India U-19 cricket team defeated Australia by 10 wickets on day three of the second Youth Test in Ahmedabad, securing a 2-0 series victory. Left-arm spinner Tanmay Baloda was the star performer, taking an impressive 14 wickets in the match, including 8/41 in the second innings. Australia were bowled out for 151, setting India a target of just 11 runs, which they chased down quickly.
Australia A defeated India A by 69 runs in the second one-day match in Puducherry, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Aggressive half-centuries from Josh Philippe and Sam Konstas, along with crucial wickets from pacer Spencer Johnson, led Australia A to victory, while India A's top order struggled.
Left-arm spinner Tanmay Baloda claimed six wickets for 32 runs, helping India Under-19 dismiss Australia for 174 on the opening day of the second Youth Test in Ahmedabad. India, however, lost both openers and ended the day at 38 for two, trailing by 136 runs, setting up an intriguing contest.
Australia need six wickets on final day to win first Test as South Africa were reduced to 102 for 4 at stumps on day four in Durban.
Steve Smith created history with a record 223rd Test catch as Australia took a 139-run lead over South Africa on Day 3 of the first Test at Kingsmead on Sunday.
Australia secured a 45-run victory over South Africa via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in Potchefstroom, preventing a whitewash in the three-match one-day international series, with Xavier Bartlett and Adam Zampa leading the bowling attack.
Suryansh Shedge's quickfire 66 and Gurjapneet Singh's three wickets led India A to a 49-run victory over Australia A in the third and final one-day match in Puducherry, though Australia A clinched the series 2-1.
Simon Harmer believes franchise T20 cricket has softened the fierce Australia-South Africa rivalry by turning international opponents into teammates, though he expects intense competition in the Test series.
Josh Hazlewood claimed 6-49 as Australia crushed South Africa by 214 runs at Kingsmead, dismissing the hosts for 206 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.
Matt Renshaw's career-best 190 propelled Australia to 390 all out, while Josh Hazlewood removed Ryan Rickelton cheaply as South Africa reached 27-1 before bad light intervened.
South African batsman Tony de Zorzi has been ruled out of the first Test against Australia due to a hamstring strain, adding to the team's growing injury concerns, with key paceman Kagiso Rabada also doubtful.
Pat Cummins and Matt Renshaw led Australia's fightback against South Africa, adding an unbeaten 63-run stand before bad light ended the opening day at 187/6.
Australia's pace spearhead Mitchell Starc likens winning upcoming away Test series in South Africa, India, and England, plus retaining the ODI World Cup, to Rory McIlroy's golf Grand Slam, acknowledging the team's ageing profile and the immense challenge ahead.
Nic Maddinson has been added to Australia's Test squad for the series against South Africa, marking a significant comeback over a year after undergoing treatment for testicular cancer. He joins reserve wicketkeeper Sam Harper, as Josh Inglis is out with a fractured finger and Cameron Green is being monitored for an abdominal strain. Maddinson, who last played a Test in 2016, has shown strong form recently, including a century in the One-Day Cup.
South Africa's pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada will miss the first Test against Australia due to a hamstring injury, with captain Temba Bavuma confirming the team will field two spinners, Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, for the Durban match.
Tanmay Baloda's exceptional 10-wicket match haul has put India in a commanding position against Australia in their second Youth Test in Ahmedabad. Baloda followed his first innings 6/32 with 4/26 in the second, leaving Australia U-19 trailing by 55 runs. Half-centuries from Yashbardhan Chauhan and Abhipray Biswas also contributed to India's strong first innings total.
Former England cricketer Chris Broad has criticised former Australia head coach Darren Lehmann, stating he should have been held accountable for the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, especially after new revelations from Usman Khawaja's autobiography suggest widespread team knowledge.
Australia A has established a commanding 364-run lead over India A on the third day of their second four-day match in Puducherry. India A, chasing an improbable target of 365, finished the day at 28 for one, still needing 337 runs. Key contributions from Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, and Jason Sangha helped Australia A declare their second innings at 173 for four.
South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada is in contention to play in the first Test against Australia, starting Friday, despite a recent hamstring injury, with a final decision expected at the last minute.
Nathan McSweeney's century and Mahli Beardman's four-wicket haul led Australia A to a commanding 125-run victory over India A in the first one-dayer of their three-match series.
Travis Head launched a fiery defence of Australia's Test team, lambasting former players for unfair criticism while backing Nic Maddinson's recall and dismissing doubts over his opening role.
India U-19 secured a commanding innings and 48-run victory over Australia U-19, continuing their dominant run. Lakshya Raichandani's double century and exceptional bowling performances from Yashbardhan Chauhan (6/75) and Ishan Om (4/62) were key to the win. This victory follows India's 3-0 sweep in the preceding Youth ODI series.
David Warner has backed Usman Khawaja's claim that Australia's entire team knew about the 2018 ball-tampering plan, calling his comments '100 percent accurate' and questioning Cricket Australia's investigation.
All-rounder Suryansh Shedge has been named as a replacement for the injured Hardik Pandya in the India A squad for the upcoming three-match one-day series against Australia A in Puducherry, with Pandya ruled out due to a fresh injury concern preventing him from bowling pain-free.
Australia A, powered by Sam Harper's century and effective spin bowling from Todd Murphy and Corey Rocchiccioli, gained a significant advantage over India A on Day 2 of their second four-day match in Puducherry, leaving India A trailing by 236 runs.
Former Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has claimed in his autobiography that discussions about ball-tampering during the 2018 'Sandpapergate' scandal were more widespread within the team than Cricket Australia's investigation found, stating it was 'all of us'.
Young Indian fast bowlers Gurjapneet Singh, Arshad Khan, and Yash Thakur are set to feature in the India A vs Australia A one-day series, aiming to showcase their talent and address the senior national team's current scarcity in the pace department. The series, initially anticipated for Hardik Pandya's return, now serves as a crucial platform for these emerging pacers to catch the attention of national selectors amidst injuries and inconsistent form among established bowlers.
Australia's middle-order batting struggles, particularly against spin, led to their ODI series defeat against South Africa. Despite strong starts from openers, the team consistently faltered in the middle overs, a concern acknowledged by captain Mitch Marsh as a crucial learning experience ahead of the 2027 Cricket World Cup.
Sam Harper's unbeaten century rescued Australia A from a difficult position against India A on the opening day of the second unofficial Test in Puducherry. Despite strong performances from Indian bowlers Shams Mulani and Nachiket Bhute, Harper's partnerships helped Australia A reach a respectable total of 282 for seven.
South Africa's fast bowler Anrich Nortje is on the verge of a surprising return to Test cricket after nearly four years, potentially bolstering an injury-hit Proteas attack against Australia in the first Test starting Friday in Durban.
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad received a bomb threat email during an India Under-19 vs Australia Under-19 cricket match, with the sender claiming association with the 'Khalistan National Army' and also warning of blasts at upcoming Diljit Dosanjh concerts.
Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani's impressive match-haul of 7/124, including three wickets in the second innings, propelled India A to a commanding 162-run victory over Australia A in the first unofficial Test at the CAP-Siechem Stadium in Puducherry.
Matthew Breetzke's century led South Africa to a 67-run victory over Australia in the first ODI in Durban. Despite a strong start, Australia's chase faltered due to poor shot selection, losing nine wickets for 101 runs. South Africa posted 297/8, with Breetzke scoring 112 and Marco Jansen adding 75. Australian captain Mitch Marsh expressed disappointment over the team's inability to form partnerships.
The ICC has announced the schedule for the men's World Cup, detailing India's opening match against Australia, a crucial clash with Pakistan, and other group stage fixtures, along with the dates and venues for the semi-finals and final.
Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has been ruled out of the remaining two One-Day Internationals against South Africa due to a fractured right index finger. The injury occurred during the first ODI, and he now faces a race against time to be fit for the upcoming three-match Test series in South Africa. Alex Carey is expected to replace him behind the stumps for the ODIs.
South Africa has announced an 18-player preliminary squad for the upcoming three-match home Test series against Australia, including fast bowler Kagiso Rabada despite his current hamstring injury. Uncapped batter Marques Ackerman also earned a call-up.
India A, led by skipper Devdutt Padikkal's fifty and Kumar Kushagra's unbeaten 46, set Australia A a challenging target of 363 runs on day three of their four-day match in Puducherry. Australia A ended the day at 55/2, needing 308 more runs to win.
Marnus Labuschagne remains confident he is Australia's best No. 3 Test option, despite facing criticism for a prolonged century drought and a recent average of 25.43 since the 2023 Ashes.
Liam Patterson-White earned his maiden England Test call-up after a standout County Championship season, joining Joe Root's 15-member squad for the three-Test South Africa tour beginning December 17.
The Indian Women's A team lost a close encounter to their Australian counterparts in the second unofficial ODI, despite a magnificent century from Yastika Bhatia. Australia successfully chased down a formidable target of 339, levelling the series 1-1.
