keep your place in the team.

“We’ve been on so many India tours, you know what it’s like when you get to an end of a long one that sometimes you start thinking about the end of the game, whereas honestly, I don’t think that anyone is thinking like that because every opportunity we feel at the moment is special to play for England.”

Before training at the picturesque HPCA Stadium on Wednesday, some England players are set to travel around 10km north and visit the Dalai Lama at his home in McLeod Ganj, although Stokes is unlikely to be among the contingent.

He will instead contemplate changes to his line-up and whether to include an extra seamer in the cooler mountain conditions, with James Anderson and Ollie Robinson fit after minor thigh and back troubles.

Stokes, though, insisted the XI would not be predicated on him returning to bowling for the first time since last July and doing so following left knee surgery last November would merely be a “bonus”.

Shoaib Bashir had a cut on his spinning finger tended to at Tuesday’s practice after a mammoth 70-over stint in Ranchi. This type of injury is common for spinners who experience an increase in workload, as evidenced by Moeen Ali’s struggles with the same issue last summer, but Stokes played down any worries.

“He’s probably bowled more in the last two months than he has ever,” Stokes said. “He was fine, he was just starting to feel it but I don’t think there’s any concern there.

“I put that down to him probably bowling more balls here in two months than he has for however long he’s been playing cricket for to be honest.”

Jonny Bairstow keeps his spot in the side despite a quiet series with the bat and will play his 100th Test, a dozen years on from his debut at Lord’s against the West Indies.

“I’m super excited for him and he’s been quite chipper the last couple of days,” Stokes said.

“I’ve been there for a lot of his career. Age-group cricket, I played against him and with him. Obviously we went on to play loads of cricket for England together.

“He’s one of England’s finest all-format batters, he’s done some unbelievable things with the red ball and the white ball.”

Asked about his white-ball intentions this year, Stokes confirmed he would be available for selection for the T20 World Cup in June after inspiring England to glory in the 2022 final in Australia.

“I’ve not even thought about that but I’m available,” he added. “Whether or not I’m in the plans for that is a different thing. But I still want to be part of that team going forward.”

Jamaica, Windward Islands and Guyana all kicked off the 2024 CG United Women’s Super50 Cup with comfortable wins in St. Kitts on Monday.

Jamaica were the most dominant on the day, securing a massive 200-run win over defending champions Barbados at Warner Park.

The Jamaicans first piled up an intimidating 289 all out off 46.5 overs thanks to a top score of 97 from Captain Stafanie Taylor and a rapid 93 from all-rounder Chinelle Henry.

Taylor’s knock came off 100 balls and included 11 fours and a six while Henry was more belligerent, making her score off just 69 balls and hitting nine fours and four sixes.

Natasha McLean also chipped in with 24 against 3-24 off 8.5 overs from Aaliyah Alleyne and 2-35 off 10 overs from Allison Gordon.

Jamaica then produced an excellent display of bowling to restrict the Bajans to just 89 in 37.4 overs.

Taylor completed an excellent all-round performance with 2-16 from 6.4 overs while Vanessa Watts took 2-24 from her full quota of 10 overs.

NaiJanni Cumberbatch top scores for Barbados with 22.

Full Scores: Jamaica Women 289 all out off 46.5 overs (Stafanie Taylor 97, Chinelle Henry 93, Aaliyah Alleyne 3-24, Allison Gordon 2-35)

Barbados Women 89 all out 37.4 overs (NaiJanni Cumberbatch 22, Stafanie Taylor 2-16, Vanessa Watts 2-24).

At Conaree Sports Club, the Windward Islands won a thriller against Trinidad & Tobago by two wickets.

The Windwards first restricted T&T to 185 all out off 48.2 overs after losing the toss and being asked to field first.

Lee Ann Kirby led the way for the Trinidadians with 59 off 40 balls including eight fours and a six while Samara Ramnath and Captain Britney Cooper made 28, each.

Windwards skipper Afy Fletcher took 3-40 from her 10 overs while Carena Noel provided good support with 2-18 from 5.2 overs.

