Preview

The seniors may have returned, but by no means can India anticipate an easy warm-up before taking on more fancied teams

The Pakistan selectors have, possibly by accident, stumbled upon a well-balanced one-day outfit, but Sri Lanka will take some beating given the class and form of their players

If it is nurtured into a credible continental championship, the Asia Cup, with four Test nations participating, could provide ODI cricket with what it needs the most - context

India have two games to salvage the tour, and build some confidence for the players who head to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup, but Zimbabwe are the favourites

South Africa's tour shifts a gear with the first Test at Port of Spain in Trinidad, but the disparity in current form between the two sides suggests that the hosts' struggle for a positive result could become even harder in the longer format

The fairytale of Zimbabwe's run to the final is etched in every scorecard of this tri-series. They have not just been winning but have looked like a team that knows how to win

In the five games so far, the team chasing has won all games so tomorrow's contest offers a chance for the team batting first to get sufficient practice in case they are put in again in the final

India face Sri Lanka in a must-win encounter for the nth time in a multi-nation tournament

It was comfortable in the end, but for the first four days of the Lord's Test, England were made to graft for their rewards against a Bangladesh team that exceeded expectations

Just one defeat away from a whitewash, the hosts are in dire need of a psychological boost ahead of the Tests

For their second match, which is potentially crucial to their chances of making the final, both India and Zimbabwe will want to bring their A game

Zimbabwe produced a clinical win against India in the first ODI in Bulawayo. They have to now to show that they can sustain their recent performances. The game against Sri Lanka provides another opportunity

While South Africa have clearly been a class apart from their opponents, it is in the batting that the disparity between the two sides has been the greatest

That both India and Sri Lanka have rested their main players for the Zimbabwe tri-series is a small mercy, as some new contests might be seen

A spate of injuries to the home side has made South Africa even more likely to secure an early series victory

Cricinfo previews the opening match of the tri-series between Zimbabwe and India

After the carnival of the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, a one-day tri-series in Zimbabwe may not seem like the sort of fare to whet the appetite, but India and Sri Lanka's trip to the Southern African nation is an important sounding board for all three

Less than two weeks after securing the World Twenty20 crown in Barbados England's focus is back on Test cricket

While there is undeniable potential talent in the national squad, and one cannot rule out an improved performance in the second game, it seems more likely that South Africa will maintain the gulf in class between the two sides

The 50-over format must come as a relief for West Indies, allowing Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul greater time to build their innings, while giving a misfiring top order an opportunity to rediscover lost touch