Referee Mike Dean has asked to not be involved in any Premier League games this weekend after he was targeted with online death threats alongside members of his family.

The death threats have been reported to the police and Dean is still set to referee the FA Cup tie between Leicester City and Brighton on Wednesday but won't be involved in the weekend league games.

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Dean and his family received the abuse after he handed a controversial red card to West Ham United's Tomas Soucek during the 0-0 draw with Fulham on Saturday.

"Threats and abuse of this nature are totally unacceptable and we fully support Mike's decision to report these messages his family received to the police," Professional Games Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) managing director Mike Riley said.

"Nobody should be a victim of abhorrent messages like this. Online abuse is unacceptable in any walk of life and more needs to be done to tackle the problem."

Dean reviewed the incident between Soucek and Aleksandar Mitrovic after the video assistant referee Lee Mason advised him that the pair had collided. A review of the video showed Soucek catching Mitrovic with his elbow in what appeared to be an accident.

However, Dean decided to send him off for violent conduct.

West Ham were successful in their appeal of the red card and Soucek thanked fans for their support.

I am glad my red card against Fulham has been overturned. I've checked it, I've gone over 200 games without a single red card. My entire career. I am looking forward to helping the team in the important games this week! Thanks for your support!#westham #whu #COYI pic.twitter.com/wANFeAFmhf

— Tomáš Souček (@tomassoucek28) February 8, 2021

"I am glad my red card against Fulham has been overturned," he said on Twitter.

"I've checked it, I've gone over 200 games without a single red card. My entire career. I am looking forward to helping the team in the important games this week! Thanks for your support!"

The incident with Soucek was the latest in a number of controversial decisions handed down by Mason and Dean, who are often paired together for games.

Last week, Southampton's Jan Bednarek was sent off against Manchester United by Dean for infringing on a goal-scoring opportunity but had the red card overturned two days later.

The pair also denied Southampton a penalty against Aston Villa last weekend in another controversial decision.

The Times is reporting that the PGMOL are considering separating the two referees for a short spell.

Manchester City have not given up on signing Lionel Messi on a free transfer this summer but will wait until March or April before sounding out the situation regarding the Barcelona forward, various sources have told ESPN.

Messi, 33, is out of contract in June and has been free to negotiate with other clubs since Jan. 1. City led the chase for the Argentina international last August when he asked Barca to let him leave but the Premier League leaders have kept a low profile in recent months.

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In contrast, Paris Saint-Germain have been making a lot of noise about their desire to sign Messi at the end of the season.

City will bide their time and see how the situation develops, even if PSG have taken a different approach, an approach which sources at Barca have told ESPN is completely the wrong way to try and seduce Messi.

"PSG are making a mistake with the strategy they're using," one source said. "Leo doesn't like all that noise in the media and even less the type of comments [which have been made]."

PSG's sporting director Leonardo has confirmed the French champions are monitoring Messi's situation, while coach Mauricio Pochettino and players Neymar and Angel Di Maria have publicly stated that they would welcome the Barca captain with open arms.

Di Maria even said there was a "big chance" of Messi signing for PSG -- which led Barca coach Ronald Koeman to brand the French club "disrespectful" -- but City will provide stiff competition if Messi does leave Camp Nou after 20 years in Catalonia.

Sources have told ESPN that City are still tracking Messi but have decided to adopt a less aggressive tactic in their pursuit of his signature.

They employed a similar strategy last year when they did a lot of the groundwork. Pep Guardiola spoke with Messi on the phone to sell him City's project, while sources have also told ESPN that a few members of the club's staff remain in regular contact with Messi's people.

After working on what was considered a long-shot for several months, with no leaks, everything bubbled to the surface in the wake of Barca's 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

When it became clear Messi wanted to leave Barca, they made their move in August, with Messi sending a burofax to the Blaugrana asking them to let him go. City had done extensive work on the numbers involved in the deal -- keeping in mind Messi's most recent four-year contract at Barca netted him up to €555 million -- and believed they could sign him while adhering to UEFA's financial fair play rules.

Barca president at the time Josep Maria Bartomeu refused to let Messi go, though, pointing to his €700m release clause. Messi believed he could leave for free but backed down rather than taking the issue to court, ending City's chances.

The situation is different this time with Messi into the final six months of his deal. However, Messi has insisted he will not make any decision about his future until the season is over and sources close to him have told ESPN that he is only focused on helping Barca end the season strongly.

Koeman's side are in good form, unbeaten in 11 games in La Liga, and have a Copa del Rey semifinal against Sevilla and the first leg of their Champions League tie against PSG to come next week.

As well as success on the pitch, Messi's future could also hinge on who comes in as the new Barca president, with the election penciled in for March 7. Messi will listen to the plans of the incoming president, with Joan Laporta, Victor Font and Toni Freixa the three candidates.

Pakistan 272 (Faheem 78*, Nortje 5-56) and 298 (Rizwan 115*, Linde 5-54) beat South Africa 201 (Bavuma 44*, Hasan 5-54) and 274 (Markram 108, Bavuma 61, Hasan 5-60, Afridi 4-51) by 95 runs

Hasan Ali's ten-wicket match haul topped stubborn resistance from two of South Africa's Test captaincy candidates, Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma, to secure Pakistan's first series win over South Africa since 2003. Hasan triggered a collapse with the second new ball that saw South Africa lose seven wickets for 33 runs and fall 96 runs short of what would have been the highest successful chase in Pakistan. They had lost the first Test, in Karachi, by seven wickets.

