Desperate to put an end to the controversy surrounding the suspension of four players including vice-captain Shane Watson, Australia skipper Michael Clarke said he doesn't want to "look backwards" and focus on the third Test, starting on Thursday.
Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne missed individual centuries but forged Australia's highest partnership of the summer to earn the hosts a handy first innings lead against Sri Lanka on day two of the series opening day-night Test on Friday.
In an unprecedented move, Australia axed vice-captain Shane Watson and three other key players from the side on Monday for the third Test against India for failing to obey team management orders. Watson, pacers James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson and batsman Usman Khawaja were dropped for failing to make a presentation on how to improve their personal as well as the team's performance after the innings and 135 runs defeat in the second Test in Hyderabad.
Aaron Finch has been dumped as Australia's captain in the shorTest form of the game and replaced by Test skipper Steve Smith just a month before the start of the World Twenty20.
England still top team in ODIs, but only just
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday offered a chadar at the dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti on the occasion of the 801st Urs. Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy offered the chadar on behalf of Dr Singh.
The government will not spare those who issued threats to Kashmiri girl band, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdulhah on Thursday said, but maintained there was no need for legal action against the grand mufti who issued Fatwa terming singing as un-Islamic.
With the four-Test series against India around the corner, Shane Watson will look to touch up his batting skills at international level following his inclusion in Australia's 13-member One-Day side for the next two matches against the West Indies.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan, in Brisbane, on Thursday.
Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday halted a probe by the government's anti-graft watchdog against the chief justice's son, who was accused of receiving over Rs 342 million from a real estate tycoon to influence cases, and ordered formation of a commission to investigate the matter.
Australia swashbuckling all-rounder Glenn Maxwellbelieves that the former skipper Michael Clarke didn't have 'that same personal side' as that of his successor Steve Smith.
For long periods it wasn't sparkling, but it was effective, and after Finch was out for 53, Warner kicked on to score a hugely impressive 166.
England completed a crushing 347-run victory over Australia with a day to spare in the second Ashes Test on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Australia returned to the top of the Test world rankings on Wednesday after Steve Smith and Adam Voges steered the tourists to victory in the second Test against New Zealand to seal a comprehensive 2-0 series win.
Pandya's absence means that India will have to rejig their bowling attack. Jasprit Bumrah has already been rested for this series, as well as the tour of New Zealand, and this allows the think-tank to conduct one final experimentation with their bowling attack.
Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja reduced Australia's victory target to 131 runs with nine wickets in hand at the end of the fourth day of the second Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval on Tuesday.
India's top order fired in unison and their bowlers produced a tidy display to beat reigning world champions Australia by 36 runs in a thrilling World Cup match.
Australia, with Steve Smith back in their line-up, will retain the Ashes with victory in the fourth Test, while a win for England would set up a decider at the Oval next week.
Images from Day 2 of the first Test between Australia and South Africa in Perth, on Friday.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia, at Pallekele, on Tuesday.
Back in the mix after one and half years, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha justified the selector's faith by rocking Australia A top-order with three quick wickets as the visitors reached 185 for four against India A at stumps on the second day of the first unofficial cricket Test in Chennai.
Top order batsman Shaun Marsh was called into the Australia squad for the third Test against New Zealand on Wednesday along with pace bowler James Pattinson and left arm spinner Steve O'Keefe.
Jofra Archer's first five-wicket haul in Test cricket put England in command on a weather-affected opening day of the third Ashes Test at Headingley on Thursday as they bowled Australia out for 179.
Steve Smith's brilliant hundred and a clinical show by the bowlers at the death helped Australia beat England by 12 runs in their World Cup warm-up match, in Southampton.
Kane Richardson will take his place in the 15-man squad for the tour, which starts with two Twenty20 matches later this month and is being used a warm-up for their World Cup title defence in England.
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