The Windwards then recovered from being 53-5 after 14.3 overs to reach 186-8 off 49 overs and secure a fantastic win.

Malika Edward was the only top order batter for the Windwards to reach double figures with 22.

The bulk of the runs came from Jannilea Glasgow, Nerissa Crafton and Pearl Etienne who batted at six, seven and eight, respectively.

Glasgow top scored with 62 off 114 balls including seven fours while Crafton made 45 off 77 balls including four fours.

The pair embarked on an 86-run sixth wicket partnership before Crafton fell. Glasgow and Etienne then put together a 43-run seventh wicket partnership to all but seal victory.

Etienne made a quick 22-ball 23 including two fours. Karishma Ramharack took 2-19 from her 10 overs for T&T.

Full Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Women 185 all out off 48.2 overs (Lee Ann Kirby 59, Samara Ramnath 28, Britney Cooper 28, Afy Fletcher 3-40, Carena Noel 2-18)

Windward Islands Women 186-8 off 49 overs (Jannilea Glasgow 62, Nerissa Crafton 45, Pearl Etienne 23, Malika Edward 22, Karishma Ramharack 2-19).

Finally, Guyana secured a comfortable 56-run win over the Leeward Islands at St. Paul’s Sports Complex.

The Leewards won the toss and proceeded to bowl out Guyana for just 139 in 37 overs thanks to a fantastic 3-9 off seven overs from Shawnisha Hector as well as 3-21 off nine overs from Rozel Liburd.

Realeanna Grimmond top scored for Guyana with 38 while Shabika Gajnabi made 20.

Guyana then produced an excellent reply with the ball to dismiss the Leewards for just 84 off 36.5 overs.

Plaffiana Millington led the way with 4-10 from her 9.5 overs while Nyia Latchman took 3-25 from eight overs.

Full Scores: Guyana Women 139 all out off 37 overs (Realeanna Grimmond 38, Shabika Gajnabi 20, Shawnisha Hector 3-9, Rozel Liburd 3-21)

Leeward Islands Women 84 all out off 36.5 overs (Divya Saxena 18, Plaffiana Millington 4-10, Nyia Latchman 3-25)

Jonny Bairstow admitted becoming the latest member of England’s 100 Test club means a “hell of a lot” after being joined by close family and friends this week to mark the occasion in Dharamsala.

Bairstow is set to become the 17th Englishman to reach the prestigious milestone when the fifth Test against India starts on Thursday and could not wish for a more picture-perfect setting than the HPCA Stadium, which features stunning views of the Himalayan snow-capped mountains in the background.

Several of his nearest and dearest, including mother, sister, partner and infant son, have flown out to celebrate alongside Bairstow, who recognises the magnitude of the occasion.

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Unlike England captain Ben Stokes, who remarked in Rajkot earlier in the series of his own 100th Test being “just a number”, Bairstow intends to embrace every moment in what he anticipates will be an emotional week.

“It means a hell of a lot,” said Bairstow, well-known for wearing his heart on his sleeve. “Every young kid that sets out on a journey playing professional cricket wants to try and play 100 Test matches.

“You look back to 2012 when I made my debut at Lord’s, if 12 years later you’d said I’d be playing 100 Test matches, you’d snap your hand off for one but also pinching yourself as well.

“It’s great to have my family out here, it’s an amazing place to come, they’ve come to some pretty cool places along the way as well. It’s a special occasion for everyone who has been there on the journey.

“It will be an emotional week. I’m proud, you know what I’m like, I’m an emotional guy – so get the tissues ready! It’s a special week for me like it was a special week for Ben a few weeks ago.”

Bairstow, who coincidentally registered his 100th ODI appearance at the same venue, made his Test debut in May 2012 and has gone on to enjoy several giddy highs in the whites as well as a few crushing lows.

He amassed the most runs by a wicketkeeper in a calendar year in 2016 and lit the touchpaper for the Stokes-Brendon McCullum era with four jaw-dropping centuries in five innings in a stunning 2022.

