Australia's Test squad have been sent back to play domestic One-day cricket in order to prepare for next month's series against New Zealand after their tour to Bangladesh was postponed on Thursday due to security concerns.
Former India captain and CAB president, Sourav Ganguly, is working overtime to get everything in order at Eden Gardens, which is set to host the country's first pink-ball multi-day cricket match under lights. With drone flying over him under the dazzling Eden floodlights, the iconic lefthander was seen shooting promotional with the pink Kookaburra. "Eden Gardens will hold the first day-night (four-day) match in India. It has given us many moments to celebrate, now it's getting ready to host yet another moment to remember," Ganguly said in the promotional. Later talking to media, Ganguly, who is also the BCCI technical committee chairman, said, "Pink ball is the future... This will be the ultimate form of Test cricket. What will be the use of doing something which will have little interest left."
The 30-year-old Holland played two Tests in Sri Lanka in 2016 but has not appeared for his country in any format since.
As we prepare to cruise into the New Year, Rediff.com gives you a glance back, through photos, into all the sporting moments that made the last 12 months memorable.
In order to raise the dwindling number of spectators in the stadium, the Board of Control for Cricket in India last week said it is all set to host its first-ever day/night cricket Test with the pink ball against New Zealand in October.
Former Australia Test batsman Justin Langer ruled himself out of the running for the India and England coaching jobs.
Australia batsman Usman Khawaja could find himself opening against South Africa's formidable pace attack in the first Test in Perth on November 3, just months after being dropped during a poor tour of Sri Lanka.
Bringing back memories of the tragic death of Phillip Hughes in November last, an Australian cricketer Daniel Hughes was left unconscious briefly after being hit by an almost identical bouncer on his neck during a first grade match but fortunately escaped unscathed, local media reported.
Joe Burns's selection in the Australian cricket team for the third Test against India was so unexpected that his father had refused to believe the news.
All-rounder Marcus Stoinis was called up for Australia's two remaining Tests in India on the strength of his bowling and previous performances in the region, interim chief selector Trevor Hohns said on Thursday.
Controversial Australian opener David Warner has reportedly been suspended for one match by Cricket New South Wales (NSW) after he failed to turn up for a grade club match last weekend.
South African pace legend Allan Donald has called on cricket bosses not to consider banning bouncers as they revisit safety in the sport in the wake of the tragic death of Australian cricketer Philip Hughes.
Australia captain Michael Clarke, who is struggling with his hamstring injury, could be fit in time for the upcoming four Tests against India starting December 4, with reports surfacing that the batsman may not require surgery.
Pat Cummins, on Friday, said Australian batsmen need to learn a lot from India captain Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara
Australia will be forced to blood an entirely new opening partnership in Bangladesh next month after David Warner was ruled out of the two-Test series with a broken finger on Friday.
Former Australia batsman Mike Hussey feels Adam Zampa's approach to bowling reminds him of the great Anil Kumble, even as the young leg-spinner made a strong case for his selection for the upcoming Test tour of India with some impressive performance in the sub-continent last year.
Recovering from a knee surgery, Australian pacer Ryan Harris is eyeing a return to international cricket in the Test series against India later this year.
The fourth Test will not just be about how the Australian team perform, but how their behaviour is viewed by the watching world as they look to put the recent scandal behind them.
Delhi's young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant batted himself into the record books as he struck the fastest ever hundred by an Indian in a first-class game by hitting a 48-ball ton against Jharkhand in a Ranji Trophy encounter in Thumba, Kerala, on Tuesday.
Australia's pace spearhead Mitchell Starc is confident he will be fit to take on South Africa in next month's first test after declaring himself available for a domestic Sheffield Shield match on Thursday.
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'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.
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.
Only Root, former skipper Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad and James Anderson remain from the England team that suffered a 381-run hiding at the Gabba in 2013/14, when a marauding Mitchell Johnson took nine wickets and set the tone for the series.
Jake Lehmann's strong form could force an awkward decision at the selectors table where his father sits.
Australia will need to defy history to chase down the total and survive the wiles of Ravichandran Ashwin on a fifth day pitch.
Ferguson, who will need five to six weeks to recover, is returning to New Zealand and a replacement for him will be named on Tuesday, coach Gary Stead told reporters on Monday.
A recall for one-Test paceman Pat Cummins has been a long time coming but New South Wales captain Moises Henriques believes it still might be too soon for the bowler he considers a "freak of nature".
368 of James Anderson's 575 Test wickets have come on home soil, where the Dukes ball has been the default during his long career.
Michael Clarke signed off from One-day cricket on a high on Sunday after his team beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the World Cup final at the MCG and fittingly dedicated the triumph to Philip Hughes, who tragically lost his life in a freak on-field accident.
Cowan says Australia needed to do more to look after the mental health of young players tossed out of the top level
Hetmyer smacked three sixes and eight fours in his entertaining knock, helping his side chase down a modest target of 128.
Australia called up uncapped paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile for the first Test against West Indies on Tuesday as a replacement for left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc, who was ruled out of the series due to a broken foot.
Emotions are set to run high at the venue where late Australian opener Phillip Hughes died last month after being struck by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match
Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of this week's third Test against India in Melbourne with uncapped batsman Joe Burns coming into the 13-man squad to replace him.
Australia have wrapped up the Ashes two Tests early, but opening batsman Chris Rogers still feels on shaky ground ahead of the fourth Test in Melbourne without a century to his name in the series.
Devastated by his tragic death, Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has penned a poignant birthday tribute to Phillip Hughes, saying that the late batsman was like a little brother who helped him become a better man.
Australia are hopeful that captain Michael Clarke will be available for next month's first Test against India despite a recurrence of his hamstring injury, physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said on Thursday.
A guitar-strumming rocker when not keeping wickets, Australia's Peter Nevill will hope to hit the right note when he makes his surprise Test debut against England in the second Ashes match on Thursday.
Australia opener Aaron Finch believes off-spinner Nathan Lyon will play an important role considering the amount of bounce on offer in the pitch in the ongoing second Test in Perth.
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