From McCullum, there was greater support for another England batter, Jamie Smith, who he said works very hard on his game. The wicketkeeper-batter joined the team at the start of 2024.
England's McCullum wants to keep 'pretty good gig' despite Ashes defeat
England need to alter their approach if they hope to claw their way back after their disastrous start to the Ashes series and avoid another drubbing, former Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson said.
Steve Smith returns to action in the Boxing Day Test against England as Australia opted to include four fast bowlers in their 12-man squad.
It was a relieved Ben Stokes bidding good riddance to more than a decade of pain for English cricket in Australia on Saturday as his team rallied from the depths to complete a drought-breaking Test win in Melbourne.
'Dad played the biggest role in my cricket, coached me all the way through and sort of let me go as I got into my older teenage years, but (he) would always shoot a message (like) 'put the reverse sweep away'.'
Australia pacer Michael Neser found day one of his maiden Boxing Day Test a dream come true.
A wicket-laden Boxing Day Test at the MCG triggered widespread debate, with former cricketers from both Australia and England questioning whether the pitch offered far too much for the bowlers.
England trail 2-0 in the five-Test series after being outplayed with bat, ball and in the field during the eight-wicket loss in the day-night match in Brisbane.
Steve Smith said the decision to drop Nathan Lyonwas taken to strengthen the pace-bowling department.
'To be able to take over or equal Glenn, or however you want to put it, it's pretty humbling to be honest with you, and it's something that I'll look back at the end of my career, or even tonight, and sit back and try and have a moment.'
Australia finished marginally on top at the end of a chaotic opening day of the fourth Ashes Test after an extraordinary 20 wickets fell in front of a record crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
The wealth of experience in Australia's ranks helped them remain calm in a difficult lead-up to the Ashes, fast bowler Mitchell Starc said after they defeated England on Sunday to win the series with two matches to spare.
'It's a moment I'll never forget, having my family there.'
England captain Ben Stokes has called for his teammates to 'show a bit of dog' as they look to fight back from two losses in the third Ashes Test in Adelaide from Tuesday.
England flirted with a comeback for the ages on Sunday, with Will Jacks, Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse putting up brave stands, but Australia's Mitchell Starc took three wickets to end the resistance.
The overwhelmingly bowler-friendly Melbourne pitch on which 20 wickets fell on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test has prompted Kevin Pietersen and Dinesh Kartik to point out the selective criticism of Indian tracks when spinners get wickets in a heap.
'He's a good competitor, he comes hard at you so it was good fun.'
Shreyas Iyer will take centre stage for Punjab Kings at next week's IPL auction in Abu Dhabi, stepping in as the franchise's lead decision-maker at the table as PBKS plot their final moves for the 2026 season.
England Head Coach Brendon McCullum revealed his team may have been victims of their own thoroughness, conducting "five to 10 training sessions" in the extended break between Tests after losing the opener in Perth inside two days.
'They are up their own backsides convinced that Test cricket has changed so much that only they know anything about the modern game.'
Australia all-rounder Cameron Green has confirmed that he will be fully available to bowl in the Indian Premier League's 2026 season, clarifying that his listing as a batter rather than an all-rounder ahead of Tuesday's auction was due to a "stuff-up" by his manager.
'We thought he'd play a huge part in the series. But really feel for him that he won't get that opportunity.'
Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad said the second Ashes Test starting Thursday next week will be a lottery and the toss is a key factor in Brisbane with the pink ball.
Australian batter Josh Inglis, who was to be available for only four IPL matches next year, could play more games after securing a hefty bid from Lucknow Super Giants in the recent players' auction, triggering uneasiness in the BCCI and his former franchise Punjab Kings.
Review technology under fire again in Adelaide Ashes Test
Australia stormed to an eight-wicket victory in the second Ashes Test on Sunday to take a 2-0 series lead as England succumbed on day four to a pace blitz from unlikely hero Michael Neser.
The Indian men ruled white-ball cricket, while South Africa ended decades of hurt by winning the World Test Championship at Lord's. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their maiden IPL title, though the celebrations were dimmed by a deadly stampede. Above all, it was India's women who won a billion hearts by finally adding an ICC World Cup trophy to the cabinet.
Surrey seamer Matthew Fisher has been added to the squad and will link up with the group this week, having been in Australia with the England Lions.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
Ashwin said bluntly that Lyon is "lucky" to be in a system where a player can vent without fear of fallout.
Australia captain Steve Smith has declined to rule out a surprise return for fast bowler Pat Cummins for the second Ashes Test against England.
As he made that slow walk back, Kohli turned once more to the Adelaide crowd, this time perhaps for the last time. The fans rose to their feet, acknowledging a man who has given them some of modern cricket's greatest memories.
Joe Root looks on course not only to break Sachin Tendulkar's century record in Tests but could also overtake his record run-scoring tally.
Following a disappointing return to international cricket in the first ODI at Perth, Virat Kohli spent a considerable time in the nets on Tuesday, firing some of his trademark shots during the Indian team's first training session ahead of the second ODI in Adelaide on Thursday.
Nitish Kumar Reddy sustained a left quadriceps injury during the second ODI in Adelaide and was subsequently unavailable for selection for the third ODI
Her breakthrough came at the Tokyo Paralympics, where she claimed the first gold medal of the Games, smashing her own world record in the women's C1-3 3,000m individual pursuit. She followed it up with two bronze medals in the road race and time trial.
Shining sun, gentle breeze, excited fans in Sydney await India's third ODI against Australia
RCB appoint Malolan Rangarajan as women's team head coach
Adam Gilchrist shared a heart-warming reunion with former IPL team-mate Rohit Sharma at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.