BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said that IPL final will be held in Mumbai and not Ahmedabad.
Smith's tally of 774 runs from seven innings with a Bradmanesque 110-plus average in a bowler-dominated series illustrates how he single-handedly carried Australia's run-scoring burden.
Former captains, including Ian Chappell and Michael Clarke, have called for the inclusion of young opener Will Pucovski in Australia's team for the upcoming four-Test series against India.
Australia opener Matt Renshaw is a doubt for the series-opening Test against Pakistan after suffering a head injury in a tour match in Dubai.
Labuschagne is expected to bat at number three, with Smith to return to his favoured number four slot.
England face a rejuvenated Australian team who have turned day-night cricket into a competitive advantage, winning all eight of their Tests under lights dating back to the format's 2015 debut.
From a lower order batsman to one of Australia's prolific Test run-getters, Marnus Labuschange has carved his spot in the Australian line-up. The highest run-scorer in a calendar year in Test cricket in 2019, 'mind-blowing' Labuschange is now looking to break into the one-day team for the tour of India.
India's pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who has been sidelined with injury fell to sixth in the latest ICC Test rankings, Starc up to career-best fifth spot.
Kohli is now five points clear after Smith's knock of 36 in the Adelaide Test
India skipper Virat Kohli was pushed to the fifth spot by his English counterpart Joe Root, who rose two rungs to third in the latest ICC Test rankings for batsmen, even as Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin moved up in the bowlers' chart.
However, Clarke said it was the negative mindset that pegged Australia back.
Rohit Sharma was four not out, with Shubman Gill yet to score, after the injury-decimated tourists bowled Australia out for 294 in their second innings.
'Whatever he does, it will be the right thing because he knows what lies ahead'
Dashing opening batsman David Warner won his third Allan Border Medal, while Ellyse Perry claimed her second Belinda Clark Award at the Australian Cricket Awards, in Melbourne, on Monday.
Images from Day 4 of the fourth Test between Australia and India, at the Gabba, on Monday.
Pujara's slowest Test half-century, a painstaking 50 off 176 balls handed Australia control of the match in which they now have overall lead of 197 runs.
Former ICC elite panel umpire Daryl Harper has suggested a ban on the contentious umpire's call in the Decision Review System (DRS), saying that after over a decade there are still "deficiencies in either the communication or the understanding" of the concept.
Australia were 133 for six at stumps on Day 3 of the second Test against India in their second innings, a lead of two runs, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Usman Khawaja batted bravely for nearly nine hours to make 141 and help Australia salvage a draw in the first Test against Pakistan, in Dubai, on Thursday.
Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas claimed three quick wickets as Australia hobbled their way to 136-3 on Wednesday, chasing a mammoth target of 462 in the first Test in Dubai.
'They have got so much talent. And in the last 10 years when they have not been playing home Test matches (for security reasons), they have done a remarkable job to be as competitive as they have and continue to bring on the level of talented players they have.'
A series win in Australia will certainly put Kohli on a higher pedestal even though the quality of the home team's batting line-up suffered adversely due to the bans of former skipper Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner.
Quarantine restrictions might hamper the Indian team's preparations for next month's ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand but bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar feel that the players' abundant experience will be enough to counter that challenge.
'To stick to your guns when all the cricketing greats, coaches and textbooks say you are wrong -- that takes real courage. And now everyone is watching him bat in amazement, and trying to learn from him. The textbooks on batting technique may need to be rewritten'
Images from Day 5 of the fourth Ashes Test, at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Superb centuries from Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell lifted Australia to a dramatic three-wicket victory over England on Wednesday as the visitors clinched the one-day international series 2-1.
India captain Virat Kohli will end the year at the top of the ICC Test ranking chart for batsmen but five-day specialist Cheteshwar Pujara slipped a place to fifth. With 928 points, Kohli is way ahead of second-placed Australian maestro Steve Smith (911) and New Zealand's inspirational skipper Kane Williamson (822), while Australia's Marnus Labuschagne, who has amassed 1,085 runs in 11 Tests this year, improved a place to grab the fourth spot.
Washington Sundar is ready to bowl 50 in an innings if that's what the side wants of him.
Archer produced a sustained period of aggressive fast bowling in both of Australia's innings in the drawn second Test at Lord's, felling both Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
Smith, however, had developed symptoms overnight and after further testing on Sunday, which is part of the process, Saw ruled him out of the fifth day.
Warner, himself, said he had no regrets but admitted he was thinking about Lara's record as he motored past 300.
Veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha and young opener Prithvi Shaw are unlikely to be picked for the remaining Tests in Australia as India look to ring in wholesale changes after the batting debacle in Adelaide.
India would eye nothing less than a clean sweep when they take on an Australian side significantly weakened by injury blows, in the third and final T20 International, in Sydney, on Tuesday.
A series win will be an ideal confidence booster for India before the visitors hit Test match mode.
India's vacant cupboard of all-rounders will give Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri numerous points to ponder.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji reveal the Most Valuable Players of the India-Australia ODI series.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 1st Ashes Test played at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday.
During his patient knock, Pujara faced 250 balls, hitting 16 of them for fours, and added 75 runs for the unbeaten fifth wicket stand with Vihari.
'I think it makes total sense in Test cricket'
Smith was ruled out of the third Test due to concussion and Hohns said the form of his replacement, Marnus Labuschagne, would be a factor in finalising the batting order.
