Cancer survivor Nic Maddinson returned to Test cricket after battling testicular cancer, but Marco Jansen dismissed the Australian opener for a duck against South Africa.
Nic Maddinson has been added to Australia's Test squad for the series against South Africa, marking a significant comeback over a year after undergoing treatment for testicular cancer. He joins reserve wicketkeeper Sam Harper, as Josh Inglis is out with a fractured finger and Cameron Green is being monitored for an abdominal strain. Maddinson, who last played a Test in 2016, has shown strong form recently, including a century in the One-Day Cup.
Travis Head launched a fiery defence of Australia's Test team, lambasting former players for unfair criticism while backing Nic Maddinson's recall and dismissing doubts over his opening role.
Temba Bavuma's career-best 179 powered South Africa to 425 for nine declared, with record partnerships alongside Marco Jansen and Simon Harmer before Kagiso Rabada struck early against Australia.
Australia's cricket coach Andrew McDonald indicated that selectors remain open to further changes in the batting order for the second Test against South Africa, depending on the pitch conditions in Gqeberha. This follows a successful, albeit surprising, lineup in the first Test where Nic Maddinson opened and Matt Renshaw excelled at number five. While former captain Steve Waugh urged consistency, McDonald emphasised the panel's flexible approach. The team is also monitoring the fitness of Cameron Green and Josh Inglis.
Australia's cricket team is facing significant selection challenges and tough decisions regarding their line-up for the series-deciding third Test against South Africa in Cape Town, following a heavy innings defeat in the second match.
Pat Cummins hailed Australia's grit and ruthlessness in their 214-run win over South Africa, praising Matt Renshaw's rescue act, Josh Hazlewood's six-wicket haul and the selectors' decisions.
Matt Renshaw's outstanding performance in Australia's Test victory over South Africa has solidified his middle-order spot, but the team still faces uncertainty regarding its opening batting combination. Travis Head's suitability at the top of the order is questioned, while Nic Maddinson's inconsistent debut adds to the dilemma. The article also highlights strong bowling performances from Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, and the team's challenging schedule ahead.
Pat Cummins and Matt Renshaw led Australia's fightback against South Africa, adding an unbeaten 63-run stand before bad light ended the opening day at 187/6.
Australia need six wickets on final day to win first Test as South Africa were reduced to 102 for 4 at stumps on day four in Durban.
Australia's assistant coach Matthew Wade has warned his team to expect a more dangerous and aggressive South African attack with pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada poised to return for the second Test in Gqeberha, following his absence from the first match due to a hamstring injury.
Australia were bowled out for 99 in their first innings, trailing South Africa by 326 runs.
Australia and South Africa are set to begin a three-match Test series in Durban, with both teams looking for a boost after recent setbacks. The pitch at Kingsmead is expected to favour spinners, a departure from South Africa's usual seamer-friendly conditions, potentially influencing team selections.
Steve Smith created history with a record 223rd Test catch as Australia took a 139-run lead over South Africa on Day 3 of the first Test at Kingsmead on Sunday.
'It had spread to parts of my abdominal lymph nodes and lung. That was a bit where it was pretty daunting'
With Green out with injury, Bancroft's chances have brightened.
Mitchell Marsh, Nic Maddinson and Josh Inglis have been called in as additional cover.
Opener Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson will all play their first Tests at Adelaide Oval after selectors wielded the axe following the Hobart humiliation, which gave South Africa an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Check out the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad for the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League.
Images from the second match of the Indian Premier League between Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sharjah on Thursday.
Yuvraj Singh blasted a quickfire half-century in his comeback to international cricket to power India to victory against Australia in the one-off Twenty20 match in Rajkot, on Thursday.
Domingo said it is important that the cricketers share and open about any difficulties they face.
The Indian under-19 team's batting capitulated for the second time and put Australia within sniffing distance of victory in the three-day match at the WACA in Perth on Monday. After being shot out for 165 in the first innings, the Indians fared as badly in the second essay and could score only 184 runs before collapsing.
Skipper Manish Pandey's valiant century was in vain as India 'A' lost to Australia 'A' by one run in a high-scoring Quadrangular cricket series thriller in Mackay, Australia, on Tuesday.
India A could not take advantage of a strong opening partnership and lost four quick wickets for an addition of just 16 runs as they ended the third day of their four-day game against Australia A at 158 for four, still needing 108 runs to avoid the innings defeat, in Brisbane on Saturday.
Cricket Australia said on Tuesday that Test skipper Tim Paine will also captain the one-day international team during next month's tour of England
Batsman Nic Maddinson has withdrawn from Australia A's match against Pakistan on mental health grounds, Cricket Australia said on Saturday.
Australia have named the unchanged 12-man squad for the second Test of the three-match series against Pakistan beginning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Boxing Day. The Steve Smith-led side are going with the same side that clinched a nail-biting 39-run win after Pakistan's epic run chase in the opening day and night Test at the Gabba, cricket.com.au reported.
Australia will press for an Ashes series whitewash against England to boost their chances of making the final of the 2021-23 World Test Championship (WTC), spin spearhead Nathan Lyon said on Sunday.
Australia's selectors have responded to the threat of a first ever Test series sweep on home soil by dropping five players from their squad for the third match against South Africa, which begins in Adelaide on Thursday. Joe Burns, Adam Voges and Callum Ferguson, as well as wicketkeeper Peter Nevill, paid the price for a string of batting collapses, while seamer Joe Mennie was also axed after the innings defeat in the second Test in Hobart.
In another blow to Mumbai Indians' campaign in IPL-7, pace spearhead Zaheer Khan has been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament, according to skipper Rohit Sharma.
Check out the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad for IPL 2014.
CA put out an advertisement for the new position of a 'Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead', who will report to the board's head of sports science and medicine Alex Kountouris.
The 21-year-old Molineux, who plays for Melbourne Renegades in the Women's Big Bash League, has requested for a break and will not be travelling with the Renegades squad to Ballarat for their match against Melbourne Stars on Saturday.
Former Australia fast bowler Rodney Hogg has accused skipper Steve Smith of favouritism in team selection, and also ripped apart the selectors for the run of losses in the ongoing ODI series against India.
Yuvraj Singh made a sensational return to international cricket, blasting his way to an unbeaten 35-ball 77 as India beat Australia by six wickets in a high-scoring one-off T20, in Rajkot, on Thursday.
Aryaman Birla coping with severe anxiety related to sport, takes break
Usman Khawaja hit Australia's first century of the series and Peter Handscomb scored a half-century on debut as the hosts reached 307 for six with a lead of 48 at end of the second day of the day-night third Test against South Africa in Adelaide.
'It's bloody tough to sustain it for long periods of time, particularly I think for the fast bowlers. It's extremely difficult what they put themselves through. It's great that those conversations are happening and we're trying to keep guys as mentally and physically fresh as they can be'
The fourth and final day's play between India 'A' and Australia 'A' was called off without a ball being bowled due to persistent rain and a wet outfield as the second unofficial Test ended in a draw with the home side clinching the two-match series 1-0 in Brisbane.
