Rajat Patidar's astute captaincy has been apparent throughout this season, be it bowling changes or field placements, he has been spot on. Unlike other franchises where captaining big egos has not sat well with certain players, Patidar has commanded the respect of his senior India as well as international team-mates.
Nathan McSweeney is on the brink of a major debut, set to partner Usman Khawaja as Australia's opening batters in the series against India.
On Sunday, he did well to kill the notion that left arm spinners are not effective against left arm batters as he clearly took out the Rajasthan southpaws for his first two wickets.
The all-time attendance record at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was smashed on Monday when the total attendance for the fourth Test touched an unprecedented 350,700.
Virat Kohli remains the biggest draw as he returns to his 'home ground' at the back of five half-centuries in nine games. Four of them have come away from the Chinnaswamy Stadium and despite being in the opposition camp, the Delhi crowd will be hoping the Indian superstar extends his prolific run in the tournament.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first player in IPL history to complete 200 dismissals.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni provided the flourish at the end as Chennai Super Kings outclassed Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets to break their run of losses.
Shamar's heroics and the Windies win saw congratulations pouring in from every quarter. And it also left Windies legends Brian Lara and Carl Hooper, both who are now broadcasters, in tears as videos circulated on X.
Having made their Test debuts in the same year, Nathan Lyon and Ravichandran Ashwin will face each other for the eighth time in the longest format during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said that Australian skipper Pat Cummins will be remembered as Australia's greatest cricketer after batting great Don Bradman because of his brilliant numbers and performances.
Images from the IPL 2025 match between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur on Saturday
Mayank Yadav should be on the plane to Australia if Mohammed Shami is not available for selection, asserted Brett Lee, one of the most destructive fast bowlers of all time, who has high hopes from the Indian pace sensation on the true, bouncy wickets Down Under.
'I hadn't really planned to get a wicket on the first ball. My mindset was to put the ball in the right areas. Obviously, when you play knockouts, you want to start and finish well with the first and last ball.'
Speaking as quoted by Fox Sports, Waugh said, "I think they have picked the team on winning these last two Test matches."
Skipper Jasprit Bumrah has suffered back spasm and the team is waiting for an update from the medical staff about the availability of the pacer on Day 3 on Sunday.
Yuzvendra Chahal led a stunning comeback for Punjab Kings with 4/28 as they defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs in their low-scoring Indian Premier League thriller on Tuesday.
Virat Kohli has admitted he hasn't been disciplined enough in his last two-three innings of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and plans to take a lot more time before going for his strokes in the remaining two Tests.
Which MI bowler impressed you the most?
McSweeney was dismissed by Bumrah four times across six innings and the Australia selectors have replaced him with teenage sensation Sam Konstas for the Melbourne and Sydney Test.
Shubman Gill fell to a bizarre dismissal to a loose shot off the final ball of the morning session.
MCC expresses interest to host Indo-Pak Test after T20 WC clash success
Michael Hussey backed star India batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and said that one cannot write off champion players like them.
Virat Kohli was not extended any special treatment, asserted India great Sunil Gavaskar, but some former Australia players felt the batting superstar got away lightly for his physical altercation with debutant Sam Konstas in the ongoing Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
David Warner has expressed his ambition to take up coaching in future.
Rohit Sharma wilted under the traditional Australian tactic of mentally breaking down the opposition captains
Australian legends Adam Gilchrist and David Warner have little doubt that Indian players' psyche would have been scarred after the recent whitewash at home by New Zealand,
Former Australia batsman Mark Waugh believes the International Cricket Council should consider appointing a neutral doctor to assess players hit on the head and make the decision regarding concussion substitutes.
A survivalist's mindset sees Indian batsmen fail again on the first day of the SCG Test.
Opener David Warner brushed aside any doubts about his Test match pedigree on Thursday with a brutal 164-run assault on Pakistan's bowlers.
Saud Shakeel's crafty 134 fetched Pakistan a handy first-innings lead before their spinners blew away England's top order to boost their hopes of a memorable series victory on day two of the deciding third Test in Rawalpindi on Friday.
With Pakistan chasing 136 for victory, the 39-year-old left arm spinner showed his class with a match-winning six for 43 in the second innings for a match haul of 11 wickets.
Former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson's criticism of ex-teammate David Warner's retirement intentions has prompted the veteran opener to respond, stating that his former teammate is entitled to his ideas, no matter how harsh.
'Chess and cricket are similar, but in cricket, you can show your aggression, but in chess, you can't. It is all about how calm you are in chess.'
Former captain Border felt Australia panicked and none of the batters tried to defend.
'No more red ball... it doesn't swing, it doesn't do anything, goes soft after 25 overs. It has been pathetic for so long now. Except for the Dukes ball in England, it has been rubbish.'
'Cummins is not surprised at how fast the landscape is changing and told Fox Sports: " ... there's going to be other opportunities that are going to be really hard for players to say no to, different franchises around the world. I think realistically we've got to manage players a bit differently to what we have in the past.'
The 36-year-old is signed as a replacement for South African Wiaan Mulder, who is expected to travel to the West Indies with the Proteas in August.
'The arrival of India to complete a Test series that should have ended at Old Trafford last summer is a reminder of how they let down the paying public and Test cricket'
Former Australian batsman Mark Waugh has called for the scrapping of leg byes from all forms of cricket, saying the batting side shouldn't be awarded runs for missing the ball. The 54-year-old World Cup winner said the drafter of the rule "was a pretty ordinary batsman."
The Australian team will prepare for the six Tests by undergoing a high-intensity training camp in Beckenham, featuring centre-wicket practice and net sessions.
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