Despite the defeat, South Africa would be especially pleased with Markram's performance. He scored his fifth Test century - his first since March 2018 as well as the first in the subcontinent - to keep hopes of an unlikely upset win alive. Markram and Bavuma, who scored 61, shared a fourth-wicket stand of 106 runs and looked comfortable at the crease against the old ball. But neither could negotiate the fresh ball on a surface that was keeping low, and their dismissals opened up the lower order and allowed Pakistan to seal the series 41 minutes before tea on the final day.

South Africa have now lost four of their last five series and ten of their last 13 Tests and are going to have an extended break from the longest format with no games scheduled for the rest of the summer following Australia's decision to postpone indefinitely a proposed series in March. South Africa had hoped to use this season's Tests to identify a suitable long-term Test captain after Faf du Plessis stepped down last year. Quinton de Kock, who took over in a temporary capacity, is expected to be relieved from the role after managing just 74 runs in four Tests as captain.

Things could hardly have been worse for de Kock, who was dismissed for a first-ball duck chasing a full, wide Hasan delivery that he should have left. De Kock's dismissal came the ball after Markram was caught at second slip, prodding at a Hasan delivery that kept low. That was in Hasan's first over with the second new ball, and the second over with it overall, and Pakistan needed just ten more overs to finish South Africa off.

The speed of, and shot selection that led to, South Africa's collapse remains a concern - they had lost five for 37 in the first innings and seven for 87 and nine for 70 in Karachi. While the Rawalpindi pitch got better for batting as the match progressed, it kept low throughout and only Markram and Bavuma were able to adapt to the bounce on the fifth day.

Rassie van der Dussen applied himself well on the penultimate day of the match and was on 48 overnight but fell to the third ball of the day. Hasan beat his inside edge with late swing to end a 94-run second-wicket stand with Markram and give Pakistan the breakthrough early on the final morning. Two overs later, Hasan had du Plessis trapped lbw with an incoming delivery that stayed low. Du Plessis reviewed but ball-tracking showed middle and leg stump would have been disturbed.

Instead of sending in de Kock, South Africa opted to stick to the same batting order they had used in the first innings with Bavuma coming in at No. 5. Bavuma batted with more intent than he has come to be known for, and was especially strong on the back foot and the sweep. He played a strong supporting role for Markram, whose confidence grew as his innings developed.

Markam was comfortable enough to play the ball late, kept out yorkers from Shaheen Shah Afridi - who took 4 for 51 for the innings - and took on Yasir Shah, cutting him for four and dancing down the track to loft him over long-off for six. His hundred came up the ball before lunch with a single to midwicket to break a century drought that has stretched 26 innings. But his celebrations were subdued, with the knowledge there was still work to do.

He only added eight runs to his total after lunch before Hasan had the second new ball in hand and lured Markram into playing a stroke. De Kock's dismissal off the next ball meant that Bavuma and the lower-order batsmen were left with 129 runs to get. That became far too much when Bavuma played at Afridi outside off and was caught behind.

Afridi reaped rewards for his disciplined bowling in the off-stump channel and got the wickets of Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada later on, to go with the scalp of Dean Elgar on the fourth evening. But the day belonged to Hasan, whose five-for came when he had George Linde caught at point and he celebrated his usual bomb-explosion celebration to a baby-cradle one in a nod to his impending fatherhood. The entire squad did the same once victory had been completed, with Babar Azam joining Fazal Mahmood (vs West Indies, 1959), Mushtaq Mohammad (vs New Zealand, 1976), Javed Miandad (vs Australia, 1980) and Saleem Malik (vs New Zealand, 1994) in the list of Pakistan captains to win their maiden Test series at the helm.

Shah, who had gone wicketless as the pacers did the damage, finished the game when he beat Wiaan Mulder's slog to hit timber in the 92nd over. The win, Pakistan's first against South Africa in over 17 years, means they have recorded series wins over every Test side in the last 15 years. As for South Africa, it was their 21st successive failure to boss a 200-plus (they had been set 370) chase; the last time they managed one was back in 2011 against Australia. They have lost 18 of those matches.

You wouldn't normally need to motivate an international cricket team before a regular bilateral tour, but the West Indies' trip to Bangladesh has been anything but normal. Their board's commitment to keeping the FTP schedule intact has meant that West Indies have travelled the most of all teams since the pandemic began.

As much as they have provided entertainment during a tough period, it has also taken a toll on their players. Two weeks after the tour was confirmed, the West Indies selectors announced their Test and ODI squads bereft of their top names.

West Indies had nine uncapped players in the ODI side which was considerably less experienced than Bangladesh's squad. The difference was similar between the Test sides too. West Indies only had their first-choice bowlers and couple of their main batsmen retained in the squad.

In addition to their lack of experience of playing in Bangladesh and maintaining strict health protocols in the team hotel, the Kraigg Brathwaite-led side could only do net sessions for two weeks - they had travelled to Bangladesh with the ODI team on the same day - before their first practice game in Chattogram.

Seeing that there was very little in their favour, Clive Lloyd, West Indies' greatest cricket captain, wrote an open letter to the team.

He recognised the feeling within the team of being thrown into the deep end, but reminded them that this was their chance to cement a permanent place in the side. He touched upon his own Test debut experience in 1966 when he was given only a 45-minutes heads-up. He highlighted what a great Test team they used to be, but one that began with untried players under Lloyd's leadership.

Above all, he inspired them to prove to the world that they were not "second-class cricketers" and that self belief is the first step to success. After their three-wicket win in the Chattogram Test that astonished the cricket world, West Indies' hero Kyle Mayers said that they were inspired by Lloyd's letter.

