England produced one of the best Test wins in their history in Hyderabad, coming from behind to stun India with a 28-run victory in the series opener.
Here, PA looks at some of the key takeaways from four unforgettable days.
Never write off the Bazball brigade
Since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum brought their ambitious philosophy to an underperforming dressing room, they have rewritten the rules of engagement in cricket’s oldest format. Even so, many thought India’s 190-run first-innings lead was simply too much to overcome. This England side do not allow themselves to be weighed down by precedent or pressure, though. They won’t succeed every time but for Stokes’ men there is no such thing as mission impossible.
Pope’s promise fulfilled
Ollie Pope has been talked about as a star in the making for years, but his game-changing 196 looked and felt like an innings that finally propelled him to the next level. Prior to the regime change that brought Stokes to power, he was on the verge of becoming a wasted talent but his numbers are trending in a formidable direction. In 23 Tests before the summer of ’22, he averaged 28.66 and had just one century to his name – in 16 Tests since, he averages 46.46 with four hundreds.
All-conquering India can be knocked off course
India have established an enviable reputation on home soil since they were last beaten by a touring team, Sir Alastair Cook’s England 2012 side. But there were chinks in their armour in Hyderabad. In the second innings of the match, their elite spin attack seemed spooked by the inventiveness of the strokeplay, with the steady supply of sweeps, reverse sweeps and ramps upsetting their usual rhythm. When it came to chasing down 231, they then found themselves unusually passive, with too many batters clinging on for dear life rather than building momentum. For the first time in a decade, they look vulnerable under fire.
Selectors justified in going Hartley over head
Eyebrows were raised when Lancashire Tom Hartley got the nod for this tour with a modest first-class record doing little to push his case. There were other left-arm spinners with superior stats, most obviously Hampshire’s experienced Liam Dawson who had just come off the back of an excellent county season. But England, led by director of cricket Rob Key, fancied that Hartley’s specific characteristics of height, air speed and trajectory would flourish on Indian pitches. After a tough baptism, he proved them right in glorious fashion with seven for 62 in second innings.
King Kohli leaves a vacuum
There is no bigger name in world cricket than Virat Kohli and his withdrawal from the first two Tests for personal reasons weakened the home side. Kohli’s absence from the middle order diminished India’s potency, with Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer unable to cover for him. But his aura and spiky personality were missed too. It is hard to imagine India being so quiet and passive in the field as England racked up 420 and he would surely have played more aggressively in the subsequent chase. Should he feel able to make a belated entrance in the series, it could prove a huge moment.
Pooran's blistering 61 not enough as Shai Hope's Capitals edge LSG by 19 runs to keep slim play-off hopes alive
Delhi Capitals defeated Lucknow Super Giants to boost their hopes of making the Indian Premier League play-offs.
The Capitals claimed a 19-run victory on Tuesday, with Abishek Porel (58) and Tristan Stubbs (57 not out) starring.
Their efforts propelled Delhi to 208-4 from their 20 overs, with Shai Hope (38) and Rishabh Pant (33) chipping in with useful contributions as LSG's bowling attack struggled badly. Hope faced 27 balls and had three fours and two sixes in his knock.
Nicholas Pooran top-scored with a 27-ball 61 in Lucknow's chase, while Arshad Khan plundered an unbeaten 58, yet it was not enough, with the Super Giants only able to reach 189-9 in response. Pooran's knock included six fours and four maximums, while Khan had three fours and five sixes in his 33-ball knock.
Shai Hope found his range after a quiet start.
Ishant Sharma, with 3-34, was the pick of the Capitals' bowlers, as they must now wait and see if Chennai Super Kings or Sunrisers Hyderabad slip up enough to send Delhi into the top four.
LSG are down in seventh, and they must beat Mumbai Indians heavily in their last match to stand any chance of making the play-offs.
Data Debrief: Ishant hits double figures... again
Introduced as the impact player, Ishant fulfilled his duty with three swift wickets inside his first three overs, with Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul and Deepak Hood all taken out.
Ishant has now taken 10 wickets this season, and is onto 93 across his entire IPL career. It is the sixth season Ishant has reached double figures for wickets, and his second in a row.
Afridi lauds 'world class' Babar and Rizwan as Pakistan win Ireland series
Shaheen Afridi lauded Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan as "world class" after the pair guided Pakistan to a T20I series victory over Ireland on Tuesday.
Babar's side were defeated in the first meeting with Ireland last week but responded with two convincing chases to secure a 2-1 triumph.
Ireland captain Lorcan Tucker's 73 helped his side to set a target of 179 in the winner-takes-all-decider, but Pakistan had little trouble in easing to a six-wicket victory with 18 balls to spare.
Rizwan, who managed an unbeaten 75 in the second meeting, crafted a well-made 56, while Babar carried Pakistan to within touching distance after his 42-ball 75.
Big-hitter Azam Khan blasted 18 off just six deliveries to see the visitors over the line, though Afridi was quick to credit the work of the two experienced Pakistan campaigners.
"For us, before the World Cup, it's important to have these games to ready ourselves and there are a few areas to improve," said Afridi, who impressed with 3-14 in the first innings.
"They're both world-class players [Babar and Rizwan]; they know how to play their role and they have done really well on this pitch."
Babar bludgeoned four of his five sixes off Ben White's bowling in the 14th over, while sharing 139 runs with the in-form Rizwan for the second wicket.
"We had good communication in the middle because we have played a lot of cricket together; we were trying to play on our strengths and the aim was to match with the run rate," Babar added.
"Lots of positives for us to take and we were able to execute our plans.
"We have a big tournament coming up and this is good practice; we are now looking forward to the England series."
Mark Adair was the only Ireland bowler to impress with his economical 3-28, though Tucker was still satisfied with his side's efforts.
"It was brilliant and a great privilege to captain," Tucker said at the post-match presentation. "It would have been nice to start with a win.
"We set up a platform nicely but unfortunately, we couldn't finish well. We gave everyone a go with the ball. Credit to the lads, they bowled well in tough conditions.
"Maybe it was a bit disappointing with the result but we had positives from the series."
IPL: KKR ensured top-two spot after washout
The first abandoned game of the Indian Premier League ensures Kolkata Knight Riders will finish in the top two and Gujarat Titans’ elimination from playoff contention.
A combination of lightning and rain meant there was not even a toss, with the intense storm ripping banners from the stands, which later wrapped around the floodlights.
KKR had all but ensured a place in the top two due to their dominating net run-rate, but a 19th point of the season confirmed it, leaving them with one game to try and clinch top spot for the first time.
The Titans needed to win their final two games to give themselves any hope of reaching the playoffs, though it would have proven tough for the side with the lowest net run-rate in the league.
It is the first time GT have failed to make the playoffs since they joined the competition before the 2022 season.
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