The Pakistan Test Captain Shan Masood received a special jersey from the Pakistan Cricket Board after accomplishing 2000 test runs for the country. 

Masood achieved this feat after making an impressive 151-run knock on the first day of the first test against England at Multan. 

PCB presented him with a jersey with “Shan 2000" at the back. Pakistan's Test coach Jason Gillespie too addressed the team, praising the efforts of the players to provide a good start on Day 1.

🇵🇰 captain Shan Masood is presented a special jersey on completing 2000 Test runs 👕✨#PAKvENG | #TestAtHome pic.twitter.com/mLxBs3PT2n

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 7, 2024

Masood enters the Elite List

The local media heavily criticized Masood as his bat wasn't speaking much. His century last day, hopefully, has silenced all his critiques.

Not only that, that innings have helped him tough the 2000 test runs mark, making him the 35th Pakistani to achieve so.

He has accumulated 2000 test runs in his 36th Test match and 67th innings at an average of 30.35. 

His 151-run innings was his fifth Test century and second against England. With this century, he also marked the end of a 1,524-day wait for a Test hundred, his last being in 2020 against England in Manchester, where he scored a career-best 156.

Masood made his century in just 102 balls, thus becoming the Pakistani Captain with the second-fastest hundred, in Tests. Former skipper Misbah-ul-Haq leads the list being the fastest one.

The second-fastest test century was still a smart blend of both patience and aggression. He made a steady start, but gradually increased the pace, creating a solid partnership with Abdullah Shafique. He smashed 13 fours and two sixes, displaying his intent to dominate the bowling attack.

The England and Wales Cricket Board on Thursday announced a 14-member squad for the first Test of the five-match series against India. The ENG vs IND five-match Test series is starting from June 20. The first match will be played at Headingley on June 20, 2025.

Also Read: Youngest Cricketers to lead India in Tests

Overton replaces Atkinson

Fast bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton has returned. He has been included in the team in place of injured Gus Atkinson. Jamie has returned after the match against New Zealand in June 2022.

Atkinson was unavailable for selection due to a right hamstring injury suffered during the Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.

Carse, Woakes included in the squad

Fast bowlers Brydon Carse, Jacob Bethell and Chris Woakes have also been named in the squad, who last played during the New Zealand Test tour in December. The India A side are already in the United Kingdom, playing warm-up games against England Lions.

Woakes, known for his effectiveness in home conditions, especially at Lord’s, last featured prominently in 2018 against India, where he claimed four wickets and smashed an unbeaten 137.

Young spinner Shoaib Bashir, who starred with nine wickets against Zimbabwe, retains his spot as the lone specialist spinner. IPL winner Jacob Bethell and seamer Sam Cook, both of whom impressed recently, have also earned call-ups.

Ben Stokes to lead the team

England will field a significantly altered team compared to the last time they faced India in early 2024. James Anderson has since retired, while Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes and Ollie Robinson are the other notable absentees from the squad.

Ben Stokes, who returned from a hamstring injury in that Zimbabwe Test, will lead England against India in a five-match series that marks the start of both teams’ campaigns in the new ICC World Test Championship cycle.

Also Read: Most runs vs England in England for India in tests

ENG vs IND Test Series Schedule

• 20-24 June 2025 - 1st Test, Headingley
• 2-6 July 2025 - 2nd Test, Edgbaston
• 10-14 July 2025 - Third Test, Lord's
• 23-27 July 2025 - Fourth Test, Emirates Old Trafford
• 31 July-4 August 2025 - Fifth Test, Kia Oval

ENG vs IND | England full squad

Ben Stokes (c), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.

India A started their England tour on a great note with a solid Day 1 display against the England Lions in Canterbury. Karun Nair headlined the day with a solid, unbeaten 186 with the bat for India A.

England Lions captain James Rew won the toss and decided to bowl first on a greenish pitch at the St. Lawrence Ground. 

India A lost captain Abhimanyu Easwaran early on 8 while Yashasvi Jaiswal went back to the dressing room after adding 24. 

When it looked like that, Rew took the right decision of bowling first, Sarfaraz Khan and Karun Nair put up a 181-run partnership for the third wicket to give India A the advantage after Day 1’s play. 

Karun Nair, who last played a test match in 2017, continued his great form and completed his fifty in 85 balls. 

Soon, Sarfraz Khan, who was dropped from the test squad, completed his fifty in 84 balls as well. When both batters were looking to get to the hundred mark first, Sarfraz was caught down the leg side on 92 off 119 balls and missed his ton.

Sarfaraz Khan gets dismissed 8 short of a well-deserved hundred.

Sarfaraz was looking good but was eventually caught down the leg side on 92.

Karun Nair is batting on 97!

India A 233/3 in the first inning!#ENGAvINDA #SarfarazKhan pic.twitter.com/pY7pCRmwZP

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) May 30, 2025

Nair, who was dropped on 89 off Ajeet Singh Dale, completed his 24th first-class ton off 155 balls.

Post that, incoming batter Dhruv Jurel and Nair started smashing the bowlers and changed their gears. Nair reached the landmark of 150 in 205 balls while Jurel reached his fifty in just 68 balls.

At the end of Day 1 of the 4-day unofficial test match, Jurel remained unbeaten on 82 off 104 balls while Nair remained unbeaten on 186 from 246 balls, with India A finishing with 409/3. 

In a dramatic turn of events, overseas players in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) faced harrowing experiences due to escalating military tensions between India and Pakistan, leading to the indefinite postponement of the tournament.