"It was very inspirational," Mayers said. "He just let us know that representing West Indies is a lot, and he said don't go to Bangladesh thinking you are a second-string team. Give your all, put up a fight, and make sure you represent yourself and family. It was a very strong letter."

The captain Brathwaite said that the letter coming from a legend like Lloyd, it was motivating for the newcomers.

"I thought it was very inspirational. It was full of confidence for the guys who were coming on tour. It was nice to see, and it gave you something to go out there and play hard for. Obviously he is a very successful West Indies captain so it was very inspirational to see," he said.

The head coach Phil Simmons also held a similar tone about new players on this tour having an opportunity to firm up their place in the squad, with a busy home season coming up for West Indies.

"My rule and message to all the players here is that you are not here to fill in. You are here to give yourself a chance. You have a chance now to seal your place in the team. If you do well here, it augers well for you moving forward.

"You come here and do well in the three ODIs and two Tests, you are putting yourself in a place from where nobody can move you. Only you have the opportunity," Simmons had said a couple of days after West Indies arrived in Dhaka.

Lloyd's final words were as much inspirational as it was prophetic. The manner in which they beat Bangladesh after being outplayed on the first four days has been touted as one of West Indies' greatest Test wins. Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner, the fourth-wicket pair who added a record 216 runs together in the fourth innings, are likely to keep their places in the first Test after this tour, even when the first-choice players return.

"A positive mental attitude will see you through many tight situations which I'm sure you will encounter during this Tour," Lloyd wrote. "Lastly, success comes before work only in the dictionary. I wish you the best of luck. Please remember most people are judged by the obstacles they overcome."

Shakib Al Hasan has been ruled out of the second Test against West Indies, beginning in Dhaka on February 11, because of the left-thigh injury that kept him away from large chunks of the action during the first Test in Chattogram. According to a BCB statement, the board's medical team will continue to treat Shakib, who will, however, leave the team's bio-security bubble for the time being.

"After careful consideration it has been confirmed that he will not be available for the second Test," read the BCB's press statement.

Shakib picked up the injury during the second day's play in Chattogram, when he attempted to stop a ball off his own bowling with his foot. He continued to bowl for a while longer, but neither batted nor bowled after leaving the field later that afternoon. Bangladesh, who had a 171-run lead after the first-innings exchanges, eventually lost the Test by three wickets with debutant Kyle Mayers hitting a stunning 210* to take West Indies to victory. Shakib had scored 68 in nearly four hours' batting in the first innings.

Shakib had earlier suffered a groin niggle during the third ODI against West Indies, on January 25 in Chattogram. He had left the field on that occasion too, and joined the national team's training a few days before the first Test, which began on February 3.

Despite the injuries, Shakib's return to international cricket following the one-year ICC ban has been a successful one. He was the Player of the Series in the ODIs, where he returned 4 for 8 in the first game and hit 43* and 51 in the next two games as Bangladesh won 3-0.

No replacement has yet been announced by the Bangladesh selectors, who had earlier named an 18-man Test squad for the two matches.

Welcome to our live report of the fourth day of the first India-England Test from Chennai. Join us for updates, analysis and colour. You can find our traditional ball-by-ball commentary here

*Most recent entry will appear at the top, please refresh your page for the latest updates. All times are local.

5.03pm: Stumps - India 337 and 39 for 1 (Gill 15*, Pujara 12*) need 381 runs to beat England 578 and 178 (Root 40, Ashwin 6-61)

There's stumps and while there will be some chatter overnight about England's tactics on the non-declaration, they have three sessions tomorrow to claim nine more wickets. India, on the other hand, need 381 more runs, all of which augers well for a fascinating final day.

4.30pm: Rohit goes

Rohit pulls Archer unconvincingly for four and then very convincingly for six, but he falls in the next over to a perfect left-arm spinner's dismissal from Jack Leach. Rohit presses forward to a length ball that gripped off the pitch, turned past the outside edge and kissed the off stump. That's exactly what Root was after when he threw him the new ball, and England are buoyant.

4.15pm: Leach takes the new ball

Archer and Leach share new-ball duties, with Root getting his spinner in the game as early as he can. Signs of turn early on with the hard ball, but Gill clips him through midwicket for four as he drops too short.

4.00pm: Innings - Innings 178 all out (Ashwin 6-61)

So the declaration will never come! Ashwin rips one back into Archer to bowl him and take his fifth wicket in the innings, and then Anderson chips a return catch two balls later. That means India need 420 to win in the fourth innings of the match, with 17 overs to bat tonight and then 90 more tomorrow. Questions will continue to be asked of England's strategy with the bat in the last hour, but if they take three or more wickets tonight then nobody will be doubting the strategy. Signs of variable bounce and deterioration in the pitch throughout that innings, which will interest Archer as well as Leach and Bess.

It will be intriguing to see who takes the new ball for England: Anderson and Archer are the most likely candidates, but they may decide that Leach is a good option with it.

3.45pm: Pitch imperfect

My colleague Vishal Dikshit has picked up Kohli saying "wo seedhe run bhi beech mein bhaag raha hai yaar" on the stump mic - suggesting that England have been clever in running down the pitch to help cause a little extra wear ahead of the fourth innings. There was a warning early on for exactly that, and Rohit Sharma seemed unhappy with Root poking the pitch with his bat after his dismissal.

England are 418 ahead but James Anderson is padded up in the dressing room, deep in conversation with Joe Root - who, incidentally, is still in his training kit rather than his whites.

3.35pm: England bat on

Still no sign of a declaration. Bess and Buttler have started to attack a little more, but Buttler is dismissed after charging down the track to Nadeem. India seem happy enough to keep slowing the game down, and England bat on after the drinks break. The declaration must be fairly imminent, but I've thought that for the last hour.

