Long may it continue, England seam bowler Ollie Robinson said.

And there’s the rub.

Robinson was talking about how successful his new-ball partnership with Jofra Archer was working out. In harness together for the first time in test cricket, they have taken 24 of Pakistan’s 38 possible wickets in the ongoing series.

They are a big reason England clinched the series 2-0 at Lord’s on Sunday with a day and a game to spare.

The change bowlers, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson, have come off helping Manchester win the Hundred competition and claimed the other 14 Pakistan wickets.

It’s a pace attack that is exciting England supporters, who have fingers crossed that the four quicks can stick together for the home Ashes series against Australia in less than 10 months.

But that’s a long time for any player and the foursome has yet to be truly tested. Pakistan has underwhelmed and was struggling before it undertook its first tour of England in six years. The loss at Lord’s was its 10th in its last 11 away tests. The third and last test starts on Sept. 9 at Edgbaston.

Ironically, the retirement of former captain and allrounder Ben Stokes brought the four seamers together in the first post-Bazball series for England.

New captain Joe Root said after they won the first test at Leeds by an innings that the four “do not know how good they can be.” At Lord’s, Root admitted he’s still trying to figure it out, too.

“It’s just getting used to it, seeing how it works, having a good understanding of it for me as captain, for them as bowlers and for us as a side,” he said. “The more that happens I think the better for it we’ll be.”

Robinson has been the series standout with 8-80 in Leeds and 8-35 at Lord’s. He was brought out of exile in June after two years and then got injured and didn’t finish the series defeat to New Zealand.

He’s credited his fortune to bowling in tandem with Archer, who regularly bowls over 90 mph (145 kph) and has hit 95 mph (153 kph). Archer puts batters in a foxhole and when they poke their heads up Robinson knocks them out.

“The four-man attack we’ve got, I think it’s going to be very successful,” Robinson said.

“My role doesn’t change, it allows me to be a bit more defensive if anything. I can just hold and be patient and not try to punch through the batters. Jof and the other guys can then bowl rapid and break it up at the other end.

“It’s quite a nice pairing to open the bowling with, someone bowling that quickly and swinging the ball the other way from me. Long may it continue.”

Root praised Robinson, who has been named the player of the match in all three of his tests this summer.

“He’s bowling beautifully,” Root said. “If you asked good questions of guys’ defense for long period of times with a wicket that gives you assistance, you’re going to cause problems. He’s been phenomenal, relentless.

“It’s a good contrast with the guys on the other end as well — you’ve got 90 mph from the other three. Even Gus today bowling 90 mph at times, it’s really impressive stuff. I think it’s a really well balanced attack.

“The more they can complement each other’s skill sets, it’s only going to be a good thing for us moving forward.”

India head coach Craig Fulton has called for his men to refocus ahead of what he calls a ‘new tournament’ in the second round of the men’s World Cup, starting against Netherlands on Saturday.

India’s mixed start in the Pool stage led to a second place finish behind England, which has left it needing two wins to give itself a good chance of qualifying for the semifinals.

“We’re a little bit behind the eight ball because we didn’t take the three points through. But at this level as well, any team can beat any team,” Fulton told The Hindu.

“That doesn’t mean we’re out. We have to take care of our two games. We’ll just go one game at a time and let’s see what happens.”

A deficient defensive structure and unforced errors leaving it open to transitions have proved costly. India has let in eight goals, which is the worst defensive record among the top eight teams left in the tournament.

Fulton emphasised on getting the pressing right and its counterattacks with upcoming matches against two of the dangerous sides, Netherlands and Argentina.

India’s recent meetings against these sides yielded just one 3-2 win over the Dutch, while losing the other three with an aggregate scoreline of 4-15.

“It’s a game [vs Pakistan] that is steeped in history, where we need to take more structure into that game, and it got away from us a little bit.

“But at the same time, we played well offensively and then let them back in the game…Now, we have a totally different opposition, that if we give them too many opportunities, yes, they will punish you.

“We’re playing well going forward, and we need to keep improving on the defence and keeping the confidence in going forward. So the press, the counter, is where we need to just keep hammering,” said the South African.

While Harmanpreet Singh’s form makes India a lethal Penalty Corner outfit, the three goals from field play rank it ninth in the 16-team tournament.

On India’s lack of field goals, Fulton said, “It’s a [matter of] small composure. They play a certain way, and one team plays man-to-man, one team plays zonal, which puts seven players, eight players in the D.

“That’s a different approach to playing if there were three in the D. We’ve got different plans for both teams, but at the same time, we’ve got to implement our plan.”

For a country that had not seen the World Cup for 28 years, Norway has arrived in the quarterfinals as if it has always belonged here. Brazil was the latest to discover how thin the margin is when Erling Haaland is on the pitch.

Two goals in the final 11 minutes in New Jersey — one a towering header, the other a finish of startling violence — carried Norway into the last-eight stage for the first time in its history. Haaland has seven goals from just 12 shots on target, with only six efforts off target all tournament.

