Opener Aiden Markram led the way with a career-best 152 as South Africa had the better of the opening day of the fourth Test against a much-changed Australia, reaching the close on 313 for six on Friday.
The Indian Playing XI will also have Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Sunday as he replaces Mohammed Shami, who was hit on the leg in his follow through during the third match.
The Virat Kohli-led team ticked all the boxes in their opening win of the series Australia on Saturday.
Cricket can be a game of some complexity and nuance but as England showed in their dismantling of Australia in Thursday's World Cup semi-final, it can also be a remarkably straightforward sport.
Committee of Administrators (COA) member Diana Edulji believes that the BCCI did the right thing by calling truce on the 'DRS Controversy' as it would have 'shifted focus' from India's win in Bengaluru.
BCCI CEO Rahul Johri had a meeting with his Australian counterpart James Sutherland in Mumbai after which the two Boards issued a joint statement saying they have "resolved to restore focus on the ongoing series amidst the increased attention towards issues which have emanated during the course of the 2nd Test match in Bangalore."
Calls grow for action against Aus captain, Gavaskar, Laxman urge match referee's intervention
India showed commendable character in Rajkot to level the series, proving that the panic buttons were pressed prematurely following the 10-wicket loss in Mumbai.
Australia have barely put a foot wrong in the five-match series and will head to the MCG confident of pushing England toward a second successive whitewash on home soil.
Australia captain Steven Smith very well understands the significance of the upcoming tour of India as he said success in the four Test series against Virat Kohli and his men can make his side 'one of the all-time greats'.
Mark Waugh reckons the 25-year-old will succeed at the No 4 spot against Indian spinners.
The legendary Indian cricketer was the Man of the ODI series, but the Most Valuable Player title went to an unlikely Aussie, point out Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji.
It is usually a sign of a day with few redeeming features when a coach rather than a player faces the media after play and Sunday's appearance of England's Trevor Bayliss was no exception.
With the Sydney Cricket Ground reliably Australia's most spin-friendly wicket, the hosts may find it tough going to manufacture a face-saving victory and square the series.
Photos from Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test match between Australia and Pakistan, played at the MCG on Tuesday
Photos from Day 3 of the first Test played at The Gabba on Saturday
All-rounder Hanuma Vihari says key for Indian batsmen will be to remain disciplined on a pitch which has got better for the fast bowlers.
Australia captain Steve Smith said the players drafted in for the third-Test victory over South Africa had energised the team and contributed to a "good start" to the new era of Test cricket in the country.
A 'Shane Warne like drift' makes Kuldeep Yadav a more difficult bowler to face compared to Yuzvendra Chahal, believes former Australia opener Matthew Hayden.
The India captain's 41st ODI century wasn't enough to prevent India from losing the third ODI against Australia by 32 runs in Ranchi, on Friday.
Cameron Bancroft may have got away with his now infamous attempt to alter the condition of the ball in the third test against South Africa at Newlands had he not panicked and stuffed the evidence down his trousers.
The World Cup is just a couple of months away, and even after even a 0-2 loss in the just-concluded T20 series there won't be any shift in plans as far as skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri are concerned.
Cowan says Australia needed to do more to look after the mental health of young players tossed out of the top level
India are 0-1 down after an inexplicably poor batting performance led to a three-wicket loss in the lung-opener in Visakhapatnam
Images from Day 4 of the third Test between Australia and Pakistan in Sydney, on Friday.
Captain Steve Smith raised a composed century to push Australia to a 22-run first innings lead in the second Test against Pakistan but the home side's hopes of pushing their advantage were washed away by rain on day four on Thursday.
Australia vice-captain Alex Carey said the ODI series win against a top team like India 'will mean a lot' considering the hosts' struggles over the last 12 months.
Their pride bruised following disastrous campaigns, Kings XI Punjab and Rising Pune Supergiants will look for a graceful exit from the ninth edition of the IPL when they square off against each other for one last time in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. Supergiants are coming into the contest after a victory over Delhi Daredevils at the same venue, their home ground, while Punjab have lost their last two outings -- against RCB and table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad. Punjab's fourth and last win this season had come at this very ground, when they had got the better of Mumbai Indians.
Factbox on the fifth Ashes Test match between Australia and England, which starts on Thursday:
Images from Day 1 of the fourth and final Test between India and Australia in Dharamsala, on Saturday.
Australia have defied expectations with their fight in India but with all to play for in the final Test in Dharamsala, Steve Smith's team would not leave happy with a drawn series, according to former wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist.
With its traditionally quick and bouncy wicket playing to the strengths of home pacemen, the WACA has been a house of pain for English cricket and Australians will be hoping for more of the same when the ground hosts its final Test.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 2nd Ashes Test played at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide on Tuesday
Images from the Day 3 of the 2nd Ashes Test played between Australia and England in Adelaide on Monday
Australia fought back with two late wickets to restrict England to 196 for four and leave the Ashes series-opener in Brisbane delicately poised on Thursday after the tourists' unheralded batsmen threatened to dominate an intriguing first day.
Mitchell Starc smashed an unbeaten half-century to steer Australia to 256 for nine on a difficult pitch on the opening day of the four-match series in Pune on Thursday.
Australia recalled wicketkeeper Tim Paine for the first time in seven years in a selection bombshell while dropping opening batsman Matt Renshaw in a surprising Ashes squad for the series against England.
Young opener Matt Renshaw (60) and experienced Shaun Marsh (66) battled hard against the Indian spinners and their fighting half-centuries consolidated Australia's position in the match but Virat Kohli's captaincy left a lot to be desired.
Australia broke Pakistan's dangerous third-wicket partnership to reduce the tourists to 177 for three, still 361 runs in arrears, at tea on a rain-disrupted third day of the third and final Test on Thursday. - Scorecard: Opener Azhar Ali was the batsman to fall for 71, leaving elder statesmen Younus Khan, who is inching towards his 34th Test century on 84 not out, and Misbah-ul-Haq, who has made 18, to resume for the extended final session.
All-rounder Hilton Cartwright will make his debut for Australia in the dead rubber third Test against Pakistan in Sydney on Tuesday, with left-armer Steve O'Keefe returning to the side as a second spinner alongside Nathan Lyon.
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