Australia ripped out England's top order to take a vice-like grip on the second Ashes Test after completely dominating the second day at Lord's on Friday.
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.
He is on an 18-match unbeaten streak as India's Test captain, but Virat Kohli was left out of the ICC Test Team of the Year.
The victory takes Pep Guardiola's side into provisional second spot
The uncapped pair are the newcomers in captain Steven Smith's 15-man squad, which includes 10 players with less than 10 Tests, as Australia look to rebuild following a string of retirements after the Ashes defeat in England.
Australia bowled out the West Indies for 148 on the opening day of the first Test in Dominica on Wednesday, but the home team struck back by taking three wickets in the final session.
all-rounder Washington Sundar, who bats left-handed and bowls right-arm off-spin, was picked following a trial by the franchise a few days ago after Ravichandran Ashwin was ruled out of IPL-10 with an injury.
'The key for India winning this series will be the batsmen around Kohli.'
Top-order batsman Shaun Marsh has been dropped from Australia's side for their second Test against West Indies, despite scoring 182 in the comprehensive first Test victory in Hobart.
England batter Liam Livingstone fetched a staggering Rs 11.50 crore deal from Punjab Kings, who also roped in West Indies fast bowler Odean Smith, for Rs 6 crore, on Sunday, Day 2 of the TATA Indian Premier League 2022 Player Auction, in Bengaluru.
James Faulkner, man-of-the-match in the 2015 World Cup final against New Zealand, has been omitted from the 15-man squad named on Thursday, with selectors opting for all-rounders Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.
James Pattinson has been recalled to Australia' starting side for the second Test against New Zealand on Saturday, replacing his injured Victorian team mate Peter Siddle.
The ban on travellers from India by Australia had added "anxiety" for its cricketers after the Indian Premier League's suspension, Australia vice captain Pat Cummins said, as players isolated in the COVID-ravaged Asian nation on Wednesday.
'I just thought I should try and get on the front foot and get home before I got locked out of the country.'
Australia have been in good form in the five-day format and having won a one-day tournament in India last year will be confident and will be looking to do an encore as they face India in the first of the three-match ODI tournament in Mumbai on Tuesday.
The Virat Kohli-led RCB has won five of its eight games on the back of all-round performances but seemingly blundered in the eight-wicket defeat to laggards KXIP on Thursday.
Middlesbrough moved away from the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Hull City thanks to a second-half header from midfielder Gaston Ramirez in the Premier League on Monday.
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.
Isa Guha feels that Indian team going into the first Test looks way more settled compared to the Australian side
Kings XI retains Chris Gayle. Steve Smith returns to the IPL. Delhi Daredevils sacks 10 players!
Even on paper, there is not much to choose, especially with Pune beating MI thrice this season including a comprehensive victory in Qualifier 1. But a impressive show by Mumbai in the final cannot be ruled out.
Swing and seam friendly conditions, a lack of truly scary Australian bowlers and New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum's retirement are all themes that will resonate when the first Test gets underway in Wellington on Friday.
Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke believes the coach and the team management have too much say and authority in Australian cricket.
James Pattinson will replace fellow-quick Mitchell Starc in the Australia team for this week's opening test against West Indies, captain Steve Smith said on Wednesday, reviving a promising career that had stalled because of injury.
Wade will instead head to New Zealand with Australia's Twenty20 squad for a five-match series starting on Feb. 22 in Christchurch.
Australia warmed up for the limited-overs series against India in style by crushing Board President's (BP) XI by 103 runs in the lone practice match, in Chennai, on Tuesday.
Rediff.com has the best sports images from the events in the week gone by snapped right here...
Wednesday's Twenty20 International in Brisbane will be followed by matches at Melbourne and Sydney before the four-Test series gets underway in Adelaide on December 6.
Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to secure Manchester City a 1-0 English Premier League victory at Leicester City after yet another penalty miss by Pep Guardiola's side on Saturday. Chelsea's Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso returned to the starting lineup to stunning effect by grabbing a goal apiece in a crucial 2-1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur in the battle between the London rivals for fourth place.
Spinners Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa tore through the West Indies batting line-up to set up a dominant Australian victory by six wickets in the second match of a triangular one-day international series in Guyana on Sunday.
Royal Challengers BangalorStruggling RCB face inconsistent Supergiant in must-win game will be striving to keep their IPL hopes alive when they meet an equally inconsistent Rising Pune Supergiant in an Indian Premier League encounter, in Pune on Saturday.
New Zealand will have their tails up and eye another upset when they resume the trans-Tasman rivalry with a strong Australian side.
Australia are yet to hit their stride, but that's exactly why the rest should worry, says former Aussie great Allan Border.
Replacement paceman Kyle Abbott took 6-77 as South Africa completed an innings and 80-run humiliation of Australia the second Test in Hobart on Tuesday to seal the three-match series with a game to spare.
Rajneesh Gupta presents the interesting numbers from Day 5 of the India-England Test at Lord's.
Josh Hazlewood will be Australia's third pace bowler in this week's first Test against New Zealand after Peter Siddle was named 12th man on Wednesday.
Spinner Nathan Lyon, top order batsman Usman Khawaja and all-rounder Moises Henriques have been omitted after being selected in the squad that defeated Sri Lanka 4-1 away
Images from Sunday's action in the Premier League.
First win for Liverpool manager Klopp, City thrash Palace 5-1
England paceman James Anderson ripped shellshocked Australia to shreds with six wickets to bowl the tourists out for a paltry 136 on the first day of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday.
