Australia fast bowler Ryan Harris has joined team mate Mitchell Johnson in criticising the unusually slow and low nature of pitches in the ongoing Test series against India.
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India will take on Australia in the second ODI of the tri-series, also involving England, on January 18, after Cricket Australia decided to swap the first two matches to give appropriate recovery time to the Indian players following the rescheduling of the four-Test series.
Australia's ground curators have been gagged as cricket authorities to clamp down any possibilities of match-fixing during the 50-overs World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next month.
England opener Michael Carberry looks set to make his Ashes debut next week after being included in the team to face an Invitational XI in a warm-up match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
Pakistan-born Fawad Ahmed is likely to make his full Australia debut over the next month after being named as the specialist spinner in the squad for six one-day and two Twenty20 internationals against England on Thursday.
Kane Williamson staged a fight-back along with opener Tom Latham (36), and Ross Taylor (26) as New Zealand reached 140 for 2 (42 overs) at close of play on Day 2 of the 2nd Test at the WACA in Perth on Saturday.
Du Plessis admitted that although it all depends upon the conditions, he is hopeful England would head into this summer's Ashes series against the Steve Smith-led side as favourites.
How do India and Australia's teams stack up? Rajneesh Gupta presents all the numbers.
A pulsating Ashes opener that had promised a grandstand finish will more than likely end early with a handsome win to Australia after Steve Smith's side pushed within 56 runs of victory at the close of day four on Sunday.
As serious doubts remain over Michael Clarke's participation in the first Test against India, Steven Smith is being seen by many as a front-runner to lead Australia in the regular skipper's absence.
Mitchell Johnson will be rested for the opening One-Day International against England to freshen up for the rest of the series, Australia coach Darren Lehmann said on Thursday.
Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a dig at Steve Smith's controversial move to seek dressing room advice for a DRS referral.
India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin is delighted that the hard work he has put in fine-tuning his slip catching is paying off.
India have not beaten Australia in any format since 2013. The tourists looked like ending that barren run when they were on 277 for one, chasing 349 for victory, only to lose their last nine wickets for 46 runs in Canberra.
In Murali Vijay the team has now rediscovered a technically sound, highly reliable opener, who can be both aggressive and defensive, believes Haresh Pandya
England batsman Kevin Pietersen will travel to Melbourne for a cortisone injection on his troublesome knee on Sunday amid concerns about wicketkeeper Matt Prior's calf ahead of next week's opening Ashes Test.
Root shared a 106-run partnership with Jonny Bairstow, who was standing in for injured wicketkeeper Matt Prior and fell just two run short of his half century before the tourists were bowled out for 418. England's bowlers initially struggled to impose themselves on the Invitational XI, who had reached 153 for four by close of play for a lead of 39 after their first innings 304.
Once again slamming the Indian bowlers for their poor showing in Australian conditions ahead of the World Cup, former captain Sunil Gavaskar said that the bowlers have learnt nothing from their past experiences on foreign tours.
Indian batting failed for the second time in three days, against England at The Gabba, but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not seem to be too bothered about it.
Impressed with the camaraderie India's pacers share among themselves, bowling coach Bharat Arun said that the attack is not only closely knit but can also clock high speeds consistently.
Australia's most successful wicketkeeper-batsman of all-time, Adam Gilchrist, is the latest name to be added to the growing list of stars taking part in the MCC versus Rest of the World match at Lord's on July 5. Gilchrist will be reunited with former teammate Shane Warne in the Rest of the World line-up, which the spin legend will captain.
With an impeccable tally of 2,633 runs across formats this year, Kane Williamson, says Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com, is right up there among the pantheon of modern great greats.
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar defended Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his "unrest" comment that got the media talking about a rift within the Indian cricket team in Australia, saying that the Indian captain might have chosen a wrong word to describe the situation.
Even if Ireland fail to make the quarter-finals of the cricket World Cup they and the other associate members have shown enough promise to warrant inclusion in future tournaments, skipper William Porterfield said on Saturday.
Captain Michael Clarke gave a graphic illustration of the raw emotions of the Australia team when he broke down repeatedly while paying tribute to former team mate Phillip Hughes on Saturday.
The International Cricket Council's recently-promised crackdown on sledging might make it seem that players are behaving badly more often right now but former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff feels the on-field altercations were 10 times worse a couple of decades ago.
Australia's new Test captain Steve Smith is excited about the prospect of playing India on a lively Gabba pitch in the second cricket Test starting on Wednesday and said he wants his team to drive the advantage to go up 2-0 in the four-match series.
The 14 grounds that will host matches during the February 14 - March 29 tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
As the countdown to 2018 starts, it's time to rewind those moments in sport that stood out this year.
While there were brilliant performances from Virat Kohli, Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane, India's pathetic bowling attack -- which could not claim 20 Australian wickets in any of the four Tests -- was depressing.
The result in the first Test against Australia was expected, if one takes a look at India's recent, or overall, record overseas. What was unexpected, though, says Bikash Mohapatra, was the Virat Kohli-led side's change of attitude.
'India have been in great form in all formats over a long time now. But it is going to be a great opportunity for us to come out, play aggressively and express ourselves. We can take the game on and really try to take it to India'
'Aggression depends on how the situation is on the field. If the opposition is aggressive towards you then you counter it. India is not a team that starts anything but we always draw a line of self-respect. If that line is crossed we stand up to that'
Rohit Sharma struck his second successive hundred of the series but once again the Indians were comfortably outclassed by Australia by seven wickets, in the second One-Day International in Brisbane, on Friday.
It was, though, his fighting attitude -- encapsulated by his desire to reclaim his spot in the Australia Test team after being dropped several times -- that meant he was remembered so fondly by many of the hundreds of mourners at the SGC.
Australia will miss captain George Bailey in the One-dayer against England on Friday but their focus will be to seal a place in the ODI tri-series final.
Despite the death of Mitchell Johnson's former team mate Phillip Hughes, the likelihood is he will unleash a similar barrage on India should the first Test go ahead.
'A man who is sometimes loved and loathed in equal measure, a man we're seemingly tired of seeing yet can't imagine life without.' Dhruv Munjal salutes the incomparable M S Dhoni.
In what will be a dress rehearsal of their opening game in the World Cup, an unbeaten Australia take on England in the cricket tri-series final, in Perth on Sunday.
Describing India's defence of the World Cup title as shaky, former Australia captain Ian Chappell has advised them to keep star batsman Virat Kohli at number three to negate any opposition plans to bounce them out with short-pitched deliveries on lively pitches Down Under.
