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Jos Buttler is a serious injury doubt for the second Test in Hamilton after suffering a back spasm in training.Joe Root has confirmed that Ollie Pope will keep wicket if Buttler is, as expected, unable to play.That would be a big ask of Pope. He has kept in just five first-class games, the last of which was in February. Rory Burns, England’s opening batsman, has also kept wicket at first-class level, but not since 2014. Pope is expected to bat at No. 7 if he keeps wicket.”Jos has tweaked his back in the gym,” Root said. “We’ll have to find out a little bit more information on that throughout today and see where he’s at.”The obvious replacement for Buttler is Kent’s top-order batsman Zak Crawley. He is 21 and averages a modest 31.27 in first-class cricket. But he has looked impressive all tour, scored a century in the only innings he has played and looks a terrific fielder.Root also hinted that Chris Woakes could play. Not only could he come into the side instead of Buttler, but England are also understood to be considering dropping their spinner, Jack Leach, and utilising a five-man seam attack. While Leach was generally tidy in the first Test, his lack of bite was something of a disappointment. Certainly Mitchell Santner found more life in the pitch in England’s second innings. Root looked England’s most dangerous spinner at times at Bay Oval and, had Ben Stokes clung on to a chance at slip, would have dismissed BJ Watling for 31. Joe Denly, a part-time leg-spinner, has also been bowling in the nets and could be utilised if required.The pitch at Hamilton also looks surprisingly green and, as of Thursday afternoon, a little damp. With an appreciable covering of grass, it would be no surprise if the captain winning the toss asked the opposition to bat first.”There’s a number of different combinations we could go with and I think a lot of that will rely on the surface,” Root said. “Trying to find the best combination which would take 20 wickets and then balancing that in terms of getting the batting where we want it to be. It could be an allrounder, we’ll see.”Realistically it seems Buttler is unlikely to play. England will be reluctant to go into a Test with a question mark over the fitness of a key player meaning Pope is likely to take the gloves. He enjoyed an extended session with Bruce French, England’s keeping coach, at training on Thursday.While Pope is a relatively inexperienced keeper, England dismissed the idea of calling-up a last-minute replacement; Ben Cox of Worcestershire, for example, who is currently playing Grade cricket in Adelaide. Not only would it have proved tricky to get someone to New Zealand in time, it would have been asking a lot of them to acclimatise to the conditions and the unique team environment. It might also have undermined the position of Pope who was selected as reserve keeper in the original tour party.”We knew that this was a possibility when we selected the squad,” Root said. “I’m quite happy that Popey’s got the capability of doing a good job for us.”If Pope and Crawley perform well, it could have repercussions for Jonny Bairstow. There had been an expectation that Bairstow would win a recall for the South Africa series but, with England likely to pick a 16-man squad and Crawley having an opportunity to make himself impossible to drop, that may not prove to be a formality.”You can’t rule out anything out,” Root said. “For Jonny, you look at his talent and what he’s achieved in Test cricket and what he potentially could achieve in Test cricket and you probably think he’s got the capability to go on and make really big scores and be one of the best players in the world as a batter alone.”Training was voluntary for England on Thursday. Only Buttler and Jofra Archer did not take part in the football that traditionally starts the training sessions, with Archer taking the opportunity for a little more rest after his exertions in the first Test.

Priyam Garg will hope to join Mohammad Kaif, Virat Kohli, Unmukt Chand and Prithvi Shaw, the India Under-19 World Cup-winning captains over the years, when he leads the team at the 2020 edition in South Africa in January-February. Wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel, Garg’s team-mate from Uttar Pradesh, has been named the vice-captain.Garg is already a first-class regular for his state team. He finished the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy as the second-highest run-scorer for Uttar Pradesh, making 814 runs at an average of 67.83, with two hundreds including a career-best 206. He also featured in the Deodhar Trophy recently, top-scoring with 77 for India C in the final. He has played 15 List A matches and 11 T20s.The 15-member squad also features 17-year-old Mumbai batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has been making waves in the 50-overs format. During the Vijay Hazare Trophy in September-October, Jaiswal became the youngest player to hit a List A double-century, while also topping the run charts for Mumbai. In all, he made 564 runs at an average of 112.80 with three hundreds and a fifty.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