3.10pm: What's with the go-slow?

"India have bowled over the wicket into the rough. The only thing I can think of is that this is a time thing as to how long they want to bowl for tonight," suggests Sir Alastair Cook on Channel 4. "I think they'll want the bowlers to be fresh tomorrow morning with a hard ball that will be starting to reverse with fresh bowlers. But I've been wrong all along so I'm clutching at straws."

England certainly don't seem to be too bothered about the scoring rate at the moment, and Cook may well be right in his suggestion that the overs remaining are the crucial factor here. Given India's ability to score freely - as evidenced in their famous win at the Gabba - Root may want to ensure that the required rate starts at around four an over, to ensure that even if England don't force the win, they don't end up losing a Test that they have largely dominated.

3.00pm: All is calm

An odd lull in the game, as Nadeem bowls into the rough and Bess seems happy to pad him away. England seem content to take time out of the game at the moment, adding seven runs in the last 25 balls at the time of writing. Seems like a real change of approach after attacking so much in the afternoon session. Perhaps the main issue has been Buttler's lack of strike, with the more defensive Bess soaking up most of the balls.

2.40pm: Pope's reversal

Three reverse-sweeps in a row bring Pope two, four and then the loss of his wicket, as he finds cover-point. Quite a sensible shot, with Nadeem bowling into the rough outside his leg stump to a packed leg-side field. England aren't hanging around.

2.10pm: Tea - England 119 for 5 (Pope 18*, Buttler 14*)

England's lead is 360 heading into the interval, and you'd imagine the declaration will come around 40 minutes or so after tea. England wasted no time at all in that session, rolling along at four an over, but the most important thing to note is that the pitch is showing signs of wear, which will make life difficult for India in the fourth innings. A couple of balls from Bumrah have kept very low from a length, while the spinners found plenty of bounce and turn with the hard new ball in particular.

1.55pm: Root goes, England lead grows

It took Kohli until the 22nd over to introduce Bumrah into the attack but he has struck with his 11th legitimate delivery, trapping Root lbw with a ball that looked to have kept a fraction low. England are continuing to rattle along at four runs per over, with Buttler edging the first ball he faced to the boundary and then depositing Nadeem for six down the ground.

1.05pm: Ishant's 300th Ishant Sharma traps Dan Lawrence lbw and that is his 300th Test wicket - he's the sixth India player to reach the landmark, and only the third seamer after Zaheer Khan and Kapil Dev. A fine achievement from a bowler who has improved immensely in the second half of his career. A standing ovation from the Indian dressing room, and applause from his team-mates. Intriguingly, given the match situation, that ball appeared to keep very low from a length, shooting under the toe of Lawrence's bat and crashing into his front pad. That could see Jofra Archer come into the game in the fourth innings, as well as England's spinners.

12.50pm: Sweepology Joe Root is up and running early with a pair of sweetly-struck sweeps off Shahbaz Nadeem. With the new ball turning and bouncing, and with the form that he is in, it feels like Root will be crucial for England in this innings. If he can find some fluency and keep the strike turning over then the runs will come easily for them. It would be an added benefit for him to be able to judge the pitch while making a decision as to when he should declare.

12.40pm: Sibley falls I said he hadn't looked convincing, and now Sibley falls. Coming forward to a full ball from round the wicket, Sibley inside-edges and offers a catch to the man in close at leg slip. Brilliant new-ball bowling from Ashwin and England are two down.

12.35pm: Pressing on India have lost one of their reviews, after Ashwin struck Lawrence on the pad but ball-tracking confirmed that it hit him outside the line of off stump. Sibley and Lawrence have not been particularly convincing so far, but England's lead is nudging closer to the 300 mark with every over. India's no-ball problem is continuing, too: they bowled 20 of them in the first innings, and Nadeem (twice) and Ashwin have overstepped within the first 10 overs of the second.

12.10pm: How many will England want? Interesting discussion on Channel 4 in the UK as to how many England will want to set India in the fourth innings, with Alastair Cook - Root's predecessor - as captain, suggesting he'd like to set a target of at least 400. Perhaps most intriguing was Cook's answer to host Rishi Persad's question as to whether the prospect of criticism would enter his head in this sort of situation. "Absolutely," Cook said. "You think about if it goes wrong [and] what will happen. Maybe that's the wrong way to think about it. Maybe you should have just been thinking 'this is the positive way' and maybe that's my mindset. I went with 400 then and I've thought 'have I just gone too many?' There are so many things, so many permutations. And you've got to be so reactive. The most important thing is that England want to remain in control. If they suddenly lose two or three quick wickets then they lose that control and India come back into the game." That probably says more about Cook's captaincy and his mindset than anything else, but it demonstrates the sort of thing that Root will have to consider. He also hinted that he wished he had gambled a little more in Rajkot, in the first Test of the 2016-17 series - though that pitch was much flatter than this one.

11.30am: Lunch - England 1 for 1 Ashwin and Nadeem share new-ball duties and England lose a wicket to the first ball of the innings: Rory Burns falls to Ashwin for the second time in the match, drawn forward and offering a tough chance to Rahane at slip via the shoulder of the bat. This won't be a straightforward afternoon for batting and Root will have a fine balance to strike in the timing of the declaration - especially with India's recent fourth-innings heroics in the back of his mind.

11.15am: Innings - India 337 all out (Pant 91, Sundar 85*, Pujara 73, Bess 4-76) England won't enforce the follow-on despite bowling India out with a lead of 241. Spectacular, low, one-handed, diving catch at slip from Stokes to finish things off after Anderson drew an outside edge from Bumrah's loose shot.

