Less than two weeks after being dismissed as a "dud" Down Under, Joe Root finally shrugged the monkey off his back with a first Test century in Australia on Thursday to breathe life into England's Ashes campaign.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Ashes Test played in Perth on Friday.
The year will close on a blockbuster note, if December's theatre line-up is any indication. Be it Bollywood, Hollywood or south, there are many biggies ready for release.
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.
Australia's selectors chairman George Bailey defended sticking with the Test side's veteran core for the Ashes on Wednesday following criticism from former captain Steve Waugh about the team's ageing profile.
Taking his 17th Test five-wicket haul, he finished with 7 for 58 off 12.5 overs.
Britain's Cameron Norrie stunned world number one Carlos Alcaraz to reach the third round of the Paris Masters.
Konstas, 20, misses out after a poor tour with the bat in the West Indies, while Weatherald has been included after topping the Sheffield Shield runs list
Mitchell Starc and Ben Stokes set the scene for a dramatic Ashes series.
Australia's Jake Weatherald says he is excited about the possibility of opening the batting with Usman Khawaja in the first Ashes Test against England later this month.
The contest between England's dialled-down "Bazball" approach and Australia's more methodical batting could determine who prevails in the Ashes series beginning in Perth on Friday.
Scott Boland will step up and uncapped Brendan Doggett is tipped for a high-stakes debut to try to shore up the loss of a combined 604 Test wickets of experience.
Their last eight Tests in Perth have all been defeats, with the most recent setback a bitter innings and 41-run capitulation in 2017 that saw Joe Root's team surrender the urn.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Ashes Test in Perth on Saturday.
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin's much-anticipated foray into Australian Big Bash League has been stalled by a knee injury with the off-spinner ruled out of the entire season with Sydney Thunder.
Despite flashes of talent, Sam Konstas' domestic form -- marked by erratic shot choices and a lack of consistent runs -- has intensified debate over Australia's opening options for the Ashes.
'(I was) getting too deep into my technique and trying to be too perfect instead of just playing with what I've got...'
Australia are confident that captain Pat Cummins will play a significant part in the Ashes series, head selector George Bailey said, as questions remain over the paceman's fitness for the opening Test in Perth.
Cameron Green is shaping up as one of the hottest picks of the upcoming auction.
The Aussies also named a 14-player group for the first two T20I matches against India, with Nathan Ellis and Josh Inglis earning recalls after they missed the recent T20I series with South Africa.
Musheer Khan, who had missed majority of the last domestic season 2024-25 after a car accident, finds his place back in the 16-member squad.
Virat Kohli, 36, and Rohit Sharma, 38, are active internationally only in the 50-overs format but their future beyond the three-match series is uncertain.
Australia opener Travis Head expects the "great white ball" duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to carry on till the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Returning to the bowling crease would mark the final stage of Green's carefully looked-after return to cricket after a spinal fusion operation in Christchurch.
'This game has given me so much, so I keep reminding myself that I need to show the world what the game has given to me, and I have to give it back to the game.'
Glenn Maxwell was ruled out of the three-match T20 series against New Zealand with a fractured wrist after being hit in the nets.
Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has agreed to play the entire upcoming season of the Big Bash League for Sydney Thunder, just a day after he went unsold at the ILT20 auction in Dubai, ESPNcricinfo reported.
Spin great Ravichandran Ashwin is set to play for Sydney Thunder in the Australian Big Bash League in a mega deal valued at around $1 million over two years.
All-rounder Cameron Green may opt for a block of red-ball cricket for Western Australia to ramp up his bowling before the Ashes.
The post recovery convalescence is expected to keep Green out of action for approximately six months
It's 'not looking like a Diwali lineup, which is usually grand and has superstar movies.'
Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green smashed blistering hundreds as Australia steamrollered South Africa by 276 runs in the third and final One-Day International.
Tim David, Dwarshuis shine as Australia beat Proteas by 17 runs in T20 series opener
Neeraj Chopra made it look effortless as he sealed his spot at the World Athletics Championships with a stunning first throw in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Mitch Owen has been rewarded for his fine form in his first five Twenty20 internationals by being named in both of Australia's squads for short-format series against South Africa in the far north of the country next month.
The Indians have not featured in ODIs in recent months but Kuldeep Yadav (650) and Ravindra Jadeja (616) still remained static at number three and number nine in the latest ODI rankings for bowlers.
Andre Russell was denied a winning farewell as Josh Inglis and Cameron Green smashed unbeaten half-centuries to secure Australia's eight-wicket victory
Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj produced a career-best 5-33 to dismantle Australia and bowl South Africa to an emphatic 98-run victory in the opening one day international in Cairns on Tuesday.
Australia, who won the preceding T20 series between the sides, lost opener Travis Head and number three Marnus Labuschagne inside four overs.
Cameron Green will change Australia's bowling dynamics for the upcoming five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy and may increase spinner Nathan Lyon's workload
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