But he had to rebound from a badly broken leg at the back end of that year while his place has seemed under relentless scrutiny. Having yet to pass 40 in four Tests in this series, there has been speculation he might be overlooked in the summer with Harry Brook to come back into the England side.

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As for whether he can cash in on his landmark appearance in England’s final assignment on the tour of India, who took an unassailable 3-1 lead last time out in Ranchi, Bairstow was sanguine.

“It would be nice,” said Bairstow. “Like in every game, you put your best foot forward.

“No matter what it is, I’ll be going out there, chewing my gum, puffing my chest out and trying to have a good time with the other 10 blokes out there.

“Whatever the situation is, we’ll be going out there with smiles on our faces, like we have done in the whole series.”

A chillier climate has greeted England in the foothills of the Himalayas and a couple of players were in their thermals in training on Tuesday morning, with conditions akin to the early English summer.

There has been speculation at England altering the balance of their bowling line-up, with the most recent match on this wicket in India’s domestic first-class competition four weeks ago showing all 36 wickets fell to seam.

“I’ve probably batted the worst I have all trip,” said Bairstow of his net session. “But the whole trip I’ve been happy with how I’ve been moving, I’ve been in the zone the whole way.”

England’s last visit here was blighted by concerns about the outfield ahead of a World Cup group game against Bangladesh last October, but Bairstow is satisfied there will be no issues this time.

“The transition that has been made to produce something like that has been amazing,” Bairstow added. “It’s absolutely stunning here.”

Doug Watson has been appointed as Scotland’s new head coach, returning to the role he performed on an interim basis last year.

The South African stepped in when Shane Burger departed for Somerset and successfully steered the side to victory in the T20 World Cup qualifier.

He will now be the man to take charge of that tournament in the West Indies this summer, where Scotland will take on England, Australia, Oman and Namibia in the group stages.

The 50-year-old takes up his post in April after completing the season with Auckland, who he has already led to the 20-over Super Smash title.

“I’m really excited to be rejoining Cricket Scotland again. I had a wonderful time here in 2023 and I’m looking forward to getting back to work with the players and staff alike,” he said.

“I love the city of Edinburgh and the Scottish people, and working with such a good group of players and seeing their determination and their passion to represent Scotland and the badge was a big part of my desire to come back.

“We’ve got a lot of hard work to do ahead of the T20 World Cup, but there’s some great fixtures to look forward to. We play England and Australia, as well as Namibia and Oman, so they’re all going to be tough games, but we’ve also got to make sure that we see it as a wonderful opportunity to showcase our passion, our fight, and our skills.”

Steve Snell, Cricket Scotland’s head of performance said: “We interviewed candidates across the world from a number of high-performance environments and it was a hugely competitive process.

“Throughout, it was clearly evident that Doug is a high-quality coach with experience across a variety of environments. He is an excellent cultural fit for Cricket Scotland. He will make a huge difference to the game here, not just to the Scotland men’s squad but also within Scottish cricket as a whole.”

Tom Hartley has been a breakout success for England this winter with the ball but the slow left-armer intends to focus on his batting to avoid being frozen out at Lancashire.

Despite just 20 first-class appearances behind him and a modest record, Hartley fully vindicated his left-field selection for the tour of India by spinning England to a famous win in Hyderabad, while he tops the wicket-taking charts with 20 dismissals at an average of 33.45 after four Tests.

Hartley is gaining increasingly in confidence but he could be marginalised in the County Championship after Lancashire pulled off a coup by snapping up Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon for the summer.

Rather than fret about his place, Hartley sees the upshot of the Red Rose signing a bowler with 527 Test wickets and will take steps to try to prevent the pair from being in direct competition with each other.

“I’m really trying to work on my batting and become more of that all-rounder role which makes me a lot easier to pick,” Hartley said. “Playing alongside (Lyon) would be fantastic.

“I hope he’s going to be fantastic for me and be a real game-changer. He’s going to be great to learn off. He’s probably going to be fed up of me by September. Hopefully we can get on really well.

“The type of bowler he is is something I’m trying to work on. The way he operates in Australia on pretty flat wickets, there are times when English wickets are pretty similar.”

