One of international cricket's fiercest rivalries resumes after six weeks when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 'Men in blue' battles it out with Michael Clarke's team at the Sydney Cricket Ground for a place in the final of the ICC's showpiece event against New Zealand, who beat South Africa by four wickets in a thriller in Auckland on Tuesday. A factfile on the teams.
The curtain finally came down on the glittering careers of cricket's most famous twins, Steve and Mark Waugh, when they played their final first-class match.
Brad Hodge was named 12th man while Michael Clarke moved up the batting order to four for the ICC Super Test.
Both teams are expected to play two spinners on a Sydney pitch that traditionally favours slow bowling.
Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq are expected to be cleared to play in the third Test against Australia.
The ICC on Tuesday confirmed that TV umpire communications during decision-making will be put to air for the knock-out stages of the World Cup.
Australia beat New Zealand by 17 runs in the second ODI to square the best-of-three series at 1-1.
Australia's coach says the Indian skipper's mental games have propped the confidence of his players.
India's vice-captain is banking on his spinners to get early wickets and put pressure on the Aussies.
Cricket Australia has commissioned an independent review into the cause and circumstances of last year's death of Test batsman Phillip Hughes in a bid to prevent anything similar happening in the future.
Australia's LOI captain was unbeaten on 137 with Test captain Steve Waugh on 43 when rain forced an early end to the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe.
Root shared a 106-run partnership with Jonny Bairstow, who was standing in for injured wicketkeeper Matt Prior and fell just two run short of his half century before the tourists were bowled out for 418. England's bowlers initially struggled to impose themselves on the Invitational XI, who had reached 153 for four by close of play for a lead of 39 after their first innings 304.
With two confident teams going head-to-head in a blockbuster World Cup semi-final on Thursday, it could be the tiniest mis-judgement, the smallest detail that decides whether Australia or India emerge triumphant.
Michael Clarke finished on 103 not out to guide Australia to a nine-wicket victory over Pakistan.
Under-fire England held their first news conference since being knocked out of the World Cup on Wednesday with inexperienced all-rounder Chris Jordan handed the responsibility of addressing the media on behalf of the squad.
The obituaries had been written only three days earlier, Shane Watson's 13-year international cricket career declared dead and buried.
AB de Villiers smashed West Indies bowlers from pillar to post for the quickest 150 in one-day internationals on Friday but the South African skipper said only hard work earns a batsman the right to dominate in such a fashion.
Australian skipper Steven Smith was a happy man with a dominating scoreline to the team's credit but did not forget to praise the good performance of the visitors.
If any one still needed confirmation that the man is an authentic legend, January 3, 2003 was the day that provided it.
An illustrious career that began against India 18 years ago will end against the same opposition in January 2004.
The dead rubber New Year's Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground at least offers a chance for New Zealand to reset
With Marsh forced to sit out the opener of a three-match series, Australia called uncapped batsman Ashton Turner into the squad as cover for Saturday's Sydney Cricket Ground conTest.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's retirement from Test cricket has left the Indian think-tank fretting over the ideal playing combination that will take on Australia in the fourth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting next Tuesday.
'You might see things quite different from what you usually see' 'I don't mind a bit of chat on the field; a bit of banter'
Cricket scoreboards around the world carried tributes to Australian batsman Phillip Hughes on Friday, while condolence messages flooded social media as the sporting world reacted to an untimely death not experienced since Ayrton Senna's in 1994.
A series win in Australia will certainly put Kohli on a higher pedestal even though the quality of the home team's batting line-up suffered adversely due to the bans of former skipper Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner.
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