The Perth Stadium pitch that saw Australia complete a thumping eight-wicket Ashes win inside two days over England has earned the ICC's (ICC) highest rating.
The pitch used for the India vs South Africa first Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in November has received a "satisfactory" rating from International Cricket Council.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting tips confident England to pose real Ashes threat.
England tested him like no other place - from exposing his raw edges in 2014 to witnessing his peak in 2018, and finally revealing his human side in 2021.
England skipper Ben Stokes on Thursday said the hosts don't think the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin makes India any lesser side as their "ginormous" talent pool is enough to fill the void.
'As I said, while you're contributing, or while you're in the best group of players, why do you have to put a cap on a guy or a girl, if you're a certain age?'
'It's exciting to be part of the game when he's at the crease'
Ganguly lauded Gill's leadership during India's tour of England, noting the challenge of captaining at a young age in such conditions
India on Friday slipped a rung to sixth position on the World Test Championship standings after New Zealand's comprehensive nine-wicket victory against the West Indies in Wellington.
B Sai Sudharsan is set to become the rookie face in the Test squad along with T20 specialist left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh.
India's absolute dominance at home will come under examination when they meet a determined New Zealand in the decisive third ODI at the high-scoring Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, with the three-match series locked at 1-1.
'To be able to take over or equal Glenn, or however you want to put it, it's pretty humbling to be honest with you, and it's something that I'll look back at the end of my career, or even tonight, and sit back and try and have a moment.'
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes Virat Kohli, who considers Test cricket as the pinnacle, could come out of retirement if India suffer a heavy defeat in the upcoming five-Test series in England.
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.
Ashwin's comments echo a growing concern within the game, that too many tournaments, too often, may be eroding the very excitement that once made World Cups unmissable.
Vice-captain Smriti Madhana, who ended her lean patch with a fluent 80 in the fourth T20I, retained her third position in the rankings, while Jemimah Rodrigues slipped one place to 10th.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Ashes Test played in Perth on Friday.
India A batters enjoyed their time on a placid batting track with all the top four batters helping themselves to half-centuries as the first unofficial 'Test' against England Lions ended in a draw
England's Stokes praises Australia's Head, supports his own errant batters
'They discuss with Gautam the ODI format, the matches that we have and our plans for South Africa.'
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.
Chelsea's James warns England of extreme heat at 2026 World Cup
Injuries prevented Archer appearing in subsequent Ashes series but the 30-year-old is now fit and firing and will be part of England's high-octane pace attack that many think could power them to a first series win in Australia since 2010-11.
Sanju Samson's T20I future took another hit on Tuesday as India benched him yet again, favouring the finishing skills of Jitesh Sharma in a team that now appears fully committed to its Shubman Gill-led blueprint.
England have named two uncapped players in Essex duo Sam Cook and Jordan Cox in the squad for the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge later this month.
Kuldeep Yadav is one match-winner India can't afford to leave out for the upcoming Test series in England and the wrist spinner should be picked ahead of batting all-rounders, reckon former selectors and coaches.
Joe Root's century in vain as England were shown the door.
Seasoned South African opener Quinton de Kock returned to his old base Mumbai Indians for a base price of Rs 1 crore.
The 2026 World Cup will kick off-on June 11 with joint-hosts Mexico playing South Africa at the Azteca Stadium - iconic venue of the 1970 and 1986 finals - followed by South Korea against a play-off winner after the complex draw was made on Friday.
Curran hasn't played for England since he featured in a white-ball series against the West Indies in November last year and was recently overlooked for the side's ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign
The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be.
Spain cannot meet Argentina and France will not face England before the World Cup final - provided they win their groups - after FIFA on Tuesday announced the draw procedure.
Captain Pat Cummins and spinner Nathan Lyon have returned to the Australia XI for the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide.
'If India can't provide security to one of our players, how will they ensure security of our entire team.'
Charismatic England batter Joe Root has advocated consistency to counter India in the upcoming five-Test series, saying "there's no hiding place" when it comes to facing such an indomitable opponent.
Gujarat Titans opener B Sai Sudharsan continued his red-hot form in the Indian Premier League to lead the Orange Cap race for IPL's top scorer and stake his claim for a Test debut in India's tour of England later this year.
Suryakumar Yadav's poor run of form over the last 18 months has surprised Australian great Ricky Ponting, who believes the Indian skipper should think about scoring runs and not getting out in the lead up to the T20 World Cup.
These comments come after India recently announced their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Suryakumar Yadav is set to lead India in his first-ever ICC tournament as captain, with Axar Patel named as his deputy.
Lisa Keightley, the new coach of the Mumbai Indians, said Indian domestic players are getting the right amount of competition, which is now reflecting in their performances.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri cautioned against giving Jasprit Bumrah five Tests in a row in England.
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