England head coach Brendon McCullum said last week it would be “slightly mad” if Hartley and Shoaib Bashir were overlooked by their counties having established themselves as Test cricketers on this trip.

While Hartley could be behind Lyon in the pecking order and Bashir set to play second fiddle to Jack Leach at Somerset, one solution would be to send the pair on loan to other counties.

“I think it’s a bit early for that,” Hartley said. “I’ll do whatever’s best for Lancashire and the team.”

Hartley will instead concentrate on pumping up a respectable first-class batting average of 26.19. He has demonstrated his character in recent weeks by taking the attack to Ravichandran Ashwin, thumping India’s premier spinner for four sixes in the series.

While there may still be more to work on before he can consider himself a fully-fledged all-rounder, Hartley is determined to show he can bring value with both bat and ball.

“I’ve made big strides in these last two years with my batting but I still feel there are gaps there and that (improving) only really comes with time at the crease,” Hartley said.

“I think I get a bit carried away trying to hit sixes and fours. Sometimes I’ve just got to relax myself, take my time to get in and just have a bit more patience.”

His adventurous approach to batting has been encouraged by McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, with Hartley bumped up to eighth in Ranchi after three Tests at number nine in the order.

“They’re over the moon whenever I hit a six, that’s what I get cheered for,” Hartley said. “Coming back in the dressing room, that’s what they talk to me about. It just encourages me to play more of them.”

India are 3-1 up in the series heading into the final Test in Dharamsala, starting on Thursday and cooler conditions in the area could lead to England choosing an extra seamer and potentially discarding either Hartley or off-spinner Shoaib Bashir.

Irrespective of whether he features this week, Hartley believes all avenues are now open to him after previously drifting towards limited-overs opportunities before England came calling.

“The way it was going, I was naturally trailing down that white-ball route,” Hartley added. “But that’s just because there was more opportunities for me that way.

“Playing this series has really opened my eyes and made me believe that I can be a pretty good red-ball bowler. I’ve got a lot more confidence now.

“There will be extra incentive for me to play this summer and really try and do well for Lancs.”

The Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) set a new record for viewership numbers in 2023. The total broadcast and digital viewership for the 2023 tournament reached 36.2million for the expanded tournament which took place in Barbados and Trinidad.

 The Massy WCPL had a 45% rise in viewership in 2023, with a huge increase in the number of fans tuning in around the world for the second season of the event.

 The seven-match tournament concluded with the Barbados Royals beating the Guyana Amazon Warriors to claim the title, with the final at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy being the most watched match.

 The tournament saw some amazing performances with New Zealand’s Sophie Devine finishing as the leading run scorer and breakout Indian star Shreyanka Patil claiming the most wickets. West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews was the player of the final with a brilliant 82 runs and two wickets as the Barbados Royals emerged victorious.

 Pete Russell, CPL’s CEO, said: “We are delighted with the viewing figures in 2023 as global interest in the women’s game continues to grow. The second edition of the WCPL surpassed all expectations in terms of interest and the quality of cricket and we are already looking forward to the 2024 event which we are certain will be even more successful.”

Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies, said: “The growth in the interest and opportunities in women’s cricket in the Caribbean in recent years has been incredible and Cricket West Indies are very pleased with the impact WCPL has had on giving opportunities to our players to further develop their skills. To see the WCPL already showing such fantastic growth in year two is very pleasing and we are looking forward to seeing the tournament go from strength to strength in 2024 and beyond.”

Brendon McCullum urged Ollie Pope to loosen up early on in his innings but pointed out England’s vice-captain is not alone in having a reputation as a nervy starter.

Pope has had mixed fortunes in India. A career-defining 196 underpinned a famous England triumph in Hyderabad but the number three batter has amassed a combined 89 runs in his other seven knocks.

He has been accused of being on edge when first arriving at the crease and faced just three deliveries in Ranchi without scoring as India moved into an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match Test series.