11.05am: Anderson's short ball The bumper does the trick for Anderson, with Ishant fending him to short leg. According to ESPNcricinfo's ball-by-ball length data, that was his first Test wicket with a 'short' ball since the Boxing Day Test of 2017-18, when Tim Paine dragged one onto his own stumps. Washington Sundar is going to play his shots now, as India look to reach the follow-on target - though I think England would probably decide to bat for a session or so regardless.

10.40am: Pitch perfect This surface doesn't appear to have deteriorated much at all since the second morning, as evidenced by a ball in the 90th over. Jofra Archer drew Washington Sundar forward with an 86.7mph/139.5kph ball in channel outside the off stump, earning a genuine edge. But there is so little pace and carry in the pitch that it bounced barely six inches behind the bat, and reached Stokes at slip just before its second bounce. That will be a bonus for India, as it is increasingly difficult to see how they can lose another 13 wickets. Sundar now has his highest Test score, too. That said, there is definitely extra bounce on offer for the spinners with the new ball. Leach has his second, finding some turn and bounce away from the bat, with Nadeem steering to slip via the shoulder of the bat.

10.20am: Leach strikes Nothing much happening with the new ball for England's seamers, so Root throws the new ball to Jack Leach less than five overs after it has been taken. He strikes with his second delivery: extra bounce from a length with the harder ball which takes Ashwin by surprise as he lunges forward, hoping to smother the spin, and the ball loops up towards the vacant silly point region. Jos Buttler gets across to take the catch, and the 80-run partnership is broken. Shahbaz Nadeem, at No. 9, is still a useful batsman, but England are into the tail.

9.50am: Easy pickings Poor start from England's spinners. Too many balls were either overpitched or back-of-a-length in his three overs this morning, and India have added 27 in six overs, with Sundar reaching his second Test fifty with a cover drive off Leach. The new ball is available: if these two can survive the first 10 overs or so against it then India will grow increasingly confident that this Test can be saved.

9.15am: New ball looms A useful unbroken stand of 32 between R Ashwin and Washington Sundar last night has given India hope of avoiding the follow-on, but there are only six overs until the new ball is due this morning, and England will be hopeful that James Anderson and, in particular, Jofra Archer can break the stand when it arrives. With 15 minutes to go until we get underway, there's plenty of time to catch up on last night's Polite Enquiries below, or any of the rest of our overnight content.

Ishant Sharma acknowledged that his career has been "quite a rollercoaster" after becoming the third Indian pacer, behind Kapil Dev and Zaheer Khan, to get to the 300-wicket milestone in Tests - in his 98th match, against England in Chennai. Long hours out in the field as England made merry have left Sharma "a bit sore", but he feels the Indian bowling unit has done a "pretty good job" considering the "road" England played their first innings on.

England, after winning the toss, batted through the first two days before stopping at 578, and after taking a 241-run lead, added 178 more, leaving India to chase 420 to win the first of four Tests. India reached 39 for 1 by close on the fourth day, still 381 away from the target, but Sharma sounded a positive note.

"First two days, actually I was feeling like we were playing on a road, to be very honest," Sharma, who got to the 300-landmark when he trapped Dan Lawrence lbw on Monday, told the official broadcaster. "But then, on the fourth day, it started turning a bit, and then we caught a bit of a break. But I think we bowled pretty well, even those two days when nothing was assisting us as fast bowlers, and the spinners as well. I think we contained them 260 on a flat one on day one, I think we did a pretty good job.

"[On the fifth day] I think it all depends how we start up tomorrow. If we get a good start, then I'm sure we can chase this down, because we have a batting line-up who are very fearless. So we are obviously very positive about this, so it's just about the start, and then we look how we go through the innings."

Fortunately for Sharma, the England second innings lasted just 46.3 overs, giving him enough time to pick up the wicket he needed to get to 300 - the slowest of 35 bowlers to get to there in terms of matches played - but allowing the sore body to rest. He is, after all, coming back from an injury. After the 2020 IPL, where he played just one match, he had only played four T20 matches for Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

"For a fast bowler to get close to 100 Tests in India is not a joke, and it's a fantastic, fantastic achievement"

R Ashwin on Ishant Sharma

"Quite a rollercoaster life till now - I enjoyed it, pretty much, a lot of experiences through my career," Sharma said of the feat. "There's a lot of mentors in my life, who taught me how to bowl in the subcontinent, and even when we go abroad, what kind of lengths you need to go to… so I think I enjoyed that quite a lot.

"I'm a bit sore, just played a four-overs game, a T20 game, in domestic and then came back and bowled straightaway 35 overs in three or four days on the field, so you can say I'm a bit sore."

Paying tribute to his colleague, R Ashwin - at the other end of the spectrum among 300-plus wicket-taker as the quickest in the world to the mark, in 54 Tests - said at a press interaction, "Ishant has been one of the most hard-working cricketers I've seen in that Indian team. He's worked extremely hard for more than just one reason, because being that tall itself requires a lot of facets to be managed through a career which has panned out almost 14 years, if I'm not wrong with the numbers.

"From the Ishant that went to Australia, got Ricky Ponting out, and then has gone through so many other tours, he's had his fair share of injuries. For a fast bowler to get close to 100 Tests in India is not a joke, and it's a fantastic, fantastic achievement. And 300 club - he's the third Indian fast bowler to get there and the only one closer to him after that is probably Javagal Srinath, who is match referee at this game. So I can keep going and keep complimenting Ishant. I really do wish to see him get to 400 and probably 500, which would be a sort of a roadmap for a lot of quicks going forward."

