Jonny Bairstow's injury update, Laxman's and Warne's autobiographies, and more - Cricket News of Today, 20th August 2018.

It is Day 3's play that is happening at Trent Bridge, on the third match of the Specsavers England-India test series. After scoring 329 in the first innings and clinching a 168-run lead after dismantling the hosts for 161, India resumed their second innings today morning at 124 for 2. Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara carried India without harm for an entire session, during which both players registered their 50s.

Post lunch, Pujara was dismissed, while Kohli continued on, notching his 23rd Test hundred, but falling soon afterwards. India is now at 282 for 4 in their second innings, their lead standing now at 450 runs. It is safe to say that the match has effectively gone out of England's favour.

Meanwhile, take a look at the top news headlines from the world of cricket, below:

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#5 Trinbago Knight Riders clinch final-ball thriller in the CPL

Trinbago Knight Riders' Javon Scantlebury-Searles sent the final ball of the match crashing to the fence as his side clinched a nerve-racking victory over Jamaica Tallawahs by four wickets, in a high-scoring Caribbean Premier League match at Lauderhill, Florida.

Batting first, Jamaica were looking to bounce back from their first and only defeat of the tournament so far in their previous game, but it looked bad after they fell to 47 for 3 at a particular stage. It was then that David Miller came in, who then raced to his fifty off just 26 balls while opener Phillips reached his half-century off 46 balls.

Phillips kept scoring until he reached 80 when he was caught and bowled off Dwayne Bravo. The partnership between the duo crossed 112 runs. Miller (72 not out) continued on until he struck the final two balls of his side's innings to the fence as they finished at 182-5.

Trinbago's start was not really marvellous either, as they slipped to 28-3 after six overs. Then came Colin Munro (67) who was well supported by the Bravo brothers - Darren and Dwayne - who struck five sixes apiece to their team to nearly the end. Dwayne then fell with them still needing six runs off the final three balls but Scantlebury-Searles maintained his nerve to hit the required boundary in an exciting finish.

#4 Jonny Bairstow suffers an injury on the field; Jos Buttler replaces him as keeper

Bairstow kneeling on the ground in pain after being struck on his finger

India has been having a smooth sail since the start of play on Day 3 of the third Specsavers test match between England and India, while at the same time, England's bowlers have failed to produce much of an impact.

The hosts' futile efforts on the pitch will now be supplemented by a crucial blow via the absence of Jonny Bairstow on the pitch. During the eleventh over that was bowled today, James Anderson dealt in with a late-swinging ball that made a deviation in its path after Pujara left it alone and the ball, as a result, crashed right into the tip of wicketkeeper Bairstow's finger.

Bairstow immediately went down in pain as Jos Buttler ran into the dressing room to get his keeping gloves, signalling a substitution at the offing.

Later on, updates have surfaced that Bairstow would undergo an X-ray on his left middle finger to assess the gravity of the injury. It has since been revealed that a fracture has been found on the finger, making him unfit for keeping wickets or batting in the rest of the game - which will be yet another blow for the England players to tackle as India are gathering a massive lead at the other end.

#3 Shane Warne to come out with autobiography 'No Spin' in October

Shane Warne

Spin legend Shane Warne who currently in a deal with commentating for Foxtel Network, has revealed that all about his extraordinary cricketing career and life off the pitch will be covered in his autobiography which is slated for publishment this upcoming October.

The book, to be titled "No Spin" will be published by Ebury Press, and according to some sources, will have a global release on October 4.

It is interesting to note that Ebury is a British publication company, and at the same time, England was one of Warne's favourite victims throughout the length of his career - something that was specifically highlighted when Andrew Goodfellow, deputy publisher at Ebury, was asked to speak about the book.

"Despite all the pain he's inflicted on us over the years Shane Warne is still one of the most admired and celebrated cricketers to a British audience. You simply can't imagine the game without his unique contributions. I think his insight, no-nonsense honesty and strength of voice will make this the most read cricketing autobiography in years. At Ebury we are all very excited and honoured to be publishing such a legend," Mr. Goodfellow said.

"No Spin" will be the true story behind the headlines, in Warne's own voice, and challenges some of the enduring myths and untruths that surround him. The memoir is being written by Warne along with cricketer and TV presenter Mark Nicholas.

#4. VVS Laxman has an idea for an autobiography as well

VVS Laxman

Turns out that Shane Warne is not the only person to have thought of penning down his life story this week. After former colleagues Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman will release his autobiography in the month of November this year.

An Indian publishing agency named "Westland Publishing" has taken up the rights for the book which will be titled "281 and Beyond" and slated for release on November 20th, 2018.

In a recent interview, Laxman opened up about the process of writing the book and how it affected him emotionally. "It was an emotional journey that left me drained at the end of each session. Several incidents that I had all but forgotten suddenly sprang back into memory as I relived my life in great detail. It was hard work, but it was also great fun. I have been honest and frank, and shared the experiences that have made me the person I am. Without revealing dressing-room secrets, I have tried to offer a peek into the psyche of Indian cricket, and some of its most celebrated sons," Laxman said in a press meet.

"VVS’s account of his life is refreshingly candid and full of insights into the way cricket is played - at the domestic, national and international level. We are delighted to launch our new imprint, Westland Sport, with this outstanding book," said Gautam Padmanabhan, the CEO of Westland Publishing.

Currently, Laxman is a cricket expert and commentator and is often seen voicing his opinions during India tours and tournaments such as the IPL.

#1 Navjot Sidhu attends Imran Khan's swearing-in; hopeful of cricket improving Indo-Pak relations

Sidhu during his cricketing days

On August 18, 2018, Pakistan saw one of its most popular former-cricketers begin a new kind of innings in public administration, as Imran Khan, also the chairman of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) party, got appointed as the 22nd Prime Minister of the nation. Several dignitaries and important guests were part of the occasion, which as held at the President's residence in Islamabad, the Pak capital.

One of the most important men to be present there was Navjot Singh Sidhu, former Indian cricketer-turned-politician. He represented India at the venue and was one of the many "former colleagues" of Imran Khan back from his cricketing days.

After coming out from the event, Sidhu found time in interacting with several Pakistani and International media, talking about his days when he came against the maverick Pakistan all-rounder in the cricket pitch. He went on to say that he was sure of Imran Khan heralding in a good future for Pakistan, by being at the helm of its administration.

Another important point that Sidhu put forward, was that he wanted cricket matches to be played between the winning teams of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL), India's and Pakistan's premium international T20 tournaments, respectively.

"Cricket takes us to a whole new level," Sidhu said before leaving for Lahore after attending Khan's oath-taking ceremony. "A match between the winning team of the IPL and PSL is a good idea," before adding that cricket can bring Pakistan and India together.

Sidhu concluded by saying that he will remember this trip to Pakistan for the rest of his life. He called the trip a "new beginning".

"I hope I have laid the foundations and someone will work on it," the former cricketer said.

The former Indian cricketer presented a shawl to the new man in office, as picked up by several news handles. He also found time to interact with Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa during the function.