Jacob Bethell was not supposed to be England's headline act in the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground but he looked like a player who belonged when the tourists made their nervous chase for victory against Australia.

Games evolve, just as generations do.

The defending World Test Champions showed exactly why they hold the crown with a spectacular all-round display in a 2-0 series victory away to India.

Captain Roston Chase hopes that a bonding session over an early Christmas dinner will give the West Indies the festive spirit to beat New Zealand in the must-win third and final Test starting Thursday at Mount Maunganui

New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel is in line to play his first Test in over a year after he was named in a 14-man squad for the third Test against West Indies, while wicketkeeper Tom Blundell returned from a hamstring tear.

New Zealand dismissed West Indies for 205 and reached 24 without loss in reply on the opening day of the second test on Wednesday, but their already ravaged bowling stocks were further depleted by a freak injury at Basin Reserve.

England fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes following a recurrence of a left knee injury sustained during the first Test in Perth.

Injury-hit New Zealand will give a debut to wicketkeeper Mitch Hay in the second Test against the West Indies in Wellington after Tom Blundell was ruled out on Tuesday.

A five-wicket haul by Jacob Duffy gave New Zealand a 64-run first-innings lead over the West Indies with the tourists all out for 167 in the first Test on Wednesday.

New Zealand reached 231-9 at stumps on a rain-shortened day one of the first Test against the West Indies Tuesday after Justin Greaves triggered a middle-order collapse with the wicket of Kane Williamson.

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has called for a "post-mortem" into India Test cricket after their aura of home invincibility was blown away by a second series whitewash in 12 months.

The head coach of Indian cricket team Gautam Gambhir today said it was up to the BCCI to decide his future after the hosts suffered a humiliating defeat in the second Test match against South Africa in Guwahati.

Spinner Simon Harmer took six wickets as South Africa romped to victory by 408 runs in the second Test for their first series win in India in 25 years on Wednesday.

South Africa set India 549 to win second Test.

When the umpires were discussing calling an end to the first day’s play in the second Test, Bangladesh requested one more over. But time had already elapsed, leaving Mushfiqur Rahim stranded on 99 not out in his landmark 100th Test.

Phil Simmons, head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team, appeared before the media at the official press conference in Mirpur on Tuesday, ahead of the second Test against Ireland starting on Wednesday.

India have long curated home tracks that accentuate turn, but the assumption their own batters would master such conditions no longer appears safe following their defeat in the opening Test against South Africa.

Fresh from his Test debut earlier this year and carrying experience from a few ICC events, Sakib spoke to The Daily Star's Abdullah Al Mehdi about his game and his affinity towards first-class and Test cricket.

Bangladesh opener Joy was adjudged Player of the Match, while debutant Hasan Murad made a significant impact by picking up six wickets across both Irish innings.

Bangladesh fast bowler Nahid Rana has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the opening day of the first Test against Ireland in Sylhet on Tuesday.