The Milwaukee Bucks have won four straight games and are back within striking distance of the Eastern Conference's best record -- a mark they've owned in each of the past two seasons. Meanwhile, the top two teams in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers, are on four-game win streaks of their own.

Let's see where the league's streaking teams -- including the red-hot Sacramento Kings -- check in ahead of Week 8 in the NBA.

Note: Throughout the regular season, our panel (ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Nick Friedell, Andrew Lopez, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin, Eric Woodyard, Royce Young and Ohm Youngmisuk) is ranking all 30 teams from top to bottom, taking stock of which teams are playing the best basketball now and which teams are looking most like title contenders.

Previous: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2020-21 record: 18-6
Previous ranking: 2

LeBron James' MVP campaign gained some steam during L.A.'s 3-0 week, as he put up 21 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds against the Hawks, a 27-10-10 triple-double against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets and 33 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals in a double-overtime win against Detroit. Not to mention that he has played in every game this season. "I think it also sets a tone for our whole group," said Lakers coach Frank Vogel. "For him to have the mindset to be out there every night, it really helps our culture." -- McMenamin

This week: OKC, OKC, MEM, @DEN

2. Utah Jazz
2020-21 record: 19-5
Previous ranking: 4

The Jazz have won 15 of 16, getting an impressive road win in Indiana on Sunday despite NBA plus-minus leader Mike Conley sitting out because of tightness in his right hamstring. That's a concern considering that hamstring issues sidelined Conley for 19 games last season. The silver lining is that Donovan Mitchell has thrived in the past when sliding over to point guard -- and did so again against the Pacers on Sunday, when he had 27 points, 11 assists and finished one rebound shy of his first career triple-double. -- MacMahon

This week: BOS, MIL, MIA

3. LA Clippers
2020-21 record: 17-8
Previous ranking: 1

Even after a 124-120 loss at Brooklyn on Tuesday, the Clippers were in a groove. But then Paul George suffered a toe injury that kept him out the past two games, and Kawhi Leonard & Co. quickly have discovered how much tougher life is without him. They've lost two straight close home games to the Celtics and Kings, with Leonard working awfully hard to get the double-doubles he got. The Clippers need George and Patrick Beverley, who has missed eight straight games, back soon. -- Youngmisuk

This week: @MIN, @CHI, CLE

4. Philadelphia 76ers
2020-21 record: 17-7
Previous ranking: 3

Despite a disappointing home loss Thursday to undermanned Portland, Philadelphia remains in first place in the Eastern Conference thanks to wins over the defending champion Lakers and the Nets, and Joel Embiid remains one of the front-runners for this year's MVP award with a run of impressive play. Embiid, who is averaging a career-best 29.3 points per game so far this season, has eclipsed 30 points in eight of his last 10 games. -- Bontemps

This week: @SAC, @POR, @PHX

5. Milwaukee Bucks
2020-21 record: 15-8
Previous ranking: 7

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks claim they haven't yet hit their stride, but it was hard to tell during a 4-0 week that included a 20-point win over the Pacers on Wednesday. Antetokounmpo posted 24 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in Saturday's 124-99 win over Cleveland, which was his 11th 20-10-5 game this season, tying Denver's Nikola Jokic for the most in the NBA. -- Woodyard

This week: @DEN, @PHX, @UTAH, @OKC

6. Brooklyn Nets
2020-21 record: 14-11
Previous ranking: 6

Well, that was weird. The Kevin Durant saga will last at least another week, with the superstar needing to quarantine a second time this season. Technically, the Nets are 4-2 when their star trio plays, but that includes Thursday's game, in which Durant didn't start, then had to leave early. And as Steve Nash said, games can start to add up when you're positioning for the postseason or trying to earn home court. -- Young

This week: @DET, IND, @GS

7. Phoenix Suns
2020-21 record: 13-9
Previous ranking: 10

Phoenix has won five of six, but that didn't stop coach Monty Williams from making a starting lineup change. After Cameron Johnson struggled against Zion Williamson in a loss to the Pelicans, Williams started the 7-foot, 240-pound Frank Kaminsky III for the last two games while sending 6-foot-8, 210-pound Johnson back to the bench. Williams said he made the move because teams are playing big and he didn't want to put Johnson in a "tough spot" having to guard bigger forwards. Johnson has averaged 15.5 points off the bench while Kaminsky has averaged 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in his two starts. -- Lopez

This week: CLE, MIL, PHI, ORL

8. Denver Nuggets
2020-21 record: 12-10
Previous ranking: 5

Nikola Jokic scored 47 points and dropped a career-high 50 last week. But defense and health have been an issue for the Nuggets, who lost two straight games. Gary Harris could be out for an extended period and Jamal Murray did not play in Denver's loss to Sacramento. The Nuggets can't keep wasting MVP performances from Jokic, who squares off against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Monday night. -- Youngmisuk

This week: MIL, CLE, OKC, LAL

9. Boston Celtics
2020-21 record: 12-10
Previous ranking: 8

Boston, hit hard by injuries, has now lost four out of six after falling to the Suns on Sunday in Phoenix. Things won't get any easier, with a trip to Salt Lake City for a game against the league-leading Utah Jazz to end this five-game West swing. Boston, however, will be more focused on getting Marcus Smart (calf) and Jaylen Brown (knee) healthy, as well as getting Kemba Walker -- who shot 4-for-20 against the Suns, including 0-for-9 inside the 3-point arc -- back into a groove. Walker is now 50-for-140 (35.7 percent) from the field in nine games this season, including 21-for-68 (30.8 percent) from 3-point range. -- Bontemps