His first-innings dismissal, charging down the wicket to Akash Deep and out lbw, was symptomatic of a batter with a cluttered mindset but McCullum argued some of the greats could be cagey at the outset.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen was famously anxious to get off nought throughout his decorated career and would frequently set off for a risky single.

“It’s tough – he played three balls in the game,” McCullum said of Pope. “Pietersen, (Ricky) Ponting, guys like that were all frenetic at the start, everyone’s susceptible when they first go out to bat.”

Fifteen months ago, Pope praised England head coach McCullum and captain Ben Stokes for removing “a fear of getting out”. Under the duo, Pope has flourished and averages 40.85 in his last 19 Tests, a significant improvement from 28.66 in his first 23 matches.

While shielding Pope from criticism, McCullum thinks the 26-year-old is capable of further improvement and can adapt to situations rather than thinking too much about batting while still in the pavilion.

“He’s trying to be as calm as he can when he goes out there and there’s a period when he needs to grab information from the wicket and get the rhythm of how the game is going,” McCullum added.

“For him, the key is to not have played his innings before he goes out there, just to be nice and calm, relaxed and go out there and be able to back himself in that situation.

“He’s aware of that, that’s ultimately what everyone is trying to do when they go out and play. He obviously bagged them in the last Test and he’s gutted.”

Despite two anonymous showings with the bat, Pope’s enthusiasm in India’s successful pursuit of 192 impressed McCullum, whose side will be looking for a consolation victory this week in Dharamsala.

“The way he was helping the skipper and diving around in the field, that’s the stuff you’re desperate for as a coach, to see people giving it their best regardless of their own performance,” McCullum said.

“It was great leadership qualities and shows where he’s at as a player, member of the team and as a person.”

In a scathing critique of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and major cricketing nations, Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Johnny Grave has accused the global cricketing body of deliberately obstructing the resurgence of West Indies cricket by maintaining an unjust economic model.

Grave's outburst follows the West Indies' impressive performance in their tour of Australia from January to February 2024. The underdog West Indies, led by captain Kraig Brathwaite, secured a historic Test series draw against Australia, marking their first Test victory on Australian soil in 27 years.

In a podcast with Daniel Gallan, Grave expressed his frustration, stating, "I think everyone is a bit sick of the phrase - world cricket needs a strong West Indies - when we definitely feel that world cricket is doing everything they can at almost every level to make sure that West Indies Cricket are never strong again."

One of Grave's primary grievances is with the ICC's revenue share model, which he deems flawed. Grave alleged that West Indies' share of the revenue has dwindled from seven to five percent under the current model, despite headlines suggesting an increase in financial support.

"I think that's the borne of the frustration of that as Ian Bishop says in his own words that this is a patronising tone. If you really want a strong West Indies Cricket, it would actually not be that hard to do a bit more. ICC are giving us more money in headlines but our percentage of revenue has gone down from seven to five percent, which we struggle to understand," Grave explained.

The CWI CEO questioned the cricketing community's commitment to fairness, stating, "If we all just are looking after ourselves then are we really acting as a community? Are we putting the best product on the field?"

This is not the first time Grave has criticized the ICC. In January, he had raised concerns about the economic disparity, claiming that the West Indies made no money from the men's and women's tour of Australia series, with the majority of revenue going to Cricket Australia.

"The revenue-share model is completely broken," Grave stated. "If we really want to operate as a cricketing community, we are only as strong as the weakest team, and we've got to change the mindset of bilateral cricket.

 "CWI has spent over USD$ 2 million sending teams to Australia in the last four months, and whilst CA have received all the economic benefits from those series, we've seen zero dollars back. Is that really fair, reasonable, and sustainable?"

Ollie Robinson should have all the motivation he needs under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum to get back to firing on all cylinders, according to former England seamer Alex Tudor.

Robinson’s fitness issues surfaced once more in Ranchi as a twinge in his troublesome back meant he was down on pace, sending down just 13 wicketless overs in the fourth Test and unused in India’s chase of 192 as the hosts went 3-1 ahead in the five-match series.

