Australia's bid to win back the Ashes after crashing to an innings and 71-run defeat in the second test on Tuesday has been dealt a further blow with opening batsman Simon Katich likely to miss the rest of the series with an achilles injury.
Australian paceman Peter Siddle destroyed England's lower middle order by taking a hat-trick and finishing with 6-54 as the visitors were dismissed for 260 late on the first day of the first Ashes Test on Thursday.
Australia's Peter Siddle claimed an outstanding hat-trick to sink England further on the first day of the first Ashes Test on Thursday.
Michael Clarke insists his back problem will be banished, while Simon Katich declared himself '100 percent' fit on Monday to take up his place at the top of the Australia batting order for the opening Ashes Test.
Ricky Ponting's woes continued as Australia were dismissed for just 214 on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba (Brisbane), on Thursday.
The second Test against India starts in Adelaide on Friday.
Brendon McCullum's dogged century could only delay the inevitable as Australia cruised to a convincing 10-wicket win in the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington on Tuesday.
Marcus North and Brad Haddin scored centuries as Australia declared their first innings on 674 for 6 before reducing England to 20 for 2 in the second innings on a rain-shortened fourth Day in the first Test.
Images from Day 1 in the first Test between India and Australia at Molahi.
'...and the only thing I expect from you guys is to make the most of the time that we spend on the field whether it is a practice session, game drills it is needless to mention'
Australian opening batsman Simon Katich has been cleared to play in the third and final Test against Pakistan, starting on Thursday at the Bellerive Oval.
Australia on Saturday brought in opening batsman Phillip Hughes as cover for the injured Simon Katich for the second Test against Pakistan beginning on Sunday at the SCG.
Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has said that the prospect of changes to the team's batting line-up for October's Test tour of India is remote.
Australia's upcoming tour of India would be a big challenge for the youngsters of the team who are yet to play Test cricket in the sub-continent, feels opener Simon Katich.
RCB batsman AB de Villiers can still sense the momentum which his side gained in the 13th edition of the IPL in UAE.
Pakistan exploited heavy cloud cover and humidity to the full on Tuesday to seize the advantage over Australia in an old-fashioned English Test match in which ball dominated the bat throughout.
Simon Katich fell eight runs short of a century as Australia finished Day 1 in the opening Test against the West Indies on 322 for 5, in Brisbane, on Thursday.
New South Wales captain Simon Katich heaped praised on his team-mates for their all-round show against country cousins Victoria Bushrangers in the Champions League Twenty20 semifinals and said their consistent performance will give them the edge in the final.
Batting might tilts the balance in New South Wales' favour when Simon Katich and his men cross swords with Victoria Bushrangers in an all-Australian semi-final in the Champions League Twenty20 in Delhi on Wednesday.
South Africa's domestic Twenty20 champions Diamond Eagles will have to play out of their skin if they desire to start their Champions League campaign on a winning note against a formidable New South Wales (NSW) in New Delhi on Friday.
New South Wales is Australia's most successful domestic team and one to watch out for in the upcoming T20 tournament. The 15-man squad includes as many as eight current international players, led by pace ace Brett Lee, who played a major role in Australia's ICC Champions Trophy triumph.
Four new players were awarded contracts and test opener Chris Rogers has been dropped from Cricket Australia's list of contracted players for next season. David Hussey, Shaun Marsh, Doug Bollinger and Beau Casson were included on the 25-man list for the first time, while Simon Katich and Ashley Noffke were offered new contracts after failing to make the cut last season.
Australia batsman Simon Katich on Friday sought to defend his underfire captain Ricky Ponting, saying the "players let him down" in the lost Ashes series against England by failing to perform at crucial moments. Katich, who scored 122 in the first Test and aggregated 341 runs in the entire series, said he was disappointed that he could not contribute with bigger totals more often.
New Zealand face a daunting fourth innings run chase as Australia climbed into the box seat in the second Test being played in Hamilton on Monday.
England pace bowler James Anderson took two wickets in 14 deliveries to reduce Australia to 348 for 4 at lunch on Day 3 of the first Test against England.
Perfect timing is an essential commodity in cricket and the emergence of batsman Phillip Hughes could not have come at a better time for the Australians.
Captain Ricky Ponting, his deputy Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Jason Gillespie and Cameron White are the Australians who have joined the IPL.
Mahela Jayawardene ended his poor scoring run with a crucial half-century to lead Kings XI Punjab to a thrilling six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League match in Port Elizabeth on Sunday. Jayawardene was unbeaten on 52 from 41 deliveries, inclusive of seven boundaries, while Simon Katich scored a brisk 34 from 28 deliveries as the Punjab side escaped to victory off the final delivery of the match.
Australian opener Simon Katich has taken some blame in the run-out that denied his partner Shane Watson a century, but insists it wasn't mind tricks that cost him his own ton on Boxing Day.
Solid knocks from openers Shane Watson (89) and Simon Katich (99), who put on a stand of 132, and Mike Hussey (81 not out) gave the hosts early command of the match despite skipper Ricky Ponting being forced to retire hurt on 23 after being struck on the arm by Kemar Roach.
Openers Shane Watson and Simon Katich gave Australia a bright start to their first innings in the second Test against the West Indies at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday as they closed play on 174-0, trailing by 277 runs.
Australia opening batsman Matthew Hayden has been ruled out of Thursday's first Test against West Indies at Sabina Park with an Achilles tendon injury, a team spokesman said. Simon Katich, returning to Tests after nearly a three-year absence, will now open along with Phil Jaques.
Simon Katich and Boeta Dippenaar, captains of New South Wales and Diamond Eagles, slammed the newly-laid Ferozeshah Kotla pitch, saying it was far from ideal for Twenty20 cricket.
Captain Simon Katich led from the front with a classy half century as New South Wales easily beat Diamond Eagles by 53 runs in a Group B match of the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 in Delhi on Friday. The Australia opener scored 53 runs off 41 deliveries as New South Wales put up a competitive 144 for 6 in their 20 on a slow Ferozshah Kotla wicket.
Andrew Flintoff's sparkling 74 was the catalyst as England took control of the third Ashes Test against Australia on Sunday.
Simon Katich stayed unbeaten on a well made 67 even though he felt short of partners during Australia's second innings in the first Test against New Zealand at Brisbane on Friday. Australian batsmen struggled to stay at the wicket for long as they ended day two at a score of 131 for the loss of six wickets, scoring at an average of 3.44 runs per over.
Australia made a confident start in the third Ashes Test against England as Shane Watson's unbeaten fifty lifted them to 126 for one on a rain-disrupted first day on Thursday.
Jason Krejza's eight-wicket haul on debut, followed by Simon Katich's unbeaten 92, helped Australia claw their way back in the fourth Test against India in Nagpur on Friday. Krejza claimed figures of 8 for 215 in 43.5 overs as India were dismissed for 441 in the first innings. In reply, Australia posted 189 for 2 in 49 overs by close of play on the second day.
Australia all rounder Simon Katich does not repent his angry exchanges with Gautam Gambhir during third Test in New Delhi, saying the India opener had initiated the "confrontation" with his unpleasant words.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting and opener Simon Katich scored unbeaten centuries during a second wicket partnership of 189 on the second day of the first Ashes Test against England on Thursday.
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