ALSO READ: Yashasvi Jaiswal: From selling pani-puris to smashing List A double-tonAtharva Ankolekar, another Mumbai player who has also been making headlines, has also named in the touring party. The left-arm spinner had helped India Under-19 defend only 106 against Bangladesh Under-19 in the Asia Cup final in September with returns of 5 for 28.Karnataka’s spin-bowling allrounder Shubhang Hegde, who recently led India U-19 for three games in their 3-2 series win over Afghanistan Under-19 in Lucknow, was in the squad too. He first impressed as a 15-year-old in the Karnataka Premier League and has a solitary first-class game under his belt too.Tilak Varma, from Hyderabad, forced his way into the squad on the back of a solid Cooch Behar Trophy in 2018-19, scoring 779 runs in just six matches, including four hundreds and three half-centuries, averaging 86.56. In the one-day competition, the Under-19 Vinoo Mankad Trophy, he followed that up with 507 runs in eight games at 84.50, with one century and four half-centuries.”We are very confident with the process and preparation we’ve set up,” Rahul Dravid said last week on the sidelines of the series against Afghanistan in Lucknow.Atharva Ankolekar celebrates a wicket with Dhruv Jurel•Sri Lanka Cricket

In his role as the director of the NCA, Dravid oversees the progress of the Under-19 team and attended the junior selection committee meeting at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Sunday as a special invitee. “We have got a good balance in the team,” he said. “Depending on the conditions in South Africa, if they aid fast bowlers, we have got a pretty good attack. We have got batting all the way down to seven-eight-nine. We have got spinners, if conditions suit.”The World Cup begins on January 17 with India slotted in Group A with New Zealand, Sri Lanka and first-time qualifiers Japan. There are four groups with 16 teams in all and the top two sides from each will qualify for the Super League stage. The final will be played in Potchefstroom on February 9. This will be the 13th edition of the Under-19 World Cup and India have won four titles so far, the most, including the last edition in 2018 in New Zealand.The junior selection committee also picked a squad of 16 that will tour South Africa just before the World Cup for a bilateral series of three one-dayers with the hosts and a quadrangular series also featuring New Zealand and Zimbabwe. The only addition to the squad for those series will be Hyderabad’s CTL Rakshan, who played three matches against Afghanistan Under-19 last week.Squad for South Africa bilateral and quadrangular series: Priyam Garg (capt), Dhruv Jurel (vice-capt & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Divyaansh Saxena, Shashwat Rawat, Divyansh Joshi, Shubhang Hegde, Ravi Bishnoi, Akash Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Atharva Ankolekar, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Sushant Mishra, Vidyadhar Patil, CTL Rakshan

Cheteshwar Pujara has started the year by joining a select band of cricketing greats. On Saturday, he scored his 50th first-class century, in the Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka at his home ground in Rajkot, thereby joining an elite list of nine Indians led by Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.The significance of the landmark can be gauged from the fact that Pujara is fifth on the list of active players with most first-class centuries: behind Essex and England great Alastair Cook (65), former England batsman Ian Bell (57), former South Africa captain Hashim Amla (52), who will be playing for Surrey from the next season, and former India opener and Mumbai stalwart Wasim Jaffer (57), who now plays for Vidarbha as a professional. At 31, Pujara is the youngest in this list.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Among current active Test players, the nearest contender to Pujara is Australia’s Steven Smith, who has 42 first-class centuries. Pujara’s India team-mates Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane linger in the distance with 34 and 32 first-class centuries respectively.The Karnataka match is the fourth game Pujara has played in this Ranji season. In the previous matches, Pujara made two half-centuries, against Uttar Pradesh and Railways respectively.Against Karnataka on Saturday, Pujara walked in at 28 for 1 in the first session and began slowly before accelerating towards his century and beyond. He finished the day unbeaten on 162 as Saurashtra ended the opening day on 296 for 2.ALSO READ: Jaydev Unadkat interview: If I want to be at that level, I have to be as good as BumrahPujara has been the biggest thorn for Karnataka in the last decade and even denied them a finals entry during the 2018-19 Ranji knockouts with a century in what was a bitter tussle involving controversial umpiring decisions.Prior to this match, Pujara had 945 runs in 13 innings at an average of 94.50 against Karnataka. His highest first-class score of 352 not out was also against them at the same venue – Madhavrao Scindia Stadium – during the 2012-13 Ranji quarter-finals.

