India's mind games played a pivotal role in the dismissal of Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne.
Fast bowler James Anderson replacing Ollie Robinson in the side that won at Headingley.
The push for a two-tier system gained traction following Australia's blockbuster series against India, which set attendance records.
The inaugural edition's winner Mumbai Indians will bank on their core group of players while two-time finalists Delhi Capitals will expect fireworks from Shafali Verma when they face-off in the second game of the Women's Premier League here on Saturday. The finalists of the first WPL in 2023, both Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals made it to the knockouts in the second edition last year but lost to the eventual champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the eliminator and the final respectively. Those defeats were certainly not reflective of how well MI and DC had fared until the knockouts stage, with Harmanpreet Kaur's side finishing second in the points table with five wins in eight matches and Meg Lanning's team topping it with six wins in as many outings. The winners of WPL 2023, Mumbai Indians tend to lean on their core group of players both overseas and Indian and a similar approach can be expected this year, with only a few changes taking place in terms of squad composition. India pacer Pooja Vastrakar, who was grappling with an unspecified injury, was ruled out of the competition and has been replaced by slow left-arm orthodox bowler Parunika Sisodia, who was one of the main performers in India's title-winning campaign in the U-19 Women's T20 World Cup recently. Mumbai Indians have let go of England's Issy Wong, who took the first-ever WPL hat-trick in 2023, after the player lost form and the franchise found the leader of their attack in South Africa's Shabnim Ismail. Among domestic talents, another member of the U-19 T20 World Cup winning squad G Kamalini would be one to watch out for, having finished as the third highest scorer in the competition with 143 runs in seven matches. Apart from a strong leader in Harmanpreet, MI have strong figures from other international sides such as Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), as well as South Africans Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon. While Yastika Bhatia is MI's No 1 wicketkeeper-batter, other Indian players in Saika Ishaque, Sajana Sajeevan, uncapped Akshita Maheshwari and Amanjot Kaur will be expected to play their roles to perfection. On their part, Delhi Capitals will be keen to do one better after finishing as runner-up for two times in a row ever since the competition began. One of the most consistent teams in the competition, the Lanning-led Delhi have strong talent base across departments but the key will be to deliver in crucial matches. All eyes will be on the explosive Indian batter Shafali who has responded to her exclusion from the Indian side with runs in domestic cricket. She forms a lethal opening pair with Lanning at the top, while the likes of Australia's Annabel Sutherland, England's Alice Capsey and India's Jemimah Rodrigues form the core of their middle order. All-rounder Sutherland will hope to draw inspiration from her recent success of having struck 163 in the only Test of the women's Ashes followed by winning the highest individual honour in Australian cricket. While Delhi boasts of three wicketkeeper-batters in India's Taniyaa Bhatia, Nandini Kashyap and Scotland's Sarah Bryce, their bowling looks settled with Marizanne Kapp as the leader of the attack, backed by Australia's Jess Jonassen, India's Radha Yadav and Shikha Pandey as well as Titas Sadhu.
Ali admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen berated the England team for their performance on the first day of the second Test match of the Ashes.
England captain Ben Stokes is hopeful Jofra Archer can fully recover from the injury issues that have kept him out of the team since March 2021 in time for next year's Ashes series, but added that the bowler would not be rushed back into action.
Australia's bowlers struck twice in quick succession in a devastating spell against England at Edgbaston on Sunday, before heavy rain prevented any further play.
Heinrich Klaasen will captain South Africa in three Twenty20 matches against Pakistan next week.
The all-time attendance record at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was smashed on Monday when the total attendance for the fourth Test touched an unprecedented 350,700.
England captain Ben Stokes suffered a left hamstring injury during the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton on Monday and will not field again for the remainder of the match, the team said.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting described Aussies skipper Pat Cummins' captaincy as "old-fashioned" as he set fields and unravel plans over a long period of time.
Jofra Archer had a minor operation on his troublesome right elbow earlier this month
David Warner's place in the side remains a matter of speculation after his twin failure in Leeds.
'Siraj is now getting flak from the same 'saints' of Australian cricket who once prided themselves on their on-field aggression.'
'I was rooting for you to break my record.'
Amid opposition call for his resignation over the Beed sarpanch murder case, Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde on Wednesday said he is ready to quit if asked by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis or deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
Chhaava deserves 2 stars for the historically half-baked film that it is, but 4 stars just for its attempt on making a film on Sambhaji, observes Prasanna D Zore.
Iga Swiatek was thrilled to see Ted Lasso lead Jason Sudeikis in the stands.
McDonald 'disappointed' with McCullum's comment post Bairstow dismissal
Jonny Bairstow's 'controversial dismissal' on the final Day of the second Ashes Test at the Lord's has left the cricketing world divided.
Sunil Gavaskar called out the double standards of the Australian cricket pundits for their criticism of Mohammed Siraj's aggressive send-off to Travis Head.
Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, 377 tons of hazardous waste has been shifted from the defunct Union Carbide factory for its disposal, an official said.
In Josh Hazlewood's absence, Jhye Richardson impressed in Adelaide while Scott Boland produced a man-of-the-match-winning performance in his debut Test in Melbourne and was retained for the ongoing fourth Test in Sydney.
Mitchell Marsh has allayed concerns about his injury, declaring himself "good to go" for the pink ball second Test against India, which begins in Adelaide on December 6.
'I'm sure he will want to entertain the local crowd. I think it is set up nicely for him, but you have still got to go and do it.'
England's Pope will play on after shoulder injury, coach says
Seers from various 'akharas' took the first 'Amrit Snan' at the Maha Kumbh on Makar Sankranti on Tuesday as an unbroken stream of people converged at the Triveni Sangam on the occasion with around 3.5 crore devotees taking a dip.
The Maha Kumbh, billed as the world's largest gathering, concluded on Wednesday after 45 days, with lakhs of devotees taking a dip in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers. Despite a stampede that killed at least 30 people, millions continued to visit the Kumbh, seeking salvation through the ritual bath. The event saw a mix of faith, tradition, and technology, drawing pilgrims and tourists from across the globe.
Cummins also expected Warner and other Australia batters to go after England's spin all-rounder Moeen Ali
The fourth Test is due to start next Tuesday with Australia having already retained the Ashes, leading the series 3-0 with two matches to play.
Images from Day 1 of the third Ashes Test between England and Australia at Headingley in Leeds on Thursday.
Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood claimed the Men's Test Player-of-the-Year award. It marked his first Australian Cricket Award, with Hazlewood taking 30 wickets at just 13.16 in Tests against the West Indies, New Zealand, and India.
Images from Day 5 of the first Ashes Test between England and Australia at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham on Tuesday.
What we seek is a good contest between bat and ball and pitches that are likely to produce a result.
"I will be walking out with you to bat at the MCG," R Ashwin told Virat Kohli in a short note on X Friday, a subtle and endearing demonstration of their closeness in the team.
Nathan McSweeney, who opened in the first three Tests with little success, has been dropped.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second ODI against England on Sunday?
Rain is expected early on Tuesday before drier conditions and, with Australia requiring a further 174 runs and England needing seven wickets, a classic is brewing.
Aryna Sabalenka will battle American 19th seed Madison Keys in the final on Saturday looking to become the first woman since Martina Hingis from 1997-99 to win the Australian Open title three times in a row.
