While the return of pace spearhead Anrich Nortje, who had been nursing an injury, bolstered the bowling unit, the South African, who hasn't bowled since the T20 World Cup in November, looked understandably rusty.
Ajinkya Rahane's India have a mountain to climb, even if a draw would be enough to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy two years after their breakthrough 2-1 win in the 2018/19 series in Australia.
The off-spinner had last played for India in 2016 in a T20I game in the Asia Cup.
Virat Kohli became the first Indian batsman to notch up 10,000 runs in Twenty20 cricket during Royal Challengers Bangalore's IPL match against Mumbai Indians in Dubai on Sunday.
There are those historic, memorable matches (the 1986 tied in Chennai, the Kolkata epic in 2001 and the Adelaide humdinger of 2015) that gripped our collective conscious.
Australian batting great Matthew Hayden believes T20 cricket is not always about power and subcontinental players such as Suryakumar Yadav demonstrated that they can pose a threat with "access shots" and "innovation".
The Baggy Green is synonymous with the Australian cricket team's Test cap and ICC also took it sportingly and apologised with a smile
Joe Burns said India have a skillful bowling attack, spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, and they have to 'start well' against them.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon claimed career-best figures of eight for 50 to help Australia bundle out India for 189 on the first day of the second Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.
As India celebrates its 73rd Republic Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to celebrated cricketers Jonty Rhodes and Chris Gayle, acknowledging their 'profound connection' with the country.
Chasing 294 for victory on a batting pitch, Hardik Pandya (78 off 72) and Manish Pandey (36 off 32) took India to the finish line after Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane had laid the platform for the victory with a 139-run opening stand.
Over the past few years, Shardul Thakur has been in and out of the Indian team but the lack of consistent run hasn't dented the pace bowler's determination to do well whenever he is handed the ball.
Langer said that in the last couple of years, the Aussies have had lots of conversations about behaviours both on and off the field.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, who was at his glorious best against Australia during the second Test of the series in Karachi, gained three spots to move up to No.5 in the rankings chart.
Manish Pandey struck his maiden one-day century in a high-scoring thriller to secure India a pride-salvaging six-wicket victory against Australia in the fifth and final ODI in Sydney on Saturday.
The in-form Steve Smith is looking 'pretty scary' for the opposition teams, gushed Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell after his team-mate hammered his second successive century against India, in Sydney, on Sunday.
Eyeing a maiden Test series win Down Under, the Indian cricket team left for Australia Friday for a gruelling tour, which will see them play four matches in whites, three ODIs and as many T20 Internationals.
Australia skipper Aaron Finch on Monday said it will take a very brave man to write Virat Kohli off and what the former India captain has achieved in the last 15 years is just 'ridiculous'.
Paceman Kane Richardson claimed his maiden five-wicket haul to script India's spectacular collapse and bowl Australia to a 25-run victory in the high-scoring fourth one day international on Wednesday. Three batsmen struck centuries in the 671-run match between the world's top two one-day teams but it was Richardson's (5-68) incisive bowling that clinched the contest, while also earning him the man-of-the-match award. Chasing 349 for victory, India were cruising at 277 for one before losing their last nine wickets for 46 runs to succumb to their fourth successive defeat in the five-match series. Opener Shikhar Dhawan (126) and Virat Kohli (106) featured in a 212-run stand for the visitors before the wheels came off India's chase at Canberra's Manuka Oval.
As the 16th edition of the glitzy Indian Premier League is set to unfold, let's take a look at the driving force of the T20 league and what's in store in this edition.
Images from the 5th ODI between India and Australia, played in Nagpur on Sunday
The Test batting chart is headed by Australia's Marnus Labuschagne (915 points), followed by England captain Joe Root (900) while New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson (879) dislodged Steve Smith (877) from the No. 3 slot.
The Pakistan opener was out for 39 off 34 balls, including five fours, caught by David Warner off Adam Zampa's bowling in the tenth over, in the second T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia.
IPL can be truly said to have come of age. It is now more Indian than ever before. Teams often fielded fewer than the four allowed foreign players. Indian batters and bowlers were simply better in performance, consistency and reliability, points out Shreekant Sambrani.
Khawaja to battle Head for openers' spot as Australia name squad for first two Tests.
Another crucial power group, the US legislative Congress, is increasing pressure for closer ties between Washington and New Delhi.
Rohit Sharma's 119 laid the foundation for India's chase
Burns made his debut in the 2014 Boxing Day Test when Lehmann was Australia's head coach. The right-handed batsman has been Australia's first choice as opening batsman alongside David Warner.
'I think there's a lot of other people that had England and India in the final right from the start, so I think Australia will be proud of their efforts as well.'
'I look forward to meeting David Warner and talking to him about batting.' 'Our mindset is the same. We both look to dominate the bowlers,' says Abdul Samad, the exciting 18-year-old batsman from the Kashmiri valley.
IMAGES from the 3rd ODI between India and Australia played in Bengaluru on Sunday
The humiliation in Adelaide has opened up 'serious wounds' for India and Australia now have a good chance of inflicting on the visitors a whitewash in the four-Test series, reckons former captain Ricky Ponting.
Skipper Rishabh Pant (234 from nine games) showed glimpses of his destructive power but the team would want more from its skipper who is more than capable of hammering any attack into submission.
Senator John Cornyn, founder and Republican co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, strongly defends his vote against a resolution to block sale of American-made F-16s to Pakistan.
DC has talented India bowlers like Mandeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Chetan Sakariya
'His role as an opener will be equally crucial. He is the guy you want to play in Australia. I remember ODI series in 2008 and he was new but did quite well on Australian pitches. He will be raring to go after the injury.'
Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sourav Ganguly feels India's humiliating 10-wicket defeat to Australia in the opening One Day International in Mumbai was "one bad day in office" and team has the capability to bounce back in the next two games.
In awe of the sensational Saurabh Chaudhary, former World championship silver-medallist shooter Jitu Rai feels the reticent youngster has it in him to humble one of the sport's all-time greats, South Korean Jin Jong-Oh, at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Playing only his second match at this year's IPL, Saha smashed 87 off 45 balls in Sunrisers Hyderabad's 88-run romp against Delhi Capitals.
There will certainly be some distinct home advantage for Australia along with the experience of playing more Day/Night Tests.
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