Australia's mouthwatering clash with India sees the two behemoths of the modern game go head-to-head in five tests over six weeks with the tourists eyeing a third straight series triumph Down Under.
Hough had kept an extra layer of grass to increase the durability of the pink ball in the day-night Test and he doesn't see the need for a change in the red ball Test beginning in Adelaide on Thursday.
Key players, such as pacer Mitchell Starc, are hitting form at the right time, while star batter Steve Smith is facing early setbacks in his preparations.
Shubman Gill's thumb fracture is certainly a "jolt" for India ahead of the series opener against Australia
'You have to respect if the ball's moving, you have to give it to the fast bowlers and just soak in that pressure and wait for your time to score runs.'
Travis Head scored his second successive hundred while veteran Steve Smith wore the opposition down with a statement century to put Australia in control
Premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah was on Friday named vice-captain of India for the upcoming three-match home Test series against New Zealand, strongly indicating his possible elevation to the leadership role when the team travels to Australia from next month.
In case Rohit misses a Test match in Australia, the in-form Abhimanyu Easwaran is likely to be his cover although Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are also players with enough experience in the opening slot.
Former Australia cricketer Tom Moody feels India should have given a chance to in-form batsman Shubman Gill ahead of Prithvi Shaw in the opening day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide.
'Lyon has improved as a bowler in the last four-five years. He likes to bowl and he wants to bowl as many overs as possible. His line length is very good and has improved a lot, I feel.'
All eyes will be on star India batter Virat Kohli, who is perhaps battling the biggest form crisis of his career.
New Zealand Cricket has agreed to play a day-night Test against Australia as part of a deal that will resume regular cricket between the two neighbours after a gap of four years and provide a significant financial leg-up for New Zealand.
Images from Day 2 of the 2nd Ashes Test played at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday
With Australia sealing its borders and putting restrictions on travel to contain the dreaded disease, cricket authorities are trying to find ways to manage health and safety of the visiting teams if the series goes ahead as planned.
Australia have lost their last four Test series against India, including two successive defeats at home.
Images from Day 4 of the third Test between Australia and India in Brisbane on Tuesday.
Mitchell Johnson took three wickets as Australia defeated India by 50 runs in a low-scoring tri-series one-day international at Adelaide Oval on Sunday to move closer to a place in the tournament finals.
The rowdy but good-humoured camp followers have become a fixture on all England cricket tours over the last couple of decades but the tour of Australia is the one that attracts the biggest numbers.
The Frenchman won his second ATP Tour title when he outplayed third seed Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in the final.
Australia batsman Marnus Labuschagne said there has not been any talk about him opening the batting in the first Test against India but he is ready to bat at that slot if the team management asks him to do so.
Former captain Sourav Ganguly was baffled at the abject surrender of the Indian batsmen at the batting surface at Adelaide Oval in the fourth and final Test, saying that even good pitches creates problems for batsmen low on confidence.
Burns made his debut in the 2014 Boxing Day Test when Lehmann was Australia's head coach. The right-handed batsman has been Australia's first choice as opening batsman alongside David Warner.
Two games at the makeshift Nassau County Cricket Stadium, including India's opening fixture against Ireland, have got an "unsatisfactory" rating from the game's governing body which remains bullish on promoting cricket in the United States.
Meanwhile, Australia skipper Michael Clarke, who was entangled in a war of words with Cricket Australia over his availability, is still a doubtful starter for the first Test following question marks over his fitness.
The fifth match of the Commonwealth Bank series between India and Sri Lanka in Adelaide ended in a thrilling tie on Tuesday. While the bowlers helped India stay on course for a third straight win by restricting Sri Lanka to 236 for nine on a placid Adelaide Oval wicket, the batsmen paid the price for leaving too much for the end.
Ashwin's legacy, marked by his intellect and dominance on the field, will resonate for years to come.
Reader Shirley Priyanka found Ms Chopra shooting in Australia.
41/4 is the worst start in a Test from which India has gone on to win a match. Rajneesh Gupta has all the numbers.
Legendary Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist believes Nepal and the Netherlands could surprise teams like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Virat Kohli is the quickest among all subcontinent players to score 1,000 runs in Australia. Rajneesh Gupta has all the numbers.
Resurgent Australia had enigmatic paceman Mitchell Johnson to thank for their crushing win over England in Brisbane and will put their hopes on another unknown quantity when the coin is tossed for the second Ashes Test in Adelaide.
The pitch in Guyana has favoured the bowlers in the past by slowing down as the game goes on.
2024 saw some of the most competitive and captivating cricket being played on the field.
Aryna Sabalenka claimed her third Grand Slam title after winning the Australian Open twice.
'He has not played in Australia, or at least he has not played in Perth in a Test match on a wicket that bounces.'
If one has to analyse Ashwin the cricketer, it is very difficult to ignore Ashwin, the person, who had a very independent mind and a brain that probably ticked 24x7. He believed in de-construction of his art and became craftier one ball at a time.
'It'll be very much a battle again between the very good pace bowling attacks of both sides and how well the top order players of both sides can deal with the ball that will bounce, seam and probably swing a little bit more in the day-night game in Adelaide.'
India will be under tremendous pressure when they face an equally circumspect Australia in a battle of two out-of-form batting units in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth
'I like it when opposition guys try to attack me and try to whack me out of the attack.'
Batsman Kevin Pietersen labelled groundstaff at Australia's Adelaide Oval "pathetic" after England's practice session was forced indoors due to rain just two days before the start of the second Ashes Test.
