Persistent rain on Friday washed out a second day's play in England's tour match against Australia A in Hobart, frustrating the tourists' hopes of getting maximum batting practice in the lead up to the first Ashes test in Brisbane.
Off the back of the spectacular success of the inaugural day-night Test last month, Cricket Australia has today announced an additional day-night round of Sheffield Shield cricket this summer.
Langer, who broke a rib batting in the domestic competition, was ruled out of Australia's team for the first Test against the West Indies after failing a fitness test.
Australia's Josh Hazlewood is a 'genius' with line and length and will have no trouble being ready for next week's Ashes opener against England
Australia captain Steve Smith described England's James Anderson as "one of the biggest sledgers in the game" on Friday as the heat rose off-field at the Adelaide Oval on the eve of the second Test.
Australian coach Darren Lehmann praised his team for enduring a tough opening day of the second cricket Test at the Gabba but said he expects them to come up with a better showing against India on Thursday.
The Barmy Army, also paid homage to the late left-hander by chanting "There's only one Phillip Hughes" to the tune of 'Winter Wonderland' during the opening session of the fifth day of the match.
Simon Katich's unbeaten century helped Australia take control of the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday. The left-hander was left stranded on 131 as Australia were bowled out for 268 in 81.2 overs in their second innings setting New Zealand a stiff target of 327 to win the match.
Australia batsman Chris Rogers is aware he does not have the luxury of too many failures at the top of the order and is hopeful of returning among runs in this week's second Test in Adelaide.
The left-arm pacer is expected to join Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris in the Australian attack for the first Test against England starting at Gabba on November 21 after missing out on the Ashes tour of England earlier this year.
Australia have received a major boost less than a month before the start of the Ashes with the news that captain Michael Clarke will return to action for New South Wales on Tuesday, subject to a final fitness Test on his injured back.
'He knows that cricket has given him an identity without which nobody will care about who Shardul Thakur is.'
Australian captain Steve Smith says rookie pacer Barinder Sran has impressive variations in his armoury and was discussed in the dressing room.
Australia vice-captain David Warner found it "bizarre" that pundits and fans continue to criticise the team despite winning their last two Test matches after a run of five losses.
Cricket can be a game of fine lines but England fans were irked that Moeen Ali was judged on the wrong side of a bulging one when the all-rounder was stumped on day four of the series-opening Ashes test on Sunday.
Australia were 221 for 4 at close of play, in response to India's 408, on Day 2 of the second Test at the Gabba, on Thursday. Check out some images from the day's play.
Impressed with Josh Hazlewood's performance during his five-wicket haul on Test debut, Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath has said that the New South Wales seamer can become a member of the 200-wicket club if he continues the good work.
The opening Test of the most eagerly-anticipated Ashes series in generations gets underway on Thursday.
Australia recalled wicketkeeper Tim Paine for the first time in seven years in a selection bombshell while dropping opening batsman Matt Renshaw in a surprising Ashes squad for the series against England.
Dashing England batsman Kevin Pietersen named Kanpur's Green Park and Ahmedabad's Motera among the 10 worst stadiums where he has played cricket in all these years. Green Park and Motera does have company from other notable venues like Guyana and Manchester's Old Trafford to name a few. Pietersen also termed Gabba as the "11th worst ground" after being asked name 10 by his followers on Twitter. The other grounds that did not find favour with Pietersen are Chelmsford, Colwyn Bay, Canberra, Multan, Leicester and St Kitts. However he rated Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium as one of the 10 best venues that he has played cricket on.
Since an acrimonious series defeat at home to South Africa a year ago, Australia have won nine of their past 13 Tests.
Australia captain Steve Smith said the players drafted in for the third-Test victory over South Africa had energised the team and contributed to a "good start" to the new era of Test cricket in the country.
Australia will play their first Test series in Sri Lanka in more than five years, with a three-match series beginning on July 26 in Kandy. The Australians will embark on a two-month tour of the island nation from July 11, playing three Tests, five ODIs and two T20 Internationals. Steve Smith's side leapfrogged India in February to finish the latest 12-month period in first spot on the ICC Test Championship table, while Sri Lanka have dropped to seventh place after a disappointing year following the retirements of legendary batting duo Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena. Only three members of the Australian side that beat the Black Caps in their most recent Test series - Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle and Usman Khawaja - have experienced Test cricket in Sri Lanka.
India lost the crucial wicket of opener Murali Vijay after Steven Smith led Australia's fightback with a magnificent century on his captaincy debut. He received able support from Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, who both scored half-centuries. At close of play on Day 3 in the second Test , India were 71 for one in their second innings. Check out some images from the day's play.
An important factor in India's stupendous success in 2021 was the way the government opened its coffers to support athletes.
The Australian opener expects to be peppered by a salvo of short deliveries from the England bowlers during the Ashes.
Joe Root is willing to bat anywhere in the order to help England claw their way back from a 1-0 deficit in the Ashes series against Australia, the youngster said on Sunday.
Uncapped pacemen Joel Paris and Scott Boland will make their international debuts for Australia in the first one-day match against India in Perth on Tuesday.
'All the talking stops very quickly and the series becomes a normal series after the first two hours'
Damien Martyn smashed 96 off 56 balls to guide Australia to a 95-run victory over in the first full international Twenty20 game.
The Hughes family also confirmed funeral arrangements will take place on December3 in their home town of Macksville in northern New South Wales.
'It was really good fun out there, I absolutely loved every single minute of it.'
England captain Joe Root sought to draw a line under the litany of off-field incidents that have dogged the team throughout the Ashes on Wednesday, even as a senior player admitted they would continue to haunt the side during the third Test in Perth.
The cricketing life of Martin Crowe, who passed into the ages on March 3.