OverviewSouth Africa continue to tread water between the top tier of T20I teams and the more middling performers and this tournament could be used as a yardstick to measure their progress. On paper, they have all the ingredients of a strong T20I outfit: big-hitters like Laura Wolvaardt and innings builders like Mignon du Preez, fast-bowlers like Shabnim Ismail and consistent containers like Masabata Klaas and they even have a mystery spinner in Suné Luus. But at this event, their level of skill will be secondary to their ability to deal with pressure, and they should now have the experience to handle it well. Six of the 15-member squad have been on the international stage for more than 10 years and four others for more than five. The rest of the group form a strong succession line which bodes well for this competition and they will want the results to reflect that.SquadDané van Niekerk (capt), Chloe Tryon, Trisha Chetty, Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Nadine de Klerk, Lizelle Lee, Suné Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Mignon du Preez, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Laura WolvaardtGroup fixturesFebruary 23: England, WACA
February 28: Thailand, Canberra
March 1: Pakistan, Sydney Showground
March 3: West Indies, Sydney ShowgroundT20 World Cup historySouth Africa have made first-round exits in all but one of the six previous editions of the tournament. They reached the 2014 semi-final in Dhaka, where they lost to England. Notably, they did not win a match in the first two tournaments they attended, and have only been victorious in eight of 23 T20 World Cup matches, a winning percentage of just over a third.Form guideSeries wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the six months after the last T20 World Cup demonstrated the team’s ability to bounce back but defeats to India and, most recently, New Zealand highlighted the gulf between the top teams and the rest.Key playersIt’s difficult to look past South Africa’s all-time highest T20 run-scorer Dané van Niekerk and their leading wicket-taker in the format, Shabnim Ismail when highlighting players who the team will rely on, but they will need other contributors. Opener Lizelle Lee will go into the tournament with high expectations after finishing fifth on the Women’s Big Bash League run-charts, , which includes a century and four fifties for the Melbourne Stars, while allrounder Suné Luus‘ legspin could prove an x-factor. Luus took 6 for 45 against New Zealand in their recent ODI Hamilton carried South Africa to a series sweep.What would be a success at the tournament?South Africa are targeting the 2021 50-over World Cup for glory so they may be willing to settle for something less in the event. The ICC’s rankings puts them sixth, which suggests that getting out of the group, which includes higher-ranked England and West Indies, will be tough but there’s a powerful motivation for them to punch above their weight. The coaching staff’s contracts end in April and a top-four finish would be a long way to seeing them retained.

