Nathan Lyon has no immediate plans of Test retirement as he yearns for one final away series win in India before calling time on his illustrious career.
Uncapped McSweeney to open with Khawaja in India series
Australia's middle order enforcer Josh Inglis said their depleted side will draw a lot of confidence after pulling off a record chase against England in their Champions Trophy opener on Saturday.
Alex Carey was eagerly waiting to share the Delhi Capitals dugout alongside the great Ricky Ponting but the Australian wicketkeeper now feels he is unlikely to get the opportunity this year with the IPL indefinitely postponed. Carey, who was scheduled to make his IPL debut with the Ponting-coached Delhi outfit, said only time will tell whether the T20 World Cup and the IPL can happen this year with coronavirus wreaking havoc across the globe.
Josh Inglis smashed a maiden ODI century (120 not out) to lead Australia to a thrilling five-wicket victory over England in a high-scoring Champions Trophy match.
'Does the spirit of the game logic apply to you, or is it just for Indians?'
Young spin-bowling all-rounder Cooper Connolly will replace injured Matthew Short in the Australian squad for the knock-out stages of the ongoing Champions Trophy.
Superb centuries from Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell lifted Australia to a dramatic three-wicket victory over England on Wednesday as the visitors clinched the one-day international series 2-1.
Skipper Pat Cummins, who missed the tour of Sri Lanka due to the birth of his second child in February and was also ruled out of the Champions Trophy campaign with an ankle injury, will take the reins against South Africa.
Australia, who have already secured their place in the final of the World Test Championship against South Africa, won the opening Test, also in Galle, by an innings and 242 runs.
Usman Khawaja's marathon 160 and Alex Carey's career-best 93 helped Australia rack up 505 for eight against Pakistan on Day 2 of the second Test in Karachi on Sunday.
Bavuma said his hamstring was 'feeling good' ahead of his return, and the South African skipper also confirmed he would bat at number three for the opening match of the three-game series behind openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram.
South Africa's two heaviest defeats have transpired when they fielded first and were accompanied by a lack of discipline as well as dropped chances.
Australian captain Pat Cummins expressed disappointment over the rain interruptions that prevented a decisive result.
With no ODI series in Australia in the next two years, it is impossible to think that the legendary duo will again be seen Down Under in India blues.
The captain, who had switched positions to number six, once again fell prey to Pat Cummins, edging a delivery to Alex Carey for just 10 off 27 balls in another unconvincing innings.
It was a frustrating day for the loyal crowd of 16,180 but perhaps more so for the home team, whose chances of forcing a result were progressively eroded.
In the bowling rankings, Keshav Maharaj and Matt Henry have broken into the top five
Both India and Australia will not play a warm-up game ahead of the final beginning at the Oval from June 7.
The West Indies produced another dominant day with the ball against Australia and then survived a tense final hour Saturday to take the honours after the first day of the day-night third Test.
Pat Cummins is the eighth Australian to join the 300 club, no mean feat for any bowler but particularly one who he had to wait more than five years for his second Test appearance after a spate of injuries.
'Ultimately, (Australia captain) Pat Cummins is a really great guy and I would be amazed, once the emotion settles, if he does not sit back and think, 'I got that one wrong', even though his bottom line at the time was winning a Test match.'
'It was a test of character, a true pressure situation, and you responded with a phenomenal team performance.'
Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday scripted his name in the record books as he became the second fastest bowler to 450 Test wickets.
Delhi Capitals are likely to miss the services of their wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who suffered a grade 1 hamstring strain, for about 7 to 10 days.
'Jaiswal is too talented to be written off after one bad innings. He'll bounce back. The real test is how he handles the second innings.'
Kohli was seen gifting his India kit to Australia batter Usman Khawaja and wicket-keeper Alex Carey.
Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey was mesmerized by the way young opener Sam Konstas scored an audacious half-century in the Boxing Day Test against India, but insisted that it was unlikely to become a "blueprint" for future matches.
Virat Kohli's wife and K L Rahul's wife Athiya Shetty were in attendance and their reaction to Kohli's dismissal has gone viral on social media.
Former No. 1-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja would open the innings for Australia in the WTC final against South Africa while the fit-again Cameron Green would bat at the No. 3 position.
West Indies' fearsome bowling attacks of old, Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph tore through Australia on Wednesday
Starc's withdrawal comes after pace stalwarts Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out due to injuries.
Australia held their nerve in a tense chase, edging past India by two wickets to seal the series 2-0 despite a late fightback from the visitors on Thursday in Adelaide.
Kuldeep showed signs of return to peak form when he bamboozled the Australian batters
'It was probably one of the best barbecues I've seen, to be honest with you. It came out of the blue'
Over four decades, the India-Australia ODI rivalry has mirrored the evolution of both teams, from Australia's supremacy in the 2000s to India's resurgence post-2010. Come Sunday, this rivalry will be renewed as Shubman Gill will commence his first assignment as ODI captain in the opening game of the three match series, at the Optus stadium in Perth.
Australia carved out an 82-run lead over West Indies on day two of the first Test in Barbados on Thursday, with the hosts frustrated by several close umpiring calls that went against them.
Pat Cummins captured the sentiment perfectly, calling this potentially the 'last chance' for fans Down Under to witness these legends in action. With both stalwarts set to be 39 and 40 respectively by the 2027 World Cup, every appearance carries added significance. Ro-Ko have been the heartbeat of Indian cricket for over 15 years. Their return brings an emotional lift to the team and raises expectations for the series against the world champions.
Khawaja made 71 before giving debutant leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay his first Test wicket.
Pat Cummins will captain Australia at the Champions Trophy after being named in a preliminary 15-man squad also featuring fellow quick Josh Hazlewood on Tuesday.
