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.
Mitchell Starc and Ben Stokes set the scene for a dramatic Ashes series.
Marco Jansen smashed the records held by legends Matthew Hayden and Vivian Richards for the most sixes hit by an overseas batter in a Test innings in India.
Bazball is in the firing line, with former players and pundits decrying the high-risk game on Australia's spicy pitches.
Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh expressed disappointment at the loss but praised India's all-round performance.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
Australia, England registered shameful record during first Ashes Test at Perth as express pace dominates proceedings
The right-arm seamer Sen and wicketkeeper-batter Vinod, both were a part of the PBKS side which lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final, did not feature in any of the matches of the 2025 edition.
'That so many have reached such an advanced stage of their careers without obvious replacements is certainly a reflection of their quality, but will be a matter of concern in the case of more injuries during the series.'
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
Rana and Sundar also spoke of their respective spells and how they helped India script victory in Sydney.
Suryakumar Yadav-led India ready for Aussie challenge as T20 World Cup preparation begins.
Marco Jansen picked 12 wickets in the two Tests at an average of 10.08 including a six-wicket haul in the first innings of the Guwahati Test, while Jasprit Bumrah managed eight wickets in the series.
Ravindra, Conway pave the way as New Zealand clinch ODI series against West Indies
India will look to overcome batting inconsistencies and finish the tour of Australia with authority when the two sides clash in the fifth and final T20 International in Brisbane on Saturday.
Australia's Mitchell Marsh marked a milestone with a flurry of towering sixes on Sunday, becoming the eighth Australian to smash 100-plus sixes in ODIs.
'It was good fun. I was obviously really nervous. Super stoked for the boys to get the win.'
Daryl Mitchell's runs had steered the hosts to their victories in Tauranga and Hamilton and when he departed for 44 to leave his team still 27 runs from their target on 196-8, the English scented an unlikely victory.
Shubman Gill's form in the series is a concern for India as he has now gone six games without a half-century.
Australia batter Usman Khawaja's first run-in with Brendon McCullum, during the 2011 Test series between Australia and New Zealand, was far from pleasant, as per Fox Cricket.
Pat Cummins on Saturday rated himself a "half chance" to play the day-night Test against England in Brisbane from December 4.
Washington Sundar enhanced his reputation as a T20 hitter with India batting in top gear through the innings to comfortably chase down a target of 187 for a series levelling five-wicket win over Australia.
England have not won the Ashes in Australia after losing the first Test since the 1950s but McCullum and Stokes will remain convinced they can turn the series around, just as they did against South Africa in 2022 when they won 2-1 after losing the opener at Lord's.
All-rounder Cameron Green will miss the three-match ODI series against India due to side soreness.
Formidable India have their tails up as they head to the gargantuan MCG for the second T20I against Australia here on Friday, thanks to the influx of young talent and the return to form of skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
K L Rahul on Saturday conceded that Indian batters' repeated struggles against spin, especially on home tracks, remain a concern.
This knock was Rohit at his best, mixing patience, power, and timing with finesse.
'I was playing country cricket and working as a carpenter, and that was the dream for me.'
Sidhu hit back at an X handle for falsely attributing quotes to him.
Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood feels it is possible to do the balancing act with meticulous planning and strategising.
With skipper Pat Cummins already out of the series opener because of a back injury, Australia are expected to send out Hazlewood with Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland as their pace attack.
'...He'll provide us a good challenge...I think you want to be challenged against the best players in the world...'
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.
The hype around Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's much-awaited return to international cricket quickly gave way to disappointment in Perth, as both faltered against Australia's fast bowlers in the first ODI after an eight-month hiatus.
The cricketing ecosystem has learned to survive the prolonged absence of Kohli and Rohit -- at least in two formats -- in this interim period.
England recovered from a disastrous start as captain Brook bludgeoned 135 from 101 balls and Jamie Overton made 46 to help their side finish on 223 all out in 35.2 overs for a fighting chance in the contest.
Rohit Sharma hit an unbeaten century, while Virat Kohli returned to form with a fluent fifty as India cruised to an emphatic nine-wicket victory in the inconsequential third and final ODI against Australia.
Expect nothing less than hostility, fire and close contests as Ben Stokes' England come armed with their Bazball philosophy to try and get the better of a depleted Australia.
All-rounder Max Maxwell, who has been sidelined by a wrist injury, will come in for the last three games, while Test certainty Josh Hazlewood will skip the last three games.
With no ODI series in Australia in the next two years, it is impossible to think that the legendary duo will again be seen Down Under in India blues.
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