The crisis, sparked by India’s strategic response to a terror attack in Palalgam on May 7, 2025, which claimed 26 civilian lives, left players like New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell vowing never to return to Pakistan and England’s Tom Curran in tears after a close call at the airport.

Read Also | In a first, 10 UAE batters retire out in ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025

PSL Halted Amid Regional Tensions

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially planned to relocate the remaining PSL matches to the UAE after tensions escalated. However, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) rejected the proposal, leaving the PCB with no choice but to cancel the tournament.

The announcement came shortly after the BCCI postponed the IPL for a week due to the same geopolitical concerns.

Overseas players were swiftly evacuated to Dubai via charter flights, from where they caught connecting flights to their home countries. Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, part of the Lahore Qalandars squad, recounted the terrifying ordeal, revealing that the airport they departed from was struck by a missile just 20 minutes after their plane took off.

“After landing in Dubai, we heard that a missile struck the airport 20 minutes after we left. The news was scary and sorrowful, but we felt relieved to be safe in Dubai,” Rishad told Cricbuzz.

Read Also | Foreign players asked to return to their country as IPL 2025 postponed for a week due to India-Pakistan tension

Daryl Mitchell’s Vow and Tom Curran’s Distress

Rishad shared the palpable fear among foreign players, including Sam Billings, Daryl Mitchell, Kushal Perera, David Wiese, and Tom Curran.

“Landing in Dubai, Mitchell told me he would never go to Pakistan again, especially in this kind of scenario. They were all horrified,” Rishad said.

Recounting Tom Curran’s emotional breakdown, Rishad added, “Tom went to the airport, but heard it was closed. He started crying like a little child, and it took two or three people to console him.”

Read Also | India-Pakistan War: How Indian athletes reacted to it

Family Worries and Player Anxieties

Rishad also spoke about the anxiety his family felt during the crisis. “Whenever I play, my family worries about the situation. When they heard about the bomb blasts and missile strikes in Pakistan, they were naturally tense. I tried to console them and assure them I was safe,” he said.

PCB’s Failed Attempt to Salvage the Tournament

According to Rishad, the PCB chairman attempted to convince players to continue the tournament in Karachi, downplaying the severity of the situation.

“The chairman tried to hide that there were two drone attacks the day before, which we later learned about. Almost all foreign players agreed that Dubai was the only safe option,” Rishad revealed.

The PCB eventually facilitated the players’ safe evacuation to Dubai, a move Rishad credited to the board’s efforts. “Thanks to the PCB chairman and the Pakistan Cricket Board, we reached Dubai safely by the grace of Almighty Allah,” he said.

The sudden announcement of Rohit Sharma's tests retirement marks the end of an era for Indian cricket. His journey in this format has evolved the years, from being a middle-order batsman to a dominant captain to open for his nation. 

This transformation defines his Test legacy that we have witnessed over the years. It is now time to look back at those times and numbers; check out Rohit Sharma stats in tests.

The Initial Chapter (2013-2018)

In November 2013, during Sachin Tendulkar's farewell series, Rohit Sharma made his Test debut at Eden Gardens in Kolkata against the West Indies, scoring 177, the second highest score in an Indian debut behind Shikhar Dhawan (187).

He followed with 111 (not out) in the second test at his home ground, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. However, he couldn’t find constant form in the longest format and could only score only one Test hundred after that, before he was promoted as an opener in a series against South Africa in 2019.

Read Also: Rohit Sharma in ICC tournaments for India

The Run-scoring Skipper (2019-2024)

The Test series against South Africa in 2019 turned out to be a memorable one for Rohit as he went on to score three hundreds in three matches, including his maiden double hundred in Tests. His promotion as an opening batter in this format, gradually started to show brilliant outcomes.

Rohit's highest score in Test cricket came against South Africa in October 2019 in Ranchi where he scored 212 (255) runs hitting 28 fours and six sixes. He also scored his first overseas test century against England in 2021, with a knock of 127 runs at the Oval.

His contributions in this format were at its peak when he was appointed as the captain of India in the Test format in February 2022. He succeeded the former captain, Virat Kohli, ahead of a series against Sri Lanka.

The Final Blow

In his recent Test appearances, particularly during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia in late 2024 and early 2025, Rohit Sharma struggled to find his usual form. His performances in this crucial series, which also had impact on India's standing in the WTC cycle, saw a major dip in his batting average.

Across the matches, he recorded several low scores in contrast to his earlier success as a top-order batsman in the format. This raised concerns about his form leading into the ending stage of the WTC and ultimately preceded his retirement announcement.

Read Also: Rohit Sharma stats as captain in Tests

Rohit Sharma stats in tests throughout his career 

Harry Brook was recently named England's white-ball captain, succeeding Jos Buttler, who stepped down in February 2025 following a disappointing Champions Trophy campaign. Brook now has become the 38th ODI captain for England and 15th to be named as T20I captain of the country as well. 

Ray Illingworth was the first-ever ODI and white-ball captain of England, who was also part of the first-ever men's One-day cricket match in 1971. Mike Denness and Tony Greig followed him on the list.

Michael Vaughan was the first T20I captain of England as he led the team in the shortest format of the game for the first time in 2005. Stuart Broad and Craig Kieswetter are a few of the players who captained the team only in T20Is. In the meantime, Michael Vaughan, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, and Jos Buttler led them in both ODIs and T20Is. 

Read Also | Highest Totals in ODI cricket history