Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson is at full throttle and ready to torment England's batsmen again in the Ashes series, his captain Michael Clarke said on Tuesday.
Australia were dealt a blow as their all-rounder Mitchell Marsh will not bowl again in the remainder of the second cricket Test against India due to a hamstring injury on the first day at the Gabba.
'It hasn't been easy for the batters throughout the series'
Australia's left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc hopes that his current form for New South Wales will help him get back into Australia's One-day squad before the tri-series final.
Factbox on the four-Test series between Australia and India, which begins on Thursday
Australia's pace bowlers took eight quick wickets to skittle out Sri Lanka for 174 runs on day one of the second Test in Kandy on Thursday, as the home team struggled against fast bowling from the start of the innings. Australia were 60 without loss at stumps. Shane Watson was unbeaten on 36, and Phil Hughes on 23.
Travis Head (61 batting) and Pat Cummins (10) kept Australia in the game with a 50-run partnership in the last session but India walked away with the advantage after the latter fell towards the end of day's play.
There is some good news for the injury-hit Australian cricket team as opener Shaun Marsh is likely to be fit for the upcoming Test series against India and might even play the two warm-up matches before that.
Explosive opening batsman David Warner is set to earn his first Test cap after he was named in the Australia squad, on Saturday, to face New Zealand in the first Test starting at the Gabba in Brisbane, on Thursday.
Australia have included uncapped George Bailey in their 12-man squad for the first Ashes encounter against England next week in a gamble the 31-year-old can replicate his "extraordinary" limited overs form in the Test arena.
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.
Pace legend Glenn McGrath, who has often predicted results of Australia's Test rubbers, forecast yet another 5-0 clean sweep by his country against England in the upcoming Ashes series.
Australia have called batsman Shaun Marsh into their squad for the opening Test of the four-match series against India, which was pushed back to next week after the death of Phillip Hughes.
Cheteshwar Pujara hit his second century of the series before India captain Virat Kohli declared their first innings closed at 443 for seven after tea on day two of the third Test against Australia on Thursday.
"The best team won, we struggled from the beginning and we couldn't deal with their long balls. Usually, you press the ball to win it, but this was different. They defended so deep and so well," City coach Pep Guardiola told the BBC.
Australian all-rounder Shane Watson was forced to cut short his training session in the Melbourne Cricket Ground nets after being hit on the helmet by a bouncer on Tuesday, three days before the start of the third Test against India.
It is Father's Day this Sunday, and so it's as apt a time as any other to look back at some of the cutest pictures of celebrity dads with their little ones.
A series win in Australia will certainly put Kohli on a higher pedestal even though the quality of the home team's batting line-up suffered adversely due to the bans of former skipper Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner.
India came within sniffing distance of a defining victory before a stoic resistance by Australia's tail delayed the inevitable in the third Test in Melbourne on Saturday.
Left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson on Tuesday returned to the 13-member Australian squad while Shane Watson and Doug Bollinger were rested for the last two One-Day Internationals against Pakistan in Perth.
Selectors name the Test squad on Thursday but will have to rely on their gut rather than hard numbers
Khawaja passed a fitness Test on Monday after recovering from a hamstring injury and Langer confirmed the left-hander will bat at number three, while fast bowler Pattinson is set to feature in his first Test match since Feb. 2016.
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
India's bowlers once again exposed the chinks in jittery Australian batting line-up leaving the hosts tottering at 104 for four in pursuit of a tough target of 323 on the fourth day of the first Test.
The announcement came a day after royal bride-to-be Markle on Thursday confirmed that her ailing father will not attend her wedding with Prince Harry in Windsor Castle.
James Pattinson will replace fellow-quick Mitchell Starc in the Australia team for this week's opening test against West Indies, captain Steve Smith said on Wednesday, reviving a promising career that had stalled because of injury.
Paceman Mitchell Johnson is still a class act despite a poor first Test with the ball but Australia know he will not get the fast pitches he thrives on in the rest of the Ashes series, coach Darren Lehmann said.
Australia opening batsman Aaron Finch has declared himself fit for the Boxing Day Test against India in Melbourne and said his injured finger would need to be cut off to prevent him from playing in front of his home state's fans.
England still blinking after perfect Ashes start.
South Africa completed victory over Australia by an innings and 20 runs in the third Test at Newlands on Sunday, despite an entertaining maiden Test century from Mitchell Johnson.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 2nd Test at Perth on Sunday
Labuschagne is expected to bat at number three, with Smith to return to his favoured number four slot.
As India go in to the four-match Test series against Australia that commences in Adelaide on Tuesday, here is a factbox.
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.
Mitchell Johnson electrified a world record Test crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with a searing new ball spell to capture two late wickets and leave England a rocky 226 for six at the close of the opening day of the fourth Test on Thursday.
Captain Virat Kohli determinedly led India's fightback on an engrossing day two on Saturday, blunting Australia's bowling attack to leave the second Test hanging in the balance.
Former Australian pacer Brett Lee equated his country's pace attack for the upcoming Cricket World Cup at home to the 'biggest wolf pack' he has ever seen.
The side, led by Jason Sangha, also includes Will Sutherland, son of Cricket Australia's (CA) chief executive James Sutherland. Sutherland Jr is the vice-captain of the side.
England made a poor start to their Australia tour on Thursday with their fancied bowling attack forced to toil by a second-string Western Australia Chairman's XI at Perth.
Their play-off chances hanging by a thread, Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Mumbai Indians with a prayer on their lips in a must-win Indian Premier League game for them on Sunday.
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