Australia finished marginally on top at the end of a chaotic opening day of the fourth Ashes Test after an extraordinary 20 wickets fell in front of a record crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
An aggressive shot-maker with a love for hooking fast bowlers, Stackpole topped the runs list during Australia's successful tour of India in 1969 - the nation's last series win in the subcontinent until 2004.
England Head Coach Brendon McCullum revealed his team may have been victims of their own thoroughness, conducting "five to 10 training sessions" in the extended break between Tests after losing the opener in Perth inside two days.
Michael Vaughan believes England's victory in the Boxing Day Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was a 'lottery'.
Ravichandran Ashwin hails Travis Head after his 69-ball century, the second-fastest in Ashes history, helped Australia easily chase down 205 runs on Day 2 of first Ashes Test.
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin hailed New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell as a "brainy cricketer" who is capable of making the best out of his limits as a player and someone who can give a franchise 400-500 runs batting at number three or four during a tournament.
Khawaja pulled no punches, taking aim at former players and sections of the media over what he described as blatant double standards
From McCullum, there was greater support for another England batter, Jamie Smith, who he said works very hard on his game. The wicketkeeper-batter joined the team at the start of 2024.
Australia all-rounder Cameron Green has confirmed that he will be fully available to bowl in the Indian Premier League's 2026 season, clarifying that his listing as a batter rather than an all-rounder ahead of Tuesday's auction was due to a "stuff-up" by his manager.
'Look, they (India) are a fantastic team, one which we have great respect for and I think five-match series are going to provide a lot of excitement for the fans that are coming to watch.'
'If opener is where I need to bat to be playing in the Test team, that's fine.'
The Aussies also named a 14-player group for the first two T20I matches against India, with Nathan Ellis and Josh Inglis earning recalls after they missed the recent T20I series with South Africa.
England all-rounder Chris Woakes said rehabilitation is a risk he is willing to take to be fit for the Ashes rather than undergoing surgery on the shoulder injury he sustained during last week's fifth Test loss to India.
Cricket has never been the same since India's thrilling, last-over win over Pakistan in the final at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, on September 24, 2007.
Group C promises one of the most competitive battles at the T20 World Cup, with former champions England and West Indies joined by ambitious sides Scotland, Nepal and debutants Italy.
Australia's Usman Khawaja has declared himself fit for the third Ashes Test against England next week, brushing aside speculation about his future and saying he will keep playing as long as he is valued by the team.
'Bowl fast when there's nothing going on, champion,' Smith snapped after Archer let him know he wasn't easing up despite the situation.
No fewer than 36 wickets fell during two chaotic days in the fourth Ashes Test, leaving the captains of both Australia and England unimpressed with the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch.
Dropped Australia opener Sam Konstas will face England in a two-day tour match between the first and second Ashes Tests as part of the Prime Minister's XI squad.
India on Friday slipped a rung to sixth position on the World Test Championship standings after New Zealand's comprehensive nine-wicket victory against the West Indies in Wellington.
Charlie Smith, one of the thousands of England fans cheering on Ben Stokes's struggling team, stopped off on the way to the ground to buy bin bags and gather up the garbage.
Shubman Gill's form in the series is a concern for India as he has now gone six games without a half-century.
Triumphant Australia will bid farewell to Usman Khawaja as England look to recover another few scraps of pride when the Ashes series comes to a conclusion with the fifth Test in Sydney from Sunday.
Six different teams have lifted the trophy over the years, with the West Indies, England and reigning champions India the only nations to have won it twice.
'He has responded extraordinarily well since coming out of the coma to the point where his family feels it's like some sort of miracle.'
Less than two weeks after being dismissed as a "dud" Down Under, Joe Root finally shrugged the monkey off his back with a first Test century in Australia on Thursday to breathe life into England's Ashes campaign.
The 35-year-old left-armer retires with 79 wickets from 65 T20Is, second on the all-time list for Australia, behind spinner Adam Zampa.
Kagiso Rabada underwent a scan on Monday following an inflammation of his right ankle after which the 30-year-old was ruled out of the three-match series.
Ben Stokes' defiant resistance in the third Ashes Test ended in visible fury on Friday as Mitchell Starc once again got the better of England's captain on Day 3 in Adelaide.
Besides his batting, he was just as exceptional behind the stumps, taking some really clean catches to prove his mettle as one of the best glovesmen in world cricket right now.
If selected, it would be the fast-medium pacer's first Test since taking five wickets in a heavy defeat by New Zealand in Hamilton a year ago.
Review technology under fire again in Adelaide Ashes Test
'I feel like as long as I prepare as well as possible, I tick all the boxes ... and then just let my reactions do the talking. Just try and keep it simple, see ball hit ball.'
'He's a good competitor, he comes hard at you so it was good fun.'
Having hit Western Australia's golf links before being beaten by eight wickets in Perth, England's enthusiasts will have access to a selection of championship courses to play a round before a refreshing dip in the Pacific Ocean.
Smith will lead the Aussies for the Ashes opener in Perth.
Ian Botham and Greg Chappell came together in Melbourne on Tuesday to announce celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the first-ever Test between Australia and England.
Every time Joe Root or Steve Smith scores big in Test cricket, Sanjay Manjrekar says his thoughts drift to Virat Kohli.
Penpix of Australia's 2005 Ashes Test squad for the series which starts on July 21.
Australia's Lyon angry at being dropped for second Ashes Test
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