Former wicketkeeper Brad Haddin says Australia missed the experience and skills of senior spinner Nathan Lyon during their unsuccessful World T20 campaign in India. Lyon was kept out in favour of young spinners Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar, while allrounder Glenn Maxwell also chipped in with his part-timers. Rookie leg-spinner Zampa was a revelation for the Aussies, claiming five wickets in four matches in the tournament. But Australia's other spin options were used sparingly throughout the tournament; Agar bowled just one over in his only match against New Zealand, which went for 18, while Maxwell sent down eight overs in four matches, taking two wickets and conceding 7.6 runs an over. Australia suffered defeats to New Zealand and hosts India to be knocked out in the group stage and on wickets the supported spin bowling, Haddin says Lyon was sorely missed.
Australia have named an unchanged squad for the third Test against India, which starts at Perth on Wednesday.
Australian spinner Brad Hogg is unlikely to contest the Indian charge of a foul slur against Anil Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni when the hearing comes up in Perth on Monday.
Human Rights Watch said that abductions of minors continued and children are continually being drafted as soldiers by both the Karuna faction and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
India were six without loss at stumps on Day 3 after Australia set them a mammoth target of 499 runs for victory,
In what is sure to come as music to the visitors' ears, pitch doctor Tony Ware virtually ruled out a green top at the MCG and advocated the inclusion of left-arm spinner Brad Hogg for the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia.
Sachin Tendulkar has given it in writing that Brad Hogg would never get his wicket again.
The Australian left-arm spinner hopes Melbourne's drop-in pitch will help earn him a Test recall after a four-year absence.
Top seed Ana Ivanovic survived a scare at the U.S. Open on Tuesday before scraping past Vera Dushevina of Russia 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in the first round.
The Fantastic Four star confirmed that she is expecting her first child with beau Cash Warren in late spring 2008.
The stylish right-hander will play for the county club for the second half of the season as a replacement for Australia's Brad Hodge.
They announced a 15-man squad on Tuesday for the World Cup starting next month in the West Indies.
Australia's Phil Jaques will replace the retired Justin Langer in the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Brad Hodge will take his place in the team with Adam Gilchrist assuming the captaincy.
The Indian wicketkeeper scored an unbeaten 139 in the third and final Afro-Asia Cup match on Sunday.
India brought back S Sreesanth for left-armer Rudra Pratap Singh, while Australia included Brad Haddin for Matthew Hayden in the sixth ODI in Nagpur.
Matthew Hayden is doubtful for the sixth ODI against India after injuring his hip in the last match in Baroda.
In what will be a dress rehearsal of their opening game in the World Cup, an unbeaten Australia take on England in the cricket tri-series final, in Perth on Sunday.
Chasing Australia's total of 306 for 6, India were dismissed for 222 in 47.3 overs.
The second Test against India starts in Adelaide on Friday.
Australia skipper Steven Smith praised his bowlers for checking England's surge in the death overs and restricting them to 303 for eight in their tri-series match in Hobart.
Australia beat New Zealand by four wickets in the warm-up match ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup.
The actress shoots for her new film, A Mighty Heart.
Andrew Tye was a frustrated bystander for his first two seasons in the Indian Premier League but the Australia paceman grabbed his chance when it came on Friday, taking five wickets including a hat-trick to set up a first win for the Gujarat Lions.
Both the teams have made one change each from the elevens that won their respective semi-finals.
After assessing the inputs on threat perception from various intelligence agencies, India has provided the desired security to the international stars, sources told UNI.
The veterans are slated to rock India this June.
Hichki's greatest handicaps are its predictability and sentiment, feels Sukanya Verma.
India made a couple of changes, with Dinesh Mongia and Mohammad Kaif replacing S Sreesanth and Yuvraj Singh respectively.
Steven Smith scored a brilliant century (192) as Australia recorded a massive 530 in the first innings as Indian bowlers were hammered all over the park. Losing the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan (28), India ended the day on 108 for 1 in their reply. Check out some of the images from the second day's play of the 3rd Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Captain Steven Smith was well-entrenched for his third century in successive Tests even though India restricted Australia to 259 for five on the opening day of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. Electing to bat, he again was the visitors' main tormentor, anchoring the innings with an undefeated 72 at stumps. Check out some photos from the day's play.