Sophie Devine wants to lead by example as New Zealand captain it was no surprise that she was unbeaten to marshal her team to a victory that stretched them for stages. In the end, though, the margin was comfortable with 14 balls to spare as Sri Lanka’s lack of power with the bat beyond Chamari Atapattu again hurt them.However, it was Sri Lanka who made the early running and they were 51 without loss after the powerplay with New Zealand a little untidy and getting a touch nervous that the target could be troublesome. Amelia Kerr made the first breakthrough, then it was Hayley Jensen who played the key role by equalling her career-best, the pair taking 5 for 37 in eight overs as Sri Lanka’s second 10 overs brought just 52 runs.Devine, who is in the form of her life, was dropped on 18 but while she anchored the innings – shelving the full-on aggression seen recently – it was Maddy Green who seized the moment to put New Zealand ahead of the rate with a perfectly paced middle-order innings.Atapattu applies pressureNew Zealand nearly broke through in the opening over but Green could not quite cling on to a chance at point to remove Hasini Perera that would have been an early contender for catch of the tournament. Overall, though, in the early exchanges Lea Tahuhu bowled a touch too short on a surface offering enticing carry. Atapattu, who enjoys batting in Australia after two hundreds on the tour late last year, collected a couple of early boundaries. Jess Kerr’s first over cost 13 with the aid of five wides and four byes – Rachel Priest was untidy behind the stumps – and Atapattu signed off the powerplay with a magnificent lofted cover drive for six. New Zealand knew they were in a contest.Power fades awayThe theme of Sri Lanka’s batting is what is there beyond Atapattu, especially when it comes to scoring at the rate required in T20Is. It wasn’t quite a lone hand here – Perera played nicely in the opening stand of 60, showing inventiveness to scoop over fine leg, although the strike-rate was 71 and Harshitha Madavi scored at a run-a-ball – but there remained a stark contrast. Once Atapattu fell, jabbing a full delivery off the toe of the bat back to Tahahu, New Zealand claimed full control on the innings. Outside of Atapattu’s five fours and two sixes there were only three further fours and a late six for Madavi. In fact, from when the opening stand was broken the remaining 12.2 overs brought 67 for 7. Jensen was key to this with a fine spell of wicket-to-wicket medium pace and clever use of cross-seamers, including two wickets in two balls in the 15th over.Contrasting powerplaysThere wasn’t a blazing start from New Zealand against some accurate Sri Lanka bowling. The first three overs brought just 10 before Devine slotted away a couple of boundaries against Achini Kulasuriya, but in the fifth over Priest was found short, beaten by Madavi’s direct hit, from a poor piece of running which continued her below par evening. After six overs, New Zealand were 25 for 1, half of what Sri Lanka had, and they had to make sure they did not leave themselves too much to do.Fielding hurts Sri LankaIf Sri Lanka wanted to secure a first-ever victory over New Zealand they had to hold their chances, but both Devine and Suzie Bates were dropped. Bates’ came before she had scored and got a thick edge to slip where Madavi spilled it. Devine’s key reprieve came two overs later when she tried to break the shackles down the ground, Ana Kanchana unable to steady herself under the catch at long-on. Still, at the halfway mark New Zealand had not quite broken the back of the chase and then Bates drove a catch to cover against young spinner Kavisha Dilhari. However, Dilhari’s second over is where the game took its major shift as 14 came off it including a free hit – after a front-foot no-ball called under the new system by the TV umpire – was flicked over midwicket by Green, who batted superbly to take the pressure off Devine. With the target close, Devine was dropped again at deep midwicket which highlight one of the major differences of the night.

