'Especially in the middle overs. That's going to be a key challenge.'
Their pre-tournament decision to fill the squad with five spinners drew a lot of flak from all corners, but it is now proving to be a masterstroke on the slow pitches in Dubai.
Australia captain Pat Cummins lavished praise on Mitchell Starc as the rangy left-arm paceman joined the 300 wickets club in style on Sunday during the first Test win over South Africa.
The Sunrisers are once again betting big on their power-packed batting line-up to deliver the goods in IPL 2025.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, is the other Indian giving Bumrah company in the top-10, having climbed a spot to be joint-ninth.
India might move away from having three different captains for three formats. Instead, the selectors are leaning towards a structure similar to Australia's, where Pat Cummins leads the Test and ODI teams while being supported by a strong vice-captain.
Nathan Lyon couldn't resist asking Rishabh Pant about his potential IPL destination during a break in play.
The seeds of India's defeat were sown in Melbourne, where Bumrah had to bowl 53.2 overs -- 24.4 in the second innings on the back of 28.4 in the first innings. With just three days to recover, that was an inhuman burden on a bowler who had bowled 151 overs in this series.
"One stat stands out: 375,000 people coming through the gates in that Melbourne Test match, beating the record set 90 years ago of 350,000," Shastri said.
Head smashed a swashbuckling hundred to fetch Australia a first innings lead of 157 at his home ground the Adelaide Oval.
Cummins was the first cricketer in the IPL to make a donation to help India's fight against the virus.
Josh Hazlewood, who was recalled after recovering from a side injury that ruled him out of the second Test, did not start on the ground on day four at the Gabba on Tuesday and bowled only one over before chatting to a team physio during a drinks break.
India will be under tremendous pressure when they face an equally circumspect Australia in a battle of two out-of-form batting units in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth
'Batting into day three gave us that chance to really have a crack at them on day three -- it probably went better than we expected.'
Fans can expect a wide open tournament in the absence of an overwhelming favourite in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Cummins had tested negative for RT-PCR but was asked to isolate accordingly to the COVID rules of South Australia
Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey has backed Mitchell Starc to be ready for the decisive fifth and final Test of the series against India when it starts in Sydney on Friday despite doubts over the fast bowler's fitness.
Singapore-born Tim David is an X-factor in Australia's Twenty20 World Cup squad and pace spearhead Pat Cummins said he is looking forward to the all-rounder's debut in Australian colours during the three-match series in India.
'I grew up watching Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, those guys winning Ashes series. It felt a million miles away from me playing cricket in the backyard and here I am a decade later in this position.'
After being bundled out for 150 in their first innings, India staged a sensational fightback to humble Australia by 295 runs in the first Test in Perth on Monday
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is on the cusp of making history after he went level with former spinner Bishan Singh Bedi for most wickets in an overseas Test series for India.
He added that it is amazing to watch Head, who wants to play at the peak of his powers and at the moment.
Selectors have recalled pace stalwart Hazlewood for the second ODI after he missed the MCG match to play Sheffield Shield cricket.
He warned the players that failure to follow his game plans would result in them being dropped from the team.
'I was just doing my gloves when I got the little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket.'
Images from Day 1 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
Steve Smith is not getting unduly bothered by people's opinion over his role in the 'sandpapergate' episode
Uncapped McSweeney to open with Khawaja in India series
The hosts, who had a put up a massive first innings score of 598-4 before declaring, opted not to enforce the follow-on and reached 29-1 at stumps.
Pat Cummins reached his half century off just 14 balls, same as KL Rahul, to help KKR chase down MI's total of 161 with four overs to spare
All about IPL 2025 which kicks off on March 22, Saturday.
Pat Cummins is the first bowler to register back-to-back hat-tricks at the T20 World Cup.
Australia will be without their premier pacers but their envious pedigree in ICC tournaments make them favourites to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy from Group B.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Australia and India in Perth, on Friday.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes K L Rahul's impressive ODI form has cemented his position as the team's first-choice wicketkeeper.
As vice-captain, 28-year-old fast bowler Pat Cummins would be the obvious choice to replace Tim Paine. His appointment would enable a rapid transition with the start of the Ashes series against England only three weeks away.
At this point it is still anyone's game, with a draw also an option, says Prem Panicker in his analysis of Day 4.
Pujara could get the selectors' nod if Ajit Agarkar and his team decide to fall back on his experience.
IMAGES from the Group B Champions Trophy match between Australia and England in Lahore on Saturday
If the humiliation of India being able to declare their second innings on 487/6 reflected poorly on the bowling unit, it was the Australian batting line-up dismissed for 104 in their first innings that bore the brunt of the blame.
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