This week: @UTAH, TOR, DET, @WAS

10. San Antonio Spurs
2020-21 record: 13-10
Previous ranking: 13

DeMar DeRozan is averaging a career high in assists (6.6), true shooting percentage (60.7%) and free throw percentage (88.4%) and nearly has as many 3-pointers this season (14) as he had in his first two years combined in San Antonio (16). His team has a minus-3.8 net rating with him on the court, but when DeRozan is on the floor with guard Derrick White, things are changing. The duo has played 76 minutes together this season and are sporting a plus-12.0 net rating. -- Lopez

This week: GS, GS, @ATL, @CHA

11. Indiana Pacers
2020-21 record: 12-12
Previous ranking: 9

The Pacers suffered a couple of tough losses to Milwaukee and New Orleans, but center Myles Turner said they'll "bounce back." Turner continues to lead the league in blocked shots at nearly four a game. Meanwhile, T.J. McConnell made franchise history in Friday's loss with 9 points and 15 assists in 28 minutes off the bench, the most assists ever by a Pacers bench player. His 41 points assisted on and 11 3s assisted on are each the most by a player coming off the bench in the past 25 seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. -- Woodyard

This week: @BKN, @DET, @ATL

12. Portland Trail Blazers
2020-21 record: 12-10
Previous ranking: 11

As the Blazers try to stay afloat in the West as they deal with injuries, Damian Lillard's workload is something to monitor. The Blazers are attentive to his minutes (they're hovering around his career average) but in a condensed season coming off a short offseason, Lillard is carrying a heavy burden. -- Young

This week: ORL, PHI, CLE, @DAL

13. Golden State Warriors
2020-21 record: 12-11
Previous ranking: 14

Even Stephen Curry's greatness hasn't been enough to carry the Warriors at times this season. That was evident again on Saturday night after Curry dropped 57 points in a loss to the Mavs. Aside from more consistency from up and down the roster, the Warriors need to get healthy. Big men James Wiseman (wrist), Kevon Looney (ankle) and Eric Paschall (knee) have missed time. The bright spot for the Warriors is that Kelly Oubre Jr. dropped a career-high 40 points Thursday against the Mavs, and they're hopeful he may finally be turning a corner. Kevin Durant's first game at Chase Center on Saturday night is the highlight of this week's slate. -- Friedell

This week: @SA, @SA, ORL, BKN

14. Houston Rockets
2020-21 record: 11-11
Previous ranking: 16

The Rockets will be relying heavily on DeMarcus Cousins while starting center Christian Wood recovers from spraining his right ankle for the second time in three weeks. Houston is 3-2 in games started by Cousins, the former All-Star who is making a comeback from a series of serious injuries. He has averaged 14.6 points, 13.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in his starts. -- MacMahon

This week: @CHA, @NO, MIA, @NYK

15. Atlanta Hawks
2020-21 record: 11-12
Previous ranking: 15

It has been a career year so far for Hawks center Clint Capela in the rebounding department. He's averaging career highs in rebounds per game (14.6), defensive rebounds per game (9.8) and offensive rebounds per game (4.8). And he's doing it all while playing only 30.9 minutes per game this season. He's pulling down 17.7 rebounds per 36 minutes, which would be the highest (among qualified players) since Dennis Rodman averaged 18.9 rebounds per 36 minutes in 1994-95 with the San Antonio Spurs. -- Lopez

This week: @DAL, SA, IND

16. Sacramento Kings
2020-21 record: 12-11
Previous ranking: 25

What a week for the Kings, beating three upper-echelon teams in Boston, Denver and the LA Clippers to run their record to 7-1 in their past eight outings. De'Aaron Fox was superb against the Clippers, dropping 36 points with seven assists and bringing his scoring average to 31 points over his past four games. -- McMenamin

This week: PHI, ORL, MEM

17. Memphis Grizzlies
2020-21 record: 9-9
Previous ranking: 12

Since New Year's Day, the Grizzlies have had a three-game losing streak, a seven-game winning streak and another three-game losing streak. Memphis has been outscored by 81 points in Ja Morant's 88 minutes through the current skid, during which the star sophomore point guard has shot only 33.3% from the floor. -- MacMahon

This week: TOR, CHA, @LAL, @SAC

18. Toronto Raptors
2020-21 record: 10-13
Previous ranking: 21

Toronto remains a team in flux. Since their 2-8 start, the Raptors have gone 8-5, posting the East's third-best record -- and the league's sixth-best offense -- during that stretch. But that still leaves Toronto under .500 at this point in the season and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. Toronto is now dealing with starting forward OG Anunoby's absence with a calf injury. -- Bontemps

This week: @MEM, @WAS, @BOS, MIN

19. New York Knicks
2020-21 record: 11-14
Previous ranking: 19

The Knicks find themselves in a playoff spot a third of the way through the season -- a better result than anyone reasonably could've expected. Now, we'll see if the team gets a further spark by the reunion of coach Tom Thibodeau with former league MVP Derrick Rose, whom the Knicks reacquired after Sunday's loss to Miami. The Knicks are (ironically) tied with Detroit for 24th in the NBA in offensive efficiency, to go along with their sixth-ranked defense. Detroit, however, was 6.5 points per 100 possessions worse offensively with Rose on the court than off it this season. -- Bontemps

This week: MIA, @MIA, @WAS, HOU

20. New Orleans Pelicans
2020-21 record: 10-12
Previous ranking: 23

Since a disappointing loss to Minnesota on Jan. 23, the Pelicans have responded by winning five of their past seven games, including three straight over Phoenix, Indiana and Memphis. One of the keys has been the strength of the Pelicans' starting lineup: Lonzo Ball, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Steven Adams. In 96 minutes over the past seven contests (Adams missed one with a calf injury), the Pels' starting five has a net rating of plus-37.4 and an offensive rating of 137.4. -- Lopez