Darwin is set to see the resumption of cricket in Australia for the first time since the sport was shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic and Northern Territory Cricket (NTC) is open to being a testing ground for how the game needs to adapt.The Darwin and District Cricket Competition, which would have normally begun in April, will now start with a T20 tournament over the Queen’s Birthday weekend from June 6 before a one-day competition begins and runs until a final on September 19.Darwin is currently one of the most open places in Australia, having significantly loosened Covid-19 restrictions in recent weeks. NT Cricket has worked closely with Cricket Australia on the guidelines that will be in place including areas such as not sharing kit and how to maintain the cricket ball which is an issue that reaches the top level of the game.ESPNcricinfo revealed earlier this month that the ICC is debating allowing forms of legalised ball-tampering at international level to avoid the need to use sweat and saliva on the ball. Ball manufacturer Kookaburra has since come out with plans for a wax-applicator – although rival Dukes have said their ball does not need artificial aids to shine – and NT Cricket are open to trailing any solutions if they are available.”We are very open-minded and we’d be quite happy to work with someone like Kookaburra to trial a new wax applicator to shine the ball,” NT Cricket CEO Joel Morrison told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ve played a similar role in the past with a new T20 cricket ball they wanted to introduce. Whether it’s Kookaburra or anyone else who would like trial something and we can play a role in testing that for the rest of Australian cricket – or even global cricket – we are more than happy to do so.””Hopefully [playing cricket] is a ray of hope, not only for the cricket community in Australia but around the world to show that things are starting to get better albeit the risks always remain with Covid-19. If we do the right thing and follow the advice, then there is the ability to get back playing sooner rather than later. Hopefully to see a cricket ball bowled here in Darwin in a couple of weeks’ time gives hope to those playing across Australia.”The other key part of the Top End summer – the NT Strike League – remains uncertain to take place due to border restrictions. Two seasons ago the Strike League saw David Warner and Cameron Bancroft take part during their ball-tampering bans.Darwin was in line to host international cricket for the first since 2008 in August, for the visit of Zimbabwe for a limited-overs series, but that is now a major doubt with the borders still shut to international and domestic travel meaning anyone arriving (barring a few exceptions) needs to quarantine for 14 days. However, Morrison said the Northern Territory government was open about working with elite sport around major events if suitable plans are in place.”Darwin in particular is still very much open for business in that sense of hosting major events,” Morrison said. “We’ve spoken to CA and offered our support in whatever way they require to bring that series to life if they are in a position to do so. Obviously that series is one of a number of considerations for CA moving forward, if there’s a way we can help support that series they know we are open to working with CA and the NT government to explore all options.”

Cricket South Africa is preparing for four different scenarios ahead of the 2020-21 summer with the most likely being a reduced domestic season, with matches expected to be played behind closed doors. The Mzansi Super League (MSL) remains a priority but CSA is reluctant to play the tournament behind closed doors, which could see it pushed out as far as March next year, in order to be played with an audience. Either way, South African cricketers can expect some part of their summer to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with the country planning for a peak infection rate in September, which is when the season typically gets underway.”The unlikeliest scenario is that the season will start as normal,” Jacques Faul, the board’s acting CEO said. “The second one is that we only have half a season. As the scenarios unfold and we get more clarity. One of the likely scenarios we are planning for is half a season, so January onwards, and hopefully the MSL at the start.”The other two scenarios consider various amounts of cricket being played, including internationals, as well as other aspects of CSA’s financial position, such as sponsors.The third edition of the MSL is scheduled for November and December with the final taking place on December 16, the date that marks the start of South Africa’s holiday season. Although the tournament has made losses over the past two years, because of unsold television rights, CSA is hoping things would fare better this time around. The board is in the process of securing a broadcaster and is also planning on expanding the tournament from six teams to eight.While gate-takings from the MSL are not a major revenue earner, it is still South Africa’s best-attended domestic competition, intended to promote family viewing. Faul is hoping that it can stay that way.”I’m not sure it would make sense behind closed doors,” he said. “It could be a restricted audience and the capacity will be lower so that we can guarantee social distancing but it will need to be government approved and we would need to look at the cost factor of it and the risks. And that would only be around November or December. I can’t see it happening earlier, but the MSL would have been scheduled for that period anyway.”The other option would be to play the MSL in March-April, with the Easter holiday period in mind.Meanwhile, the franchise four-day first-class competition and one-day cup as well as the provincial three-day first-class fixtures and fifty-over tournament and other age-group and club tournaments are more than likely to be affected by delayed starts. While CSA is hopeful of as much professional cricket as possible, it is “planning for half a season of amateur and recreational cricket,” Faul said.There is currently no indication of when sport will resume in South Africa, which remains under a strict lockdown that prohibits any group activity. CSA and several other sporting bodies are seeking an audience with the sports minister to clarify the steps required in order to return to play.The South African Cricketers’ Association, on the other hand, is working to ensure the mental and financial well-being of their athletes given the fact that all of them are facing a truncated season.”We have an existential crisis in cricket so it is important that we all work together,” Andrew Breetzke, SACA CEO said. “It is a period when players would normally go into an off-season, so that has helped us, because it hasn’t been such a mind shift change but there have been a number of players affected by the English season which has in effect been postponed indefinitely.”Breetzke explained that it is not just the top players whose county contracts have been canceled (such as Keshav Maharaj and Vernon Philander) but senior provincial players whose club deals were called off, resulting in them losing amounts of around R100,000 (US$5,600 approx) each. Others, who would have had coaching jobs in academies and schools in the winter, have also lost out.SACA is actively encouraging players to focus on “dual career” growth and make use of the organisation’s scholarship programme to begin further study. It is also providing psychological support to players, through a referral program, the costs of which are covered through the SACA medical scheme.That said, director of cricket Graeme Smith remains hopeful cricket will resume soon and is working with players to ensure their readiness. Over the last seven weeks, players were provided with home training programs to maintain fitness over the lockdown and this week, they will begin online coaching sessions. “We are keen to play as quickly as possible. We believe we are a socially distant sport,” Smith said. “From our perspective, we are trying to ensure players are as ready as possible.”At the same time, CSA has put several other pressing matters on hold. The positions of a selection convener, A team, under-19 team, and national women’s team coach were all advertised last month but none of them have been filled. “It’s not a process we are rushing. We are trying to assess the landscape,” Smith said.South Africa are also due to appoint a Test captain in the coming months but with no matches expected for a while, that is another issue they can take some time on.