Despite an outstanding record of 76 wickets at an average of 22.92 in 20 outings, there is again scrutiny at whether Robinson’s body can withstand the rigours of Test cricket.

His previous competitive appearance was seven months ago – when a back spasm shortened his involvement – and a seamer described as the heir apparent to Stuart Broad now seems at a crossroads in his career.

Tudor was a keen observer of Robinson’s underwhelming return in his role as a talkSPORT commentator and sympathises with the 30-year-old, as several injuries restricted him to 10 Tests between 1998 and 2002.

But Tudor hopes Robinson can rediscover his mojo and argued there is no greater incentive for him than the chance to play under the relaxed environment cultivated by captain Stokes and head coach McCullum.

“His place is definitely up for debate, which you wouldn’t have said a year or so ago,” Tudor told the PA news agency.

“He’s a quality performer but he’s having a few issues with lasting a Test match. I’m sure he’ll want to sort this out because playing in and around this team, it’s what any cricketer would want.

“England are full of positivity under Ben Stokes, who backs his team to the hilt, the same with Brendon McCullum. The atmosphere that they’re creating, any sportsperson would want to be a part of that.

“I’m sure Ollie Robinson is no different but it’s for him to get it sorted to get his body right and show everybody what he can do.”

England are due to arrive into Dharamsala on Sunday ahead of the fifth Test, starting on Thursday, with conditions expected to be wetter and cooler than what they have so far experienced on this tour.

There has been persistent rain and hail showers in recent days in the small city at the foothills of the Himalayas in north India although the weather is forecast to brighten up ahead of the Test.

Fast bowlers could therefore be called upon more at the HPCA Stadium, with James Anderson expected to shrug off a minor thigh issue to play as he looks for two more wickets to take him to 700 in Tests.

“It will be another milestone in a glittering career,” Tudor said of the 41-year-old seamer. “I don’t think he would have ever dreamed of the haul of wickets he’d get when he first got into the team.

“Getting to 700 wickets will be a fantastic milestone and one that I think no other seamer will get near again. Jimmy’s really shown the next generation how to go about things.”

Tudor first met Anderson during the 2002/03 Ashes tour, with England’s now record wicket-taker then a shy 20-year-old as part of the ‘A’ team. Anderson made his international debut soon after.

“Quite early on, the England team knew what they had,” Tudor added. “It would be foolish of me to say ‘I knew straight away he was going to have this illustrious career’.

“But he’s evolved with the times, got better with age and got better and better. The biggest compliment I can give is I regard (ex-West Indies fast bowler) Malcolm Marshall as the greatest of all-time but Jimmy’s like the English version of Malcolm Marshall because he gets wickets all around the world.”

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews had only a small role to play, as her Mumbai Indians team registered a comfortable seven-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore to assume pole position of the Women’s Premier League at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, on Saturday.

Matthews, who made 55 in a losing cause on last, got a fairly decent start, and though she failed to push on, it mattered little, as Mumbai Indians made light work of the modest target set by Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Chasing 132, Mumbai Indians got to their target with 29 balls to spare, with Matthews contributing a brisk 21-ball 26.

She struck three fours and a solitary six in a 45-run opening stand with Yastika Bhatia, which laid the foundation for the run chase. Bhatia lashed a 15-ball 31. 

Matthews added a further 24 runs for the second wicket with captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (27), before holing out to cover off-spinner Shreyanka Patil.

From there, it was left for New Zealander Amelia Kerr to apply the finish with a snappy 40 off 24 balls, including seven fours, that fuelled an important 49-run third wicket partnership with Sciver-Brunt.

Earlier, RCB stumbled their way to 131 for six off their 20 overs after being sent in, Australian Ellyse Perry holding the innings together with an unbeaten 44 off 38 balls.

With the innings in trouble at 42 for four in the ninth over, Perry put on 29 for the fifth wicket with fellow countrywoman Sophie Molineux (12), before adding a further 51 for the seventh wicket with another international teammate Georgia Wareham, who made 27 from 20 deliveries.

The win was Mumbai’s third in four games, putting them top of the standings on six points.