Stale Solbakken’s side may not create as much as England, but the chances it does fashion tend to be clean, central and devastatingly suited to the most clinical finisher in the game. Norway’s route to Haaland usually runs through midfield, where Martin Odegaard remains the creative hinge and Sander Berge is the calm distributor — the two have exchanged a team-high 128 passes so far.

England will know that cutting that axis is as important as stopping Haaland. If Odegaard is allowed to turn or Berge is free to punch passes through the first line of pressure, Norway can turn defence into danger in seconds.

England, though, comes with its own conviction. Harry Kane has six goals, including two from the penalty spot, and Jude Bellingham’s four goals have made him the side’s second great source of menace. Reduced to 10 men after Jarell Quansah’s red card against Mexico, Thomas Tuchel’s side held firm through the final half-hour in a stadium and atmosphere that seemed designed to swallow them.

Quansah’s suspension and Marc Guehi’s hamstring issue leave Tuchel with questions at the back, particularly on the right side, where Norway will look to probe. Reece James may return, but England’s defensive certainty has been shaken at exactly the moment it faces the world’s hottest striker.

England may have the broader squad and deeper tournament memory, but Norway has Haaland, and right now, that can feel like a force large enough to bend the game.

Not many women have stands or gates named after them. Nat Sciver-Brunt has one.

That is right here at the Oval, where she came up with a captain’s knock (75, 47b, 11×4, 1×6) on Thursday (July 2, 2026) to take England first out of deep trouble against South Africa and then into the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup.

The Proteas, chasing 170, could only manage 129 for eight.

This was Sciver-Brunt’s first match in the tournament after retiring hurt against Ireland a couple of weeks ago. That the Englishwomen didn’t miss her batting is creditable no doubt, but on Thursday (July 2, 2026), they needed all her class and experience. And she didn’t let them down.

With England reeling at 23 for three, a result of some fine bowing up front by Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail, Sciver-Brunt needed someone to stay with her and steady the ship. There could not have been a better partner than Heather Knight to drop anchor.

Knight (58, 47b, 6×4, 1×6) and Sciver-Brunt put on 133 for the fourth wicket to ensure their team had enough runs for their bowlers to have a go at the Proteas.

Earlier, Ismail had Amy Jones trying hard to smash the first ball of the second over – it was wide and short — and slashing it straight to Annerie Dercksen at point. Then Danni Wyatt-Hodge, the tournament’s leading batter, was bowled through the gate by Kapp.

In the very next over, Ismail moved the ball beautifully back to trap Alice Capsey in front. The stage was set for England’s Captain Fantastic and she took charge.

For the Proteas, the chase got off well, with skipper Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits adding 43 in just over five overs. Once the skipper fell to a superb catch by Sophie Ecclestone off Linsey Smith, the South African innings fell apart.

Only Brits (51, 45b, 6×4) manage to get past 20. That was the miserable tale for South Africa.

Having crossed the milestone of 413 international matches and becoming the highest-capped Indian hockey player, Manpreet Singh is in no mood to slow down.

With his landmark coming in India’s first Pro League victory of the season against reigning world champion Germany on Wednesday, the Indian midfielder is now eyeing the Asian Games and the upcoming World Cup to further burnish his credentials as one of the fittest players in world hockey.

“This year is very important for us. The Pro league matches are already on and playing England and Pakistan will be very useful because they are in our group in the World Cup, for which we will be back here next month,” Manpreet said during an interaction with select media on Thursday.

“England has been doing well so those games will be important. Then there will be Asian Games soon after which is the ticket to LA Olympics.

“As for fitness, there is no alternative. World hockey today is at a level where if you are not at peak fitness all the time, you cannot survive.

“With age, I know I have to work extra hard to keep up with everyone else and I have worked a lot on my fitness over the years because if I don’t I won’t be able to remain in the team.

“It’s really that simple and something the coach has also repeatedly made clear — your fitness levels will decide your spot in the side,” he added.

There had been a lot of talk around the milestone in the last few months but Manpreet insisted it did not matter. “My focus has always been on maintaining my fitness. It is a big honour, playing 413 matches over 15 years, and I am proud of it but it doesn’t change anything on field.

“The number of caps or captain’s band doesn’t really matter. My focus has always been on how to improve as a team and I will continue doing that. It doesn’t mean I stop listening to others,” he declared.

The World Cup has a habit of redefining football’s hierarchy. New stars emerge, established powers fall and careers are forever defined by a handful of moments.

As the tournament heads to North America for the first time since 1994, the game is at a crossroads. Argentina is attempting to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup. Kylian Mbappe is looking to cement his place at the top of the game, while Spain’s young stars seek to fulfil their promise. And there remain questions over what a 48-team competition will look like in practice.

Some of those will be answered over the next 39 days as football’s biggest tournament unfolds in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Across 104 matches in 16 host cities, teams will navigate vast distances, multiple time zones and varying conditions, testing not only their quality but also endurance.

Argentina enters the showpiece with much of the squad that conquered the world in Qatar and with Lionel Messi still leading the way.

Now 38 and playing for Inter Miami, Messi knows North American conditions better than most rivals and will hope familiarity can fuel one final run at the world stage.