The 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played between September 19 and November 10 in the UAE. Brijesh Patel, the IPL Governing Council chairman, told ESPNcricinfo that the final could be played on November 8 or 10, with a definitive decision expected soon.Even as the BCCI has set the ball rolling for relocating the IPL to the UAE, it still needs the nod of the Indian government. Earlier this week Patel had said that the permission “will come” and had confirmed Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will be the three main venues for the tournament.Patel said the tournament dates had been “circulated” among the IPL Governing Council members but he did not confirm whether there is a Governing Council meeting scheduled which was speculated to take place this weekend. He further said that key points including the schedule along with the contours of what a biosecure bubble would comprise would be finalised and communicated to the franchises soon. It is understood the franchises were informed only about the tournament dates on Thursday and were told further details would emerge soon.One key advantage of having the tournament in the UAE is the quarantine period is less relaxed. Currently anyone travelling into the UAE needs to test negative before flying in, and also has to take a test upon landing. If both those tests are negative there is no quarantine required. But if a person lands without having done a test prior to flying in, then a quarantine period is mandatory.ALSO READ: Kane Williamson looks forward to IPL as he eases back into trainingThe IPL will comprise 60 matches and will be played over 51 days (in case final is on November 8). In the original schedule prepared in March for this year, the tournament days stretched to 50 to keep the double-headers minimal, a request of the franchises who did not want players to suffer during the peak Indian summer. It is likely the double-headers will remain minimal even in the UAE.It remains to be seen whether the IPL will stick to evening matches commencing at 8pm IST despite reservations from host broadcaster Star Sports, which was sceptical about games stretching past midnight. It is likely that the IPL will reconsider advancing the start time to 7.30 pm IST.With the final on November 8 or 10, the Indian players will also have enough time to quarantine for two weeks in Australia for the Test series scheduled to start on December 3 in Brisbane.

