With the stakes so high, neither side is wasting any opportunity to get an edge.
The off-spinner dismissed Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews with the final ball of his eighth over and returned to send back Nuwan Kulasekara and Tharindu Kaushal with the first two deliveries of his next to achieve the milestone in the first quarter-final of the World Cup.
Australia's head cricket coach Darren Lehmann hopes the test team can avenge the Wallabies' Rugby World Cup final defeat by the All Blacks with a victory in the series opener in Brisbane starting this week.
Captain Brendon McCullum is expected to be fit for New Zealand's ICC World Cup clash against Afghanistan next Sunday despite being hit on the arm in Saturday's game against Australia.
Australian batsman George Bailey has claimed that his side's World Cup squad has played consistently since the past 12 or 18 months, despite injuries, inexperience and the pressure of a home tournament bearing down on them.
Manish Pandey played a blinder as Kolkata Knight Riders held their nerves to beat a spirited Kings XI Punjab by three wickets in an exhilarating summit clash to win the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League in Bangalore on Sunday.
Former Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson has called India captain Virat Kohli 'frustrated' at not being able to score big runs in the ongoing Test series.
David Warner and Varun Aaron got involved in a war of words after the home batsman was called back by the umpire following a no-ball dismissal during the post-lunch session on the fourth day, in Adelaide, on Friday.
Former Australian cricketer Geoff Lawson feels India would need a combination of tight technique and tough minds to get the better of the Aussies.
Australian great Shane Warne and former captain Ricky Ponting lamented technical failings and mental approach as their countrymen were shot out for a humiliating 60 by England on the first morning of the fourth Ashes Test on Thursday.
The world's top-ranked Test bowler said it's nice to have these numbers, but 'I have had a lot better moments in my cricketing career', after attaining the milestone. 'There was a period when I actually didn't want to have a ball in my hand, I think I just needed maybe two or three weeks off to get that love back again'
Recalled Jonny Bairstow says he's in 'best form'.
Ravichandran Ashwin is the lone Indian to feature in the top 10 of the latest Reliance ICC Test Player Rankings as he continues to lead the way in the all-rounders list.
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between India and Australia played at the Gabba on Wednesday
'He's come off a second stress fracture in his back and while he's just starting to get up and running in the nets now -- I think he's played six white ball games in the last 18 months -- that's T20 and one-day cricket'
Australia have put fast bowlers Doug Bollinger and Nathan Coulter-Nile on standby for next week's third Ashes Test against England in Perth should any of the current pacemen break down during the second Test in Adelaide, starting on Thursday.
Australia have decided to put captain Michael Clarke under wraps with fast bowlers Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle ahead of next week's Ashes opener, withdrawing the trio from domestic fixtures to prepare for the test in Brisbane.
High on confidence after decimating a high-profile Royal Challengers Bangalore, an upbeat Gujarat Lions will be aiming to lift their game a notch higher when they face title contenders Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League encounter, in Rajkot on Saturday.
On a roll with four consecutive victories, two-time champions Mumbai Indians would look to continue the winning streak when they take on Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League match, in Indore, on Thursday.
A temporary ceasefire was called on Wednesday as Australia captain Steve Smith and his England counterpart Joe Root paused for photos under a blinding blue sky at the Brisbane stadium, but both captains have been looking to land a psychological blow on the eve of the first Test.
With 10 points from 11 games, it is a must-win encounter for Dinesh Karthik and his men if they want to keep their play-off chances alive.
Sunrisers Hyderabad would look to consolidate their gains when they take on beleaguered Kings XI Punjab .
Dhoni has turned back the clock with his last three innings, two of them half centuries, adding to the fine run of imposing all-rounder Shane Watson.
James Pattinson will replace fellow-quick Mitchell Starc in the Australia team for this week's opening test against West Indies, captain Steve Smith said on Wednesday, reviving a promising career that had stalled because of injury.
'I would say Rahane is aggressive in his own quiet way'
Batsman David Warner has been dropped from Australia's one-day international squad while paceman Mitchell Starc will fly back home because of lower back soreness, the country's cricket board said on Sunday.
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.
A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup.
In a televised interview, the former Australian captain also spoke of his dressing room bust-up with Simon Katich among other controversial topics
Rajneesh Gupta previews Game 6 in IPL 12: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab.
With unbeaten New Zealand having already qualified for the World Cup quarter-finals, attention is focussing on the side's four players who have not appeared so far at the tournament.
Down with a recurrent back injury, Australia's regular skipper Michael Clarke said the actions of David Warner and other teammates in Birmingham had an "impact on his leadership".
Steve Smith scored a brilliant century to help Australia knock out defending champions India and set up a mouth-watering final against neighbours New Zealand, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, on Thursday.
Kings XI Punjab spinner Axar Patel knows he can be predictable after a couple of seasons at the highest level and that is why he will be seen tossing up the odd ball during the upcoming IPL and not rely only on flatter deliveries. "You expect top batsmen to read you well after two three seasons at this level and that is why I felt the need to add more variety to my bowling. I am tossing up the odd ball in training but it doesn't mean I will only do that. I will continue bowling the flatters ones and try to mix it with the odd flighted ball," Patel told PTI from Mohali where he is training alongside his Kings XI Punjab teammates. The season starting on April 9 is crucial for Patel, who has been sidelined from the Indian team after the return of senior pro Ravindra Jadeja and another left-arm spinner Pawan Negi getting the selectors' nod over him for the recently concluded World T20. Though the 22-year-old was part of India's 50-over squad in Australia, he did not get a game and last played for the country in October. But the spinner, who is often criticised for not turning the ball enough, is not perturbed by the selectors' snub.
Glenn Maxwell produced a stellar all-round performance and Mitchell Johnson returned to terrorize England as Australia clinched the one-day tri-series with an emphatic 112-run victory over their Ashes rivals on Sunday.
The players auctions for this year's IPL is scheduled for this weekend. Rajneesh Gupta looks at the players retained and released by the teams for IPL 2017.
The uncapped pair are the newcomers in captain Steven Smith's 15-man squad, which includes 10 players with less than 10 Tests, as Australia look to rebuild following a string of retirements after the Ashes defeat in England.
Australia paceman Pat Cummins has backed opening batsman David Warner to carry his blistering Test form into the One-day arena at the cricket World Cup.
Rediff.com recaptures these and other exciting sporting moments from the week gone by....
Australia opening batsman David Warner is unsure how he will cope with an emotional first return this week to the venue in Sydney where Phillip Hughes was fatally struck by a bouncer.
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