Argentina begins as one of the favourites, but there will be no shortage of challengers. Spain arrives as the reigning European champion, powered by the creativity of Pedri and Lamine Yamal. Under Luis de la Fuente, it has evolved beyond the possession-heavy style that defined its golden generation, combining technical excellence with greater intensity and directness.

France, world champion in 2018 and finalist in 2022, has spent much of the last decade setting the benchmark in international football.

Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Aurelien Tchouameni headline a side capable of dominating games with or without possession and adapting to the varied demands of tournament football.

England, led by Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, will again carry the weight of expectations, while Brazil seeks its first World Cup title since 2002. Germany appears rejuvenated after years of inconsistency, with Portugal hoping Cristiano Ronaldo can inspire one final memorable run.

The tournament’s biggest change is structural. Expansion to 48 teams has altered the landscape of international football.

Asia now has eight direct qualification places and Africa nine, opening the door for nations that previously stood little chance of reaching the World Cup.

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Curacao and Jordan will make their debuts, while several emerging football countries believe that they can do more than simply participate. Whether the expanded format strengthens the competition or merely stretches it remains to be seen.

Off the field, at a time when the world feels increasingly fenced off, the game has already encountered some of the complications that come with staging a global event. Iran will be based in Mexico and commute to its matches in the United States amid continuing tensions between Tehran and Washington and the wider regional conflict involving Israel.

There has also been controversy surrounding Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry into the USA despite reportedly holding a valid visa and diplomatic passport. Artan, the 2025 African Referee of the Year, was set to become the first Somali official to take part at a World Cup.

But for all the attention on politics, travel and expansion, the tournament will ultimately be judged by the football it produces. In a world that often feels increasingly fractured, the World Cup remains one of the few occasions capable of making the globe move to a common rhythm.

And for over a month, football, hopefully, will once again prove to be bigger than the machinery that powers it today.

England batter Jacob Bethell declared that playing in the Indian Premier League, as part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru setup, has helped him upgrade his all-format batting.

The 22-year-old has played just six matches in his ongoing two-year stint with the 2025 champion and has found a place in the playing eleven this time only due to the injury suffered by compatriot Phil Salt.

Former England captain Alastair Cook had remarked in April that Bethell was better off playing County cricket for Warwickshire rather than warming the benches in the IPL. Kevin Pietersen, who played five seasons in India’s premier T20 tournament, dismissed the claim, adding that rubbing shoulders with the best players would be beneficial to Bethell.

“Everyone thinks differently, but from a personal point of view, I think I’ve made the right decision. This is the marquee tournament of the year, with pretty much all of the best cricketers in the world playing in it,” Bethell told reporters ahead of the IPL 2026 clash against the Mumbai Indians here.

“I definitely don’t think it’s going to hurt my career or stop me from getting better. I think it’s going to do the opposite. Everyone is allowed to think what they want, but at the end of the day, I’m pretty happy with where I am,” he added.

MI batter Sherfane Rutherford stressed the importance of assessing conditions early at the venue, which is hosting an IPL game for the first time since 2016.

“We [the IPL] haven’t played a game here in 10 years. It will be important for batters to see what will be the best area and try to pick it up early. We need to give ourselves the best chance to see what the wicket is doing. We can always make up at the end,” the West Indian middle-order batter said.

Twenty-four days after launching its Men’s T20 World Cup title defence with a scratchy win over the United States, Suryakumar Yadav’s men returned to the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday night — this time with a semifinal against England looming large.

As the Indian squad went through its fielding drills under lights, the curators quietly covered the 22-yard strip that will dictate fortunes on Thursday. Two days out, the surface wore a greener look than is customary at the Wankhede — even by First-Class standards, let alone a T20 International.

With temperatures climbing steadily over the past fortnight, the decision to retain a healthy grass cover was understandable, a protective measure to prevent the pitch from drying out and breaking up. The pertinent question now is how much of that grass will be shaved off before match time.

Interestingly, while head coach Gautam Gambhir took a close look at the strip before it was covered, none of the Indian players ambled across to inspect it. Perhaps they are content to wait until match day, drawing cues from the two fixtures already played on this surface earlier in the tournament.

The red-soiled surface slated for Thursday’s semifinal was used for England’s clash against West Indies on February 11 and the Italy-Nepal game the following day. On both occasions, it offered assistance to spinners, particularly as the games progressed. Yet, much has changed since then — not least the weather and the stakes.

India’s preference for truer, flatter decks has been indulged through the Super Eights. Whether that pattern continues at the semifinal stage remains to be seen. For now, beneath the covers and the coastal humidity, the Wankhede strip holds its secrets close — waiting to reveal them on the biggest night of India’s campaign.

Sri Lanka named a 17-member squad led by Charith Asalanka on Wednesday (January 21, 2026) for a three-match ODI tournament against England, the first home series in just over seven years.

The opening game will be on Thursday (January 22) with the second on Saturday (January 24).

The final is on Tuesday (January 27), with all three to be played at the Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo.

England’s last ODI tour of Sri Lanka was in 2018 when they won the series 3-1.

Sri Lanka squad: Charith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Pavan Rathnayake, Dhananjaya de Silva, Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jeffrey Vandersay, Maheesh Theekshana, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan and Eshan Malinga.