A refreshed Nathan Lyon is expected to pose a serious threat to India later this summer, but the bowler himself is not certain about the resumption of cricket disrupted by the pandemic.
India captain Rohit Sharma admitted that death bowling remains an area of concern for the team going into next month's T20 World Cup but hoped that the bowlers will find their groove soon.
Sri Lanka, who are third in the WTC rankings behind already qualified Australia and India, will need to beat New Zealand 2-0.
Team India, despite all the hype and expectations, failed to beat Australia even once during the tour. On the contrary, the co-hosts, having already got the measure of their opponents in the Test matches and the tri-series, thrashed them in Sydney, abruptly ending the Men in Blue's World Cup defense. Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com looks at the lighter side of things.
Franchise is the future but Australia rule the here and now
Mohammed Shami, who is among the best in the business, might just have to keep warming the bench.
Former opener Gary Kirsten says South Africa know how to beat Australia in their own backyard in the upcoming three-match Test series Down Under.
In cricket, we have something that we can share with our families, neighbours and indeed, the whole country. It is colour-blind, language-neutral, truly secular and transcends all regions, from Kashmir to Kerala and Mizoram to Maharashtra, explains Shreekant Sambrani.
Skipper Virat Kohli played a handy cameo after yet another impressive show by the bowling unit as India comfortably beat Australia by nine wickets in a rain-curtailed opening T20 International, in Ranchi, on Saturday.
The threat of rain looms large over the contest between the tournament's only two unbeaten teams.
Ahead of the high-octane clash, here are some key players to look out for:
Cummins said Australia's triumph had made him fall in love with 50-over cricket again even as questions about the future of the format linger.
Marsh defends controversial act of resting feet on World Cup trophy
'If he loses his place in the ODI side, I don't know where it puts him, in terms of the India team in all 3 formats.'
Australia will need to defy history to chase down the total and survive the wiles of Ravichandran Ashwin on a fifth day pitch.
Rohit also shared his memory of playing against the legendary Shane Warne in the IPL.
Former Pakistan captain and batting great Muhammad Yousuf reckons that even the current Pakistan team could have beaten Australia in a Test series.
Uday Saharan's India won hearts and held out promise of a bright future for the Fab 15.
Skipper Yash Dhull was all praise for his boys after India romped into the semi-finals of the Under-19 World Cup, saying the team stuck together to tide over a tumultuous phase following multiple COVID positive cases in the squad.
Sandeep Michael's brace gave India a 4-3 victory in the Hockey Australia Men's Challenge.
Team India beat England by 95 runs in the second Test at Lord's. It's the first overseas Test win for MS Dhoni and Co. since they beat West Indies at Sabina Park, Jamaica, in July 2011.
A clinical South Africa skittled Afghanistan for 56 on their way to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory in the first Twenty20 World Cup semi-final.
Former Pakistan batsman and current Under-19 head coach Ejaz Ahmed feels that his side can beat defending champions and arch-rivals India in the forthcoming ICC Under-19 World Cup, beginning in South Africa on January 17. Ejaz, who has played 60 Test and 250 ODIs, was head coach of the Pakistan Emerging side which beat India before eventually winning the title in Bangladesh last year.
The Sri Lanka cricket team is going through a transition phase, struggling to replace stalwarts such as Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
South African great AB de Villiers believes India 'have a very good chance' of beating Australia in the upcoming away series notwithstanding their recent losses overseas.
Pat Cummins wants to experience that awesome feeling of leading a great bunch of blokes
The first Women's Cricket World Cup was held in England in 1973, two years before the first men's world cup in 1975.
Virat Kohli struck a record 50th hundred and fast bowler Mohammed Shami's seven-wicket haul proved equally crucial as India overpowered New Zealand by 70 runs.
Even though the score is below-par against Southern Stars, Vastrakar's clean hits at least gave them something to fight for.
Ravi Shastri considers his 18-month stint as the Indian cricket team's Director the "most cherished and memorable phase" of his life but does not want to comment on whether he would seek a contract renewal. "I have no doubt in my mind that these are the best 18 months that I have spent during my association with Indian cricket as a player and then as a Team Director. It has been the most memorable phase of my life if I just look back at what we achieved as a team during this phase. Credit to the boys for making it special," Shastri told PTI when asked about his stint with the Indian team. Asked if he would apply for the Chief Coach's post for which BCCI will be advertising, Shastri gave a typical tongue-in-cheek reply. "I will only apply for accreditation of the IPL final," Shastri quipped.
Pakistan's most capped player Inzamam-ul-Haq wants to see the national team create history in the forthcoming Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand by defeating arch-rivals India in the opening match in Adelaide.
The first couple of Indian cricket made a kind gesture towards bowlers of the Indian cricket team, it was revealed on Tuesday.
India will take on four-time winners Australia, who defeated South Africa by five runs in what was also a rain-hit semi-final, curtailed to 13 overs after Australia's innings.
'Whichever team is able to adjust and adapt to the conditions, the pitch will win the match.'
Need to maintain energy to secure maiden Test win over Australia, says Harmanpreet Kaur
Factbox on the four-Test series between India and Australia, which starts at Pune on Thursday:
The Australian team spoke about the challenges of playing in India.
DK has taken his batting to a new level and displayed some astonishing power-hitting to strike at a rate of 205-plus.
Can the same Indian team beat Australia away from home? Look what Michael Kasprowicz said.
Former India pacer Rudra Pratap Singh believes the defending champions have found form at the right time and sent out a warning to other teams in the ICC World Cup.
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