Overview
- England will play a single three-day warm-up against an England Lions XI at Lilac Hill starting Thursday, which Ben Stokes defended as the only realistic option in a jam-packed calendar.
- Stokes dismissed criticism from former greats as out of step with the modern game and said England have planned for months, while confirming he is fit and eager to unleash quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood.
- Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick said quick, bouncy Australian pitches should suit England’s attacking approach and noted the squad will also have training days at Optus Stadium before the opener on November 21.
- Australia’s build-up took a hit as Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott left a Sheffield Shield match with hamstring issues, placing their availability for Perth in doubt pending assessment.
- In Kolkata, Shubman Gill and India staff inspected a dry, brown Eden Gardens surface and appeared dissatisfied before Sourav Ganguly consulted the curator, as Ravichandran Ashwin’s critique of Gill’s spinner rotation coincided with focus on South Africa’s in-form trio of Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy.