Opener David Warner brushed aside any doubts about his Test match pedigree on Thursday with a brutal 164-run assault on Pakistan's bowlers.
He will open his campaign against world number 47, Australian Hayden Jones.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a master of out of the box strategies, flung the new ball to R Ashwin in the IPL 2011 final against Royal Challengers Bangalore and the then rookie off-spinner made an impact in the fourth ball itself, dismissing an in-form Chris Gayle.
Steve Smith has no ambition to be Australia's full-time captain again, the 33-year-old said after leading the team to a nine-wicket victory in the third Test against India.
Matthew Hayden who is working with the Pakistan team as batting consultant, margin for error will be very little in the big match so leadership will be the key to the outcome of the match.
'He is a good gloveman, can be an important batsman and he keeps the team on its toes in the field' 'He is a broken finger away from recall so this may not be the end for him, but I suspect we won't see him again and I am a little concerned that the team may miss him more than they expect. I hope I am wrong' 'It doesn't say much for the family-first policy if Brad puts his family first and all of a sudden he's out. Sometimes the heart has to play a part in selection'
Australia's legend Ricky Ponting said the Impact Player rule in the IPL has made the batters more fearless and stronger
Smith may lead Asutralia in the fourth and final Test against India as regular captain Pat Cummins stays put in Sydney.
Alex Yee gave England a golden start to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games on Friday, staging a dramatic late charge to win the men's sprint triathlon.
Both Hayden and Philander asked the Pakistani fans to back the current team.
'There is a role for him to come up the order.'
'Life will test you but if you have resilience and fortitude, the crown will be yours forever,' says Miss World Yukta Mookhey.
Heavy rain is expected on Sunday's match-day and also the reserve day on Monday as a multi-year La Nina weather phenomenon continues to drench much of eastern Australia.
Ahead of the blockbuster final in Ahmedabad, a look at how the 2003 World Cup played out between India and Australia.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri, looked dapper, in a black kurta and a white stole, at the toss, two days after he turned 60.
'...according to me Australia should have gone to India earlier. The preparation was not up to the mark at all. If you couldn't go to India, you should have gone to the UAE at least to prepare for a tour like this.'
Flower had joined the Australian camp as consultant ahead of the World Test Championship final against India last month.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan rated Australia's World Cup triumph as the best in the tournament's history after they upstaged a rampaging India in front of a vociferous crowd.
Here are a slew of records that were scripted on Wednesday...
Ashes is steeped in tradition but India versus Australia Test matches are bound by emotion.
As India lost the third Test to Australia, former coach Ravi Shastri slammed the team, stating overconfidence cost them the match in Indore.
Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has been elected the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a tenure of three years after winning an unopposed election.
Fast bowling greats Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board for sharing clips of the dressing room on social media.
This was the third time India were involved in a two-day Test.
Indian doubles pair of Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni put up a valiant fight before going down to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain and Adrian Mannarino of France in a three-setter.
Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan spent two nights in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital, battling severe chest infection but insisted on playing in the T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia, eventually top-scoring for the team in a lost cause.
'Yes, you are hurt, but wait for the over to finish and get treated.' 'You are playing for your country. Just two more deliveries.'
While Shubman Gill was praised following his second half-century of the season, former India opener Viren
Australia batter David Warner on Sunday became the highest run-scorer for his side in T20 World Cup.
Australian middle-order batsman Travis Head said being dropped for the opening Test in India came as a surprise after "robust" conversations with the selectors.
'What will happen to players who are there right now? They know they don't have anywhere to go if they don't perform.'
India's Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan on Tuesday achieved an unique landmark as they brought up 5000 runs as an opening pair in One-Day Internationals, during the second ODI against England at The Oval in London on Tuesday.
The former India captain said even after breaking his jaw he felt it was his responsibility to get some wickets for the team.
Ravichandran Ashwin becomes leading wicket-taker in Border-Gavaskar Trophy history
Having all but completed their one-year ban (set to end on March 28) from international cricket on ball tampering charges, Smith and Warner's IPL performance is expected to be closely monitored by Cricket Australia.
Fitness-averse Hetmyer left out.
It was on this day in 2004 that former West Indies batsman Brian Lara registered the highest ever individual score in the history of Test cricket -- a record which still stands after 17 years.
Miss World 2024 will be crowned in India soon. Long before Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra, Yukta Mukhey and Diana Hayden, a beautiful woman from Bombay was crowned Miss World. In 1966. Reita Faria was India's first Miss World. Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/ Rediff.com met the 80 year old in Dublin recently, still as elegant, still as attractive as she was all those years ago.
'We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will.'
