Australia, without a number of key players who skipped the tour, were thrashed 4-1 in the T20 series by the Caribbeans.
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.
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 ruthlessly completed a 159-run victory over West Indies in the first Test in Barbados on Friday after Josh Hazlewood's five-wicket masterclass broke the hosts' resistance on a pitch that deteriorated into a bowler's paradise.
Steve Smith's magnificent 71 guided Australia to 221 for seven at stumps on Day 3 of the second Test against the West Indies in Grenada on Saturday, helping the tourists to build a commanding 254-run lead despite late wickets and persistent rain interruptions.
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.
Speaking on Chase's dismissal, which came just after lunch, breaking a 67-run partnership with Hope, Sammy said, 'In our opinion, we saw the ball deviated onto the pad.'
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.
Josh Inglis slammed a brilliant century as Australia completed the highest chase in an ICC men's tournament against England in Lahore on Saturday.
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.
The Indian batters' inability to grind it out against a relentless Australian pace attack in testing conditions left the team precariously placed at 51/4 at the end of a rain-marred day three.
Carey said selectors had not spoken to him about playing beyond the first two Tests.
England skipper Jos Buttler expressed delight in Ben Duckett's record-breaking knock even as he hailed Australia for chasing down a massive total of 352 runs in the ICC Champions Trophy Group B match in Lahore on Saturday.
Australia and South Africa, two teams renowned for their batting prowess, will go head-to-head in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, aiming to secure a place in the Champions Trophy semifinals.
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.
Images from Day 4 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the MCG on Sunday.
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.
IMAGES from the Group B Champions Trophy match between Australia and England in Lahore on Saturday
Virat Kohli top-scored with a fluent 84 as India overpowered Australia by five wickets to storm into the ICC Champions Trophy final, in Dubai, on Tuesday.
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.
They will meet the winner of Wednesday's second semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand in the final in Dubai on Sunday.
Rahul played a scintillating knock of 77, with some eye-catching drives and peak Test match batting, before getting out to Mitchell Starc in the first session on Day 3.
West Indies' fearsome bowling attacks of old, Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph tore through Australia on Wednesday
The 30-year-old will now have the chance to soak up a first Test in front of family and friends as Australia look to push for a 2-0 series lead.
Alex Carey is content being Australia's preferred white-ball wicketkeeper but hopes to be 'good enough' one day to break into the Test squad. His limited-overs duty has somewhat restricted his first class experience and Carey said shifting from one format to another was not easy.
Both Pant, who played a key role in India's series victory last time, and Carey are known for their aggressive brand of cricket.
Sri Lanka are still 518 runs behind and will need a Herculean effort to avoid the follow-on even though more rain is forecast for Saturday.
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.
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.
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.
Carey was ultimately denied his second Test century but cared little as he and his captain steered their side to their target 281-7 and a sixth win in seven Tests over the Australasian summer.
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.
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.
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.
In the bowling rankings, Keshav Maharaj and Matt Henry have broken into the top five
Uncapped McSweeney to open with Khawaja in India series
'It was a test of character, a true pressure situation, and you responded with a phenomenal team performance.'
Australian captain Pat Cummins expressed disappointment over the rain interruptions that prevented a decisive result.
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.
Kyle Verreynne revealed his emotions almost got the better of him before he hit the winning runs to end South Africa's wait for a global trophy.
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