Joe Root, England’s captain, has hinted at a return for Jofra Archer in the third Test against Pakistan, starting on Friday.Archer was rested for the second match, also in Southampton, but was described by Root as being full of energy and “keen to show what he can do” as England look to finish on a winning note in what is likely to be their final Test of 2020.Having started the rearranged international summer against West Indies in Southampton by playing both Archer and Mark Wood, their two quickest bowlers, in the same Test XI for the first time, England did not pick either last week, with James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran making up the four-man pace attack.Anderson and Broad shared seven wickets in Pakistan’s only innings in a rain-wrecked second Test, and seem likely to retain their places; Curran, who claimed 1 for 44 after coming in for Archer as a more all-round option, is perhaps most vulnerable, although England could leave out the spinner, Dom Bess, as they did in Johannesburg earlier in the year.”I think there is a fair chance you’ll see at least one of them [Archer or Wood],” Root said. “Everything is on the table, we’ve got all options there for us in the squad whichever way we think suits the pitch best. We want to go in with the best balanced attack that we feel will be able to take 20 wickets on that surface.”Amid discussions about Archer’s speeds this summer, and his description of the pitch at Emirates Old Trafford for the first Pakistan Test as not a surface “to bend your back on”, Root suggested that his role in the side had been made clear in discussions with Chris Silverwood, England’s head coach.With Anderson and Broad still favoured to open the bowling in home conditions, it would be Archer’s job to come on and “get the ball zipping around at 90-plus mph”, Root said.”In these conditions, you pick those two bowlers to take the new ball. They’ve done it, they are so experienced, they set the tone extremely well and they are the best to exploit those conditions first up. The exciting thing is that you’ve then got Jofra to come in and hopefully get the ball zipping around at 90-plus mph.”It has been made very clear what his role is to play this week, ‘Spoons’ said as much when he spoke yesterday, and that gives him real clarity going into the game. I think he’s really keen to show what he can do. He’s coming off the back of a rest and he’s full of energy, so hopefully we’ll see him at his best this week.”Root also confirmed that Wood was available to play after sustaining a bruised foot while training in Manchester.With Ben Stokes, and all he brings to the team, still missing for personal reasons, Root called on his players to “turn up and throw everything at Pakistan and leave the Test summer with a brilliant performance under our belt”.Victory would see Root draw level in second with Andrew Strauss and his predecessor, Alastair Cook, on 24 wins as Test captain, two behind Michael Vaughan’s record.”It would be a great way to finish this summer, but it is not about me as captain,” he said. “To be successful as a captain you need some fantastic players and we’ve got loads of talent within this group. We’re on an upward curve as a side and long may that continue. With the right attitude and work ethic that we’ve had, especially over the last year or so, then I believe the sky’s the limit.”Root also confirmed that he is hoping to be involved in England’s white-ball series against Australia next month. Although a regular in the ODI side, Root has not played a T20I since the start of the 2019 home summer and had slipped down the pecking order ahead of back-to-back T20 World Cups.The postponement of the first of those tournaments, originally scheduled to be held in Australia in October and November, and the ongoing effect of the coronavirus pandemic means England’s winter itinerary remains uncertain – but Root indicated his desire to return to the T20 format, either with England or his county, Yorkshire.”Yes I’m available and I’m looking forward to trying to play as much cricket as I can this summer. We don’t know when we will play again once this summer finishes so whether it is for Yorkshire or for England I’ll be keen to play and contribute as much as I can to whichever team I’m involved in. Hopefully I’ll be a part of an October Finals Day with Yorkshire if we get there.”We have to wait and see what international cricket materialises over the winter. There is nothing firmly fixed in the schedule, but it could quickly become a busy winter. It could be an interesting challenge so everyone has to make sure they look after themselves as best as they can to be ready for whatever games come at us.”

Big Picture

Somehow there is a decider to this series. That looked a very small chance when Australia needed 88 to win with eight wickets and 19 overs in hand two days ago. But as well as the middle order staged a recovery in the opening match there remains a vulnerability and England were able to seize on it, albeit on a tricky pitch that made their total of 231 more demanding that it may have appeared.A key factor for this final game – the last of an extraordinary men’s international season that will be completed amid the Covid-19 pandemic – is that it will be played on a fresh pitch, although it’s worth saying how superbly the two groundsmen at Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl have done to sustain the quality of surfaces over such a high turnover of matches.Who holds the advantage heading into this one? You would have to say England given the confidence boost of coming back from the brink on Sunday and an unbeaten home record that dates back to 2015 (when Australia were the last side to win a bilateral series in the country). However, perhaps due to the stop-start nature of the format since the World Cup, England have not quite hit their straps consistently in ODIs since then. For now, the top order has lost just a little of its aura – not that it would take much for it to return, and winning in different ways is certainly a good thing.Australia came into the tour having not played cricket for six months and perhaps a little lack of match hardness is partly to blame for their two defeats-from-the-jaws-of-victory performances in the first T20I and then the second ODI. However, particularly the way the collapse unfolded at breakneck speed two days ago will have been of concern.What they do have, though, is a very impressive pace attack with Josh Hazlewood outstanding in the two ODIs – conceded just 26 and 27 in 10 overs – while Adam Zampa is picking up wickets for fun. Bowling has never really been a massive concern for Australia; it’s the batting that continues to hold unanswered questions. Still, as shown in the opening match of the series, they are good enough to beat the world champions. England will need to be at their best to end this summer-like-no-other with a trophy.Jofra Archer celebrates as Marcus Stoinis departs•Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches)
England LWLWW
Australia LWWLL

