Rain played spoilsport on Day 2 of the first Test between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval. It caused three interruptions, but in the 30 overs that were bowled, Australia captain Michael Clarke did well to fight off pain and score 128, and Steve Smith a career-best 162 not out, as India's hapless bowling attack got a beating. At stumps, Australia were 517 for 7. A look at the statistical highlights from the start-stop day.
'We got off to a good start and kept (going) on with that adrenaline''
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 3rd Test played between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town on Sunday
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has named Dean Elgar in the list of its contracted players, in place of the retired Test captain Graeme Smith.
South Africa left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso has been cleared to play at the World Twenty20 tournament in India after an independent reassessment of his bowling action found it to be legal, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said on Tuesday.
The incident has been met with astonishment in Australia, with the protagonists -- Smith, his vice captain David Warner and opening batsman Cameron Bancroft -- lambasted in the media under headlines almost universally trumpeting the word "Shame".
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin surged to the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers after a superb outing in the first Test against the West Indies in Antigua which the visiting side won by an innings and 92 runs.
Justin Langer was the foundation rock upon which Australia erected towering piles of runs during a golden era of success.
Smith stood down from his post as captain and was banned for one Test match by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday after admitting conspiring to tamper with the ball during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
South Africa's injury list continues to grow as wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock has been ruled out of the remaining four ODIs and the ensuing T20Is series against India.
Former skipper Smith and vice-captain Warner were banned for a year, and Bancroft for nine months after Cricket Australia (CA) held them guilty of conspiring to "change the condition of the ball" in last week's third Test against South Africa.
Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, the most junior member in the side at 25, was tasked with implementing the plan and was duly caught on camera using the tape.
Khawaja passed a fitness Test on Monday after recovering from a hamstring injury and Langer confirmed the left-hander will bat at number three, while fast bowler Pattinson is set to feature in his first Test match since Feb. 2016.
Clarke said their statement finds no mention of the incident's chief protagonist, Cameron Bancroft
Australia replaced India at number two position in the Test team rankings by the virtue of their hard-fought 245-run victory over South Africa in the third and final Test in Cape Town.
Any hopes that the issue of race in South Africa's sport was fading were damaged this week when the government banned its national cricket, rugby, athletics and netball federations from bidding for international tournaments due to a failure to increase their number of black players.
Rishabh Pant understands the value of his wicket and the reason why the team management often asks him to use his discretion in shot selection during important phases of various matches.
He is expected to play a major role during next year's tour of South Africa and Cheteshwar Pujara is confident that the upcoming Sri Lanka series will give him a 'good opportunity' to prepare for the tough assignment ahead.
Gautam Gambhir termed sanctions imposed on Steve Smith and David Warner 'harsh' and raised questions whether the errant duo paid the price for revolting against Cricket Australia on pay hike issue.
JP Duminy has been named in the South African Twenty20 squad for the three-match home series against West Indies next month, but a number of other top players will again be rested.
Virender Sehwag reckons that India now only have around '30 per cent chance' of making a comeback in the three-Test series against South Africa after losing the opening encounter by 72 runs.
South Africa have appointed former player Neil McKenzie as batting coach until the end of next month's World Twenty20 in India. McKenzie, 40, retired as a player last month and has been roped in to help South African batting line-up that has looked fragile recently. He will work with the team in home Twenty20 series against England and Australia, as well as the World Twenty20 that starts on March 8. "It's been something that we have been trying to do for a long time," South Africa head coach Russell Domingo told reporters on Wednesday. "We have explored a few options and finally one guy has committed to us, we are ecstatic that Neil will be joining us. "He will work with us until the end of the World Cup. Things will be assessed from there, it's the end of the cricket season, and we will look at things going forward."
Captain Virat Kohli scored a scintillating unbeaten 83, while Ajinkya Rahane was unbeaten on 52 as the duo put on the first hundred-run partnership of the series and ensured that India took a massive 403-run lead on Day 3 of the fourth Test against South Africa in New Delhi on Saturday. Here are the statistical highlights of the day's play.
Zak Crawley scored a maiden Test half century before South Africa fought back to restrict England to 192 for four when bad light stopped play early in the opening day of the fourth Test on Friday.
Kohli was addressing the media on the eve of the second and final Test against New Zealand in Mumbai from Friday.
Newly appointed Australia coach Justin Langer will charge his players with winning back the 'respect' of the cricket world after a ball-tampering scandal left the team's reputation in ruins.
Disgraced Australian cricketer Steve Smith will be much stronger mentally when he returns to international cricket after serving a one-year ban for his involvement in ball tampering, former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith said.
The three-match series is in jeopardy after a number of COVID-19 cases in the bio-secure environment at the hotel both teams share, including a South African player, two hotel staff and potentially two members of the England party.
He has had many special memories of Sachin Tendulkar and understandably for Gautam Gambhir the batting legend will always remain a "true role model" whose humility makes him a special person.
England expressed concern over the strength of the bio-secure environment after the positive result, while a South African team investigation has not yet shown how the unnamed player caught the virus.
Former India women's captain Diana Edulji comes down heavily on Harmanpreet and Co, questions fitness
India will need mental toughness as much as consistent performances with bat and ball if they are to record their first Test series victory in South Africa, captain Virat Kohli said on Wednesday.
England paceman Stuart Broad took 8-15 as Australia collapsed to 60 all out in 94 minutes on the first day of the fourth Ashes Test on a remarkable morning session at Trent Bridge.
Eoin Morgan expects Australia to be 'galvanised' when they face his team next month in their first series after the ball tampering scandal in South Africa.
The Proteas have named five new players in the squad for the series starting next month.
"It's got nothing to do with the cricket - it's in the past."
Harbhajan Singh, on Sunday, slammed the International Cricket Council for letting off Australian opener Cameron Bancroft with only a fine of 75 per cent of his match fee and not a ban, despite his role in the ball tampering scandal in the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
All-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis have been excluded from a 25-player squad for an intra-Australia clash that will go a long way to deciding the makeup of Tim Paine's Ashes side.
Reaction after Australia's Steve Smith, who has stepped down as captain, confessed on Saturday that the team's "leadership group" had hatched a plan to alter the condition of the ball during the third day of the third Test against South Africa.
The series is even more important for Kohli as it would also define his legacy as a leader having already established himself as world's premier batsman.
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