This week: HOU, @CHI, @DAL, @DET

21. Dallas Mavericks
2020-21 record: 10-14
Previous ranking: 20

Luka Doncic put the finishing touches on his 42-point, 11-assist masterpiece on Saturday by dishing to Maxi Kleber for the dagger 3. It was a moment that illustrated the importance of Kleber, who recently returned from an 11-game absence due to COVID-19. Kleber is arguably Dallas' best defender and the most accurate 3-point shooter (45.8%) on the league's least accurate 3-point shooting team. -- MacMahon

This week: MIN, ATL, NO, POR

22. Charlotte Hornets
2020-21 record: 11-13
Previous ranking: 18

There were some strong highlights for Charlotte during a 2-2 week. Malik Monk carved up the Heat with 36 points in an overtime win on Monday. LaMelo Ball had a massive game with a career-high 34 points, eight assists and four rebounds in Friday's loss to the Jazz. Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward combined for 51 points in Sunday's win over the Wizards. Ball's improvement will continue to be one of the most intriguing storylines in the league -- especially if he keeps putting up numbers like he did this week. -- Friedell

This week: HOU, @MEM, MIN, SA

23. Cleveland Cavaliers
2020-21 record: 10-14
Previous ranking: 17

In two games against the Bucks last week, the Cavs led by three at halftime in one and trailed by five at halftime in the other. They ended up losing both games by a combined 43 points. Such is life for a young, promising team learning to put together a full 48-minute game against the league's elite. -- McMenamin

This week: @PHX, @DEN, @POR, @LAC

24. Miami Heat
2020-21 record: 9-14
Previous ranking: 22

Even with Jimmy Butler finally back, the scary part for the Heat is that they start a difficult seven-game Western swing on Thursday in Houston. The Heat need to find their defensive edge quickly to pull themselves out of the hole that injuries, inconsistency and COVID-19 protocols created. -- Friedell

This week: NYK, @HOU, @UTAH

25. Oklahoma City Thunder
2020-21 record: 10-12
Previous ranking: 24

The Thunder have managed to hover around .500 despite the profile of a team that should be much worse (28th in net rating). The biggest reason is they execute well in close games, going 5-4 in clutch-time contests with a ridiculous offensive rating of 127.1 and a net rating of plus-27.1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander apparently learned a thing or two from Chris Paul on how to close, ranking in the top 15 of most clutch-time categories this season. -- Young

This week: @LAL, @LAL, @DEN, MIL

26. Chicago Bulls
2020-21 record: 9-13
Previous ranking: 26

Although the Bulls have been up and down, Zach LaVine continues to show why he should be in consideration as an All-Star this season. On Saturday, he went off for 39 points during a win at Orlando while becoming the sixth player in Bulls history to record at least 40 career 30-point games. The 26-point victory was Chicago's largest this season. -- Woodyard

This week: WAS, NO, LAC

27. Orlando Magic
2020-21 record: 9-15
Previous ranking: 28

The good news for the Magic is that they actually got a win on Friday, as Nikola Vucevic scored a career-high 43 points in a victory over the Bulls. The bad news is that they followed that up the next night with a blowout loss to those same Bulls, against whom Vucevic somehow registered a minus-41 plus/minus. Orlando continues to lack any rhythm and is headed out to start a four-game Western swing that begins with a Tuesday night clash with the Trail Blazers. -- Friedell

This week: @POR, @GS, @SAC, @PHX

28. Washington Wizards
2020-21 record: 5-15
Previous ranking: 27

The Wizards couldn't quite keep the momentum from their exhilarating win over Brooklyn on Jan. 31. While they squeaked out a win at Miami, they also were blown out by the same Heat team and then clobbered by the Hornets two days later. The Wizards can't stop anyone, and Bradley Beal actually looked human for once, failing to score in double digits for the first time all season with a 1-for-14 shooting night against Miami. At least they're healthier than a week ago. -- Youngmisuk

This week: @CHI, TOR, NYK, BOS

29. Minnesota Timberwolves
2020-21 record: 6-17
Previous ranking: 29

Karl-Anthony Towns rejoined the Wolves on their recent road trip, with his return from COVID-19 seemingly imminent. Towns has only played in four games this season, with the Wolves going 2-2. Without him? They're 4-15. It's been a challenging season already for Minnesota, but Towns' return could help restore some positive momentum. -- Young

This week: @DAL, LAC, @CHA, @TOR

30. Detroit Pistons
2020-21 record: 5-18
Previous ranking: 30

Monday set the tone for the week, with Detroit's game at Denver being postponed minutes before its scheduled tipoff due to contact tracing within the Pistons. Detroit went 0-4 on their Western swing with losses to Golden State, Utah, Phoenix and the Lakers (in double overtime). Jerami Grant scored 32 points against the reigning champs, which represented his fourth 30-point game this season; he entered this season with zero for his career. On Sunday, the Pistons agreed to send Derrick Rose to the Knicks for Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2021 second-round pick. -- Woodyard

This week: BKN, IND, @BOS, NO

Now that Trevor Bauer is heading to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Marcell Ozuna is returning to the Atlanta Braves, and Nelson Cruz is going back to the Minnesota Twins, all of this winter's top 10 free agents are finally off the board. But there are still some good players available the week before players start reporting to spring training.

Let's check in on 10 of the most intriguing names still out there and where they fit best.

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