Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins has expressed his amazement at the team's batting prowess, calling it "scary" to watch them clobber the bowlers.
Reeling from injuries to captain Pat Cummins and paceman Josh Hazlewood, Australia have received a boost ahead of the first Ashes Test in Perth starting Friday, with Cameron Green telling reporters he is ready to bowl free of any restrictions.
Konstas, 20, misses out after a poor tour with the bat in the West Indies, while Weatherald has been included after topping the Sheffield Shield runs list
Pat Cummins has promised to inundate Indian batters with bouncers at "some point" of the third Test
Pat Cummins said it's tough to repose full "confidence" on ultra-edge technology but maintained that India batter Yashasvi Jaiswal had clearly edged him
Pat Cummins will captain Australia at the Champions Trophy after being named in a preliminary 15-man squad also featuring fellow quick Josh Hazlewood on Tuesday.
Australia captain Pat Cummins is all but ruled out of the Champions Trophy while fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood is also a doubt for the tournament.
England did not have their full squad in Perth until last Sunday and will play one internal match before the first Ashes Test on November 21.
Australia have suffered another blow ahead of the Ashes opener against England after fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was ruled out due to a hamstring injury on Saturday, further weakening their bowling attack after the loss of captain Pat Cummins.
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.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
England have not won the Ashes in Australia after losing the first Test since the 1950s but McCullum and Stokes will remain convinced they can turn the series around, just as they did against South Africa in 2022 when they won 2-1 after losing the opener at Lord's.
I certainly get drained mentally quicker than I've probably used to: Smith
Paceman Josh Hazlewood has brushed off worries about Australia's ageing attack for the Ashes, saying he personally feels as good as he has in a long time and that the unit's experience of bowling together is a major advantage for the team.
Only three England captains have secured the urn in Australia in the last 50 years, with Andrew Strauss the last in 2010/11.
Irfan Pathan has added fresh fuel to it with a stinging remark aimed at Jasprit Bumrah, using Pat Cummins' Ashes-first approach as an example of how elite pacers should handle their schedules.
Cummins had no qualms in admitting that his team was thoroughly outplayed in the series opener but he promised to bounce back in Adelaide
Mitchell Starc and Ben Stokes set the scene for a dramatic Ashes series.
The contest between England's dialled-down "Bazball" approach and Australia's more methodical batting could determine who prevails in the Ashes series beginning in Perth on Friday.
Young Sam Konstas took the world by surprise with his aggressive approach in the Boxing Day Test, and the skipper lauded the teenager's adaptability.
Expect nothing less than hostility, fire and close contests as Ben Stokes' England come armed with their Bazball philosophy to try and get the better of a depleted Australia.
Australia's selectors chairman George Bailey defended sticking with the Test side's veteran core for the Ashes on Wednesday following criticism from former captain Steve Waugh about the team's ageing profile.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
'But we'll savour this for a couple of hours at least and then it'll be recovery for the next few days.'
England's Ashes hopes rest largely on the all-round performance of talismanic captain Ben Stokes, who took 17 wickets against India in the recent home series.
Starc's withdrawal comes after pace stalwarts Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out due to injuries.
'My body feels great right now, I am very confident of getting through all five (Tests) without any dramas.'
Australian skipper Pat Cummins had a special message for the 19-year-old debutant Sam Kontas, urging the batter to enjoy being a part of the Boxing Day Test, and not overthink it.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Ashes Test in Perth on Saturday.
New South Wales fast bowler Sean Abbott created history as the first player to be substituted out of a Sheffield Shield match due to injury, other than concussion.
England 'quietly confident' heading into Ashes series, says Wood
All-rounder Max Maxwell, who has been sidelined by a wrist injury, will come in for the last three games, while Test certainty Josh Hazlewood will skip the last three games.
All-rounder Cameron Green will miss the three-match ODI series against India due to side soreness.
Pat Cummins has never been part of a victorious Test series campaign against India, and the Australian captain wants to erase that blemish from his CV
Kasprowicz recalls being thanked "for saving Test cricket" for his Ashes 2005 Birmingham dismissal
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.
Former opener Matthew Hayden also took aim at Cummins, criticising the field placements after Kohli's arrival in the middle.
Making a comeback to international cricket after a seven-month gap, Virat Kohli has perished for ducks in the first two ODIs against Australia.
Pat Cummins denies dressing room divide amid speculation over Hazlewood's comments
Abhishek Sharma finished as the highest run-getter in the rain-hit five-match T20I series, having amassed 163 runs in the series at a strike rate of 161.39.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances