While form is important, Tim Paine's hopes of retaining his spot may ultimately rest on whether selectors feel he might be a major distraction amid the pressures of an Ashes series.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said the hosts would field their strongest side against Pakistan, which means a welcome return for spinner Nathan Lyon, who will chase his 500th Test wicket after injury ruled him out of the last three matches of the Ashes.
Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary revealed his preference for Mohammad Shami over all-rounder Shardul Thakur in playing XI against Bangladesh in the ongoing World Cup.
Will India bring in Sanju Samson for the struggling Shivam Dube?
The Indian team for Australia classified by IPL franchise.
Rahul didn't provide any definitive answers about three key slots in the team -- the wicketkeeper, the third spinner and the number five in the batting order.
Pathan conceded that Jasprit Bumrah is the only automatic selection among the bowlers.
India captain Virat Kohli was on Thursday slammed by cricket fans for wearing shorts at the toss for the warm-up game against Cricket Australia XI ahead of the four-Test series in Adelaide.
Experienced opener David Warner named Marcus Harris to replace him as Australia's opener in red-ball cricket.
Reports (not denied by India) that the USA had 'for the first time provided real-time details to their Indian counterparts on the Chinese positions and force strength in advance of a PLA incursion' into Tawang at the LAC in December 2022, helping India thwart China's expansionist designs, show how operationally effective the USA-India friendship has become on the ground. A engaging excerpt from Sreeram Chaulia's must-read new book, Friends: India's Closest Strategic Partners.
Chinese hubris and the slippery slope it finds itself on have important lessons for authoritarian leaders elsewhere, including in India, observes Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
The legendary Sachin Tendulkar found senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's exclusion from India's playing XI for the World Test Championship final baffling.
USA's sparkling debut, Afghan bravehearts' dream run and India's brilliance
Their campaign back on track after drubbing Bangladesh in their previous game, Australia cannot afford slip-up against an unpredictable West Indies in their final Super 12 match as they look to seal a semi-final spot in the T20 World Cup on Saturday.
David Warner became Australia's first player from the nation to make 100 appearances in all formats of cricket
Pakistan's experienced wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed laid out the team's plans to ruin Australia's star batter David Warner's farewell Test series.
Geoff Marsh was a member of Australia's first World Cup winning team. His youngest child Mitchell is a member of the latest Aussie team to win the World Cup.
'I think it's a great opportunity to do well in any condition. We did well on the last two tours of South Africa and England. We are not even thinking like we have a pressure situation. Instead, we always think that we have an opportunity to do well'
Leading a T20 side for the first time, Australia's World Cup winning skipper Pat Cummins says the shortest format is not taxing on body but the travel involved in the two-month long IPL and different-style preparations to face a variety of teams is certainly a huge challenge.
'Our two (spinners) bowled well but in hindsight, probably should have bowled Moeen in our innings with the way spin was playing.'
Kane Williamson declines New Zealand 'forced' Neil Wagner to retire
'A middle order that reads Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Pandya and Ashwin should provide the runs expected of that section.'
Rajneesh Gupta presents all the numbers.
The Chinese leader is today facing some open, or less subtle, criticism from within the party and from liberal intellectuals who are increasingly concerned by the concentration of power in his hands and the increasing authoritarianism of the regime, says Claude Smadja.
Without bigger contributions from their senior players -- Masood and Babar Azam among them -- Pakistan may struggle to prevent the losing streak from stretching to 16 in Melbourne, for all of Hafeez's fighting words.
The leg spinner warned the World XI to expect a backlash from Australia in the ICC Super Series after their Ashes defeat.
Former fast bowler Geoff Lawson believes the current Indian attack is one the best he has seen in a long time and will challenge the Australian batsmen in the four-Test series.
'He was sent home after three matches to rest. So, if this is going to continue, how will you ensure that he is fully ready?'
'That person can win you matches with fielding, he can win you matches with bowling and he can win you matches with batting. His performance gets better when the match is good.'
Hanuma Vihari is eying a Test comeback by capping off the Ranji Trophy season on a strong note.
India are unlikely to rush Shami back into the playing XI as the five Test series against England could be played on turning tracks.
In recent years, India's batters have struggled against spin.
India will play their 100th Test against Australia as they meet in the Boxing Day Test
Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the game, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said after it was criticised for selecting a second-string squad featuring seven debutants for the country's two fixtures in New Zealand next month.
Cheteshwar Pujara is set to play his 100th Test match when India take on Australia for the 2nd Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Usman Khawaja will replace Travis Head in Australia's middle order for this week's fourth Ashes Test against England in the only change to the side that wrapped up the series in Melbourne last week.
With all their top players recovering from COVID-19, a confident India will take on Australia in a blockbuster semi-final of the Under-19 World Cup in Coolidge, Antigua, on Wednesday.
Did Xi deliver a message to Modi at Mamallapuram, which though couched in a velvet glove was time-bound? What was that message? It is clear Indian/Israeli/US spy satellites would not have missed detecting Chinese troop movements towards the Ladakh-Tibet frontier. Then why did some important functionaries in the Government of India choose to only ask the Russians about this in April 2020? Was Russian reassurance of Chinese troop movements being part of a routine exercise the reason that the Leh-based XIV Corps did not mobilise itself for its annual summer exercises near the LAC? A fascinating excerpt from Iqbal Chand Malhotra's new book Red Fear: The China Threat.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the first ODI against Australia on Friday?
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the fourth Test against England?
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