Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma says the team cannot be dependent on him alone to perform in every match and it is time other players put up their hands and started delivering.
Hardik Pandya's late cameo and half-century from opener Shikhar Dhawan helped India outclass Australia by six wickets in a high-scoring thriller in the second T20 International to seal the T20 series 2-0, in Sydney, on Sunday.
Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni dropped down the ladder to No 4 and 10 respectively, while Shikhar Dhawan retained the seventh rung in the latest Reliance ICC ODI batsmen's rankings, released on Monday.
Their path to the semi-finals looking relatively easier in comparison, Australia will fancy their chances when they lock horns with a struggling Pakistan side whose hopes hangs by a thread in the ICC World Twenty20, in Mohali, on Friday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli says with the South African batsman around the opposition knows they have a slim chance, 'and there's a good reason for that'.
With 10 points from 11 games, it is a must-win encounter for Dinesh Karthik and his men if they want to keep their play-off chances alive.
Battered and bruised after four successive defeats, India will make a last-gasp effort to avoid the embarrassment of being whitewashed by an unrelenting Australia when the two sides clash in the fifth and final One-Day International in Sydney, on Saturday.
How do India and Australia's teams stack up? Rajneesh Gupta presents all the numbers.
Rediff.com takes a look at a few players who made a significant impact to their team's fortunes.
India will need to win at least a game in the upcoming one-dayer series against Australia to retain their current second position in the ICC ODI Team Championships, even as second-placed Virat Kohli looks to close in on AB de Villiers in the batting chart. World champions Australia go head to head with former winner India in a five-match series in Perth on Tuesday. Australia (127) lead second-ranked India (114) by 13 points and even if they lose all the five matches of the series, they will drop points but still finish a point ahead of India.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan said poor fielding cost India the game after the visitors lost by four runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method against Australia in the first Twenty20 International.
India should start preparing for the 2019 World Cup in a diligent manner similar to the way in which the triumphant Australians did for the just-concluded edition, feels former Test cricketer and ex-chief selector Chandu Borde.
With the threat of in-form off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin looming large, Australia captain Michael Clarke summoned Shane Warne to the team's nets on Wednesday, ahead of their ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final against India, at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
It will not be the first time that the competition has had to be held outside India.
A 3-0 lead in the five-match series will be a perfect parting gift for Ranchi's favourite son, who, in all likelihood, will be seen wearing the India Blues for the last time at his home ground.
Mumbai Indians will have their task cut out when they lock horns with Chennai Super Kings.
Jasprit Bumrah's amazing skill-set gives India a realistic chance of winning the World Cup but a 'freak' called David Warner might just retain it for Australia, believes 2015 World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli combined to frustrate Australia for an entire session as India held the whip-hand at 215 for two at the close of a grinding opening day of the third Test in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Meg Lanning's Southern Stars, have been an exemplar of sportsmanship on and off the field, and have little need for the puffed-up aggression that made the Aussie men's side one of the game's least likeable.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians kept their hopes of making the last four stage alive with a clinical seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad, in Hyderabad, on Monday. Chasing Hyderabad's modest total of 157 for 3, made possible by a late assault from David Warner (55 not out) and solid batting by opener Aaron Finch (68), Mumbai cruised home with eight balls to spare.
Glenn Maxwell missed his maiden ODI century but his career-best 95 helped Australia win the tri-series
With the teams entering the final phase of their preparations for next year's World Cup, former batting great Ian Chappell said defending champions India, Australia and South Africa are the favourites to win the game's showpiece event.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians will be aiming to sort their 'opening woes' in both departments of the game when they take on a rejuvenated Kings XI Punjab in a must-win Indian Premier League encounter, in Indore, on, Friday.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index after Game 51 in IPL 10.
Rising Pune Supergiant defeated Gujarat Lions by five wickets in an IPL match in Pune, on Monday.
The Indian Playing XI will also have Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Sunday as he replaces Mohammed Shami, who was hit on the leg in his follow through during the third match.
With 14 required off the last over, Umesh Yadav was hit for a boundary each by Jhye Richardson and Pat Cummins as Australia reached the target of 127 off the last delivery of the match.
Hetmyer smacked three sixes and eight fours in his entertaining knock, helping his side chase down a modest target of 128.
'Sachin and I will be tossing a coin in New York City... It will be part of history.'
India had a forgettable outing with both bat and ball as Australia bounced back in the T20 International series with a crushing eight-wicket win in the second match in Guwahati, on Tuesday.
Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are India's highest-ranked batsman and bowler in third and 13th positions respectively.
Indian captain Virat Kohli, day said head coach Ravi Shastri was the brain behind promoting all-rounder Hardik Pandya up the order, which eventually paid rich dividends for the home side in the series-clinching five-wicket win over Australia in the third One-day International in Indore.
With the Sydney Cricket Ground reliably Australia's most spin-friendly wicket, the hosts may find it tough going to manufacture a face-saving victory and square the series.
Mumbai Indians had a break of five days after their 20-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a low-scoring Indian Premier League in Mumbai and captain Rohit Sharma said on Thursday that the short respite was very helpful in recharging their batteries.
Photos of the World Cup Pool A game between West Indies and Scotland being played in Hobart.
Australia stormed into the World Cup quarter-finals with a 64-run victory over Sri Lanka, fired by a spectacular maiden one-day international century from Glenn Maxwell at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup.
Mumbai Indians' third IPL triumph on Sunday was largely down to a stellar contribution with the ball from the young fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah found his mojo as India got back to winning ways with a morale-lifting 13-run triumph over Australia in the third and final ODI in Canberra on Wednesday, salvaging some of the lost pride in a 1-2 series defeat.
Images from the first Twenty20 International between India and Australia, in Canberra, on Friday.