In the spotlight

Jos Buttler was outstanding in the two T20Is he played, taking the Man of the Series award despite being allowed to step away for the final match, but he has not been able to rekindle that feeling in the first two ODs with scores of 1 and 3 as Australia have made inroads into England’s middle order. He has had a magnificent season, all amid the challenges of being in the bubble almost from start to finish, so if his powers are waning a touch towards the end (his keeping is still good) then that would be understandable. However, the prospect of a series to win could just be the moment to bring a final flourish.With one innings to go, it has been another low-scoring tour of England for David Warner. After a half-century in the first T20I he has made three single-figure scores and been dismissed by his newest nemesis, Jofra Archer, in all four innings. As in the Ashes when he became a walking wicket for Stuart Broad he has received some superb deliveries from Archer, notably the two in the one-day series, but he will be keen not to finish another trip to these shores with the memory of him falling regularly to the same England pace bowler.

Team news

The Curran brothers had a big impact after replacing Moeen Ali and Mark Wood in the XI. It would be tough on either of them to miss out for the decider. It might hinge on whether Wood’s ankle niggle was anything more than needing a match off to rest amid a tight turnaround. If Moeen didn’t play on the previous pitch, it’s unlikely he’ll be recalled on a new one.England (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Sam Billings, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, 9 Tom Curran, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Jofra ArcherThe key decision will be again around whether Steven Smith is able to return after the blow on the head before the opening game. He has passed all his concussion tests but a cautious approach has been taken so far, and Justin Langer says a late decision will be made. Despite the middle-order collapse it’s unlikely the selectors will be drawn into any knee-jerk decisions.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt), 3 Marcus Stoinis/Steven Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and conditions

A new pitch offers the prospect of something more in favour of the batsmen, although Old Trafford is usually a good battle between bat and ball on any surface. The forecast is for another dry and bright autumn day, although there have been a few signs of dew being a factor at the very end of the game.

Stats and Trivia

• Joe Root needs 38 runs to reach 6000; Aaron Finch needs 29 to reach 5000 and Glenn Maxwell 45 to reach 3000
• Josh Hazlewood has conceded just 2.65 runs per over this series. Since 2010, the lowest economy rate for an Australia bowler to play at least three matches in a series and bowl at least 20 overs is Doug Bollinger’s 3.28 against Pakistan in 2009-10
• Tom Curran’s 0 for 28 was the most economical wicketless 10-over spell by an England bowler since 2006

Quotes

“Jofra Archer’s an incredibly talented bowler. Equally, David Warner – what a player. I was looking over numbers last night and Davey’s record over the last little bit, I know when he gets in, he scores hundreds in one-day cricket. It’s been a great contest, some of these one-on-one match-ups, and often the fast bowler against the opening batter, that’s why we get up to watch the game. I’m sure Davey, he’s a superstar, he’s working overtime to be up for tomorrow night’s game.”
“I think we’ve earned that respect over a four- or five-year period. Teams do realise that we can potentially win from any position and the game is not done until they get over the line. We’ve got that character and belief that we can win from any position.”
Chris Woakes reflects on England’s ability to overturn the odds as a 50-over team.