Australia's unprecedented home Test series defeat to India in served as a "wake-up call" for Justin Langer, who reckons the series will prove as the defining moment of his coaching career. Langer was appointed as the Australian coach in May 2018, following the infamous ball tampering scandal that saw skipper Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner slapped with year long bans.
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.
'I think they need to have a good look at how they're playing.'
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.
Selectors would have hoped to see some sort of form from Joe Burns but the right-hander was trapped leg before wicket
'I'm very disappointed with our fielding, it is not up to the mark or standard expected'
IPL-bound Australian cricketers are sweating over their participation in the 14th edition of the cash-rich league
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.
'Yes, their team has now improved with the return of the experienced David Warner, Steve Smith and the likes of Marnus (Labuschagne), who has really done well for them in recent times. But last time too, their team was good but we played really some really good cricket to win. Looking forward to the challenge once again, it's going to be a great contest.'
Australia all-rounder David Hussey, who played a big part in his team's 31-run victory over India in Sydney, is looking for a perfect game to make it 2-0 in the second Twenty20 international at the MCG on Friday.
India 'A' bowlers were largely ineffective, allowing Steve Smith and senior batsman Shaun Marsh to strike comfortable hundreds as Australia started their Test tour in impressive fashion in the three-day warm-up game in Mumbai on Friday.
After 45 games in the ICC men's cricket World Cup the group stage is complete, and the final four now know who will play who in the semi-finals. Australia, India, England and New Zealand knew prior to Saturday's final group matches that they would be in the top four and that all that was to be decided was the end of group standings.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle list Rediff.com's 50 Most Valuable Players ahead of Sunday's IPL 2022 final between the Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals.
Bolstered by Shreyas Iyer's return, Delhi Capitals will look to maintain the form they showed in the first half of the season as they resume their IPL campaign against a struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.
I'm confident Australia can do it and it all starts against South Africa -- a brilliant match to start what will hopefully be a brilliant tournament for the Baggy Greens, says Brett Lee.
Steve Smith and David Warner were well within their rights to play IPL last year but BCCI decided to impose their own sanctions.
Former speed merchant Brett Lee reckons Australia's pace trio would hold the key during the year-end home Test series against India and is keen to figure out how much the kookaburra ball swings without saliva Down Under.
Rajneesh Gupta offers insights about the World Test Championship Final.
Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis were left out of the Australia squad for next month's limited overs tour of India while Labuschagne comes into the squad on the back of some fine form in Test cricket.
The handsome actor walked for Designer Nivedita Saboo's Wonder Woman inspired collection at the Times Fashion Week in Mumbai.
A look at the major names who were not retained by the IPL franchises.
Langer puts faith in deputy ahead of ODI series in India: 'He's an excellent coach, we've got other excellent coaches to back him up. I said to him I won't ring him, I'll let him go. He said 'I might ring you', that's the difference. He'll do a really good job'
'He's (Paine) wrong. It's not all part of the game. There's a thing called the preamble to the laws of cricket and it is a thing that was designed by Sir Colin Cowdrey and it's about how you play cricket and how you're supposed to play cricket.'
There will be no let-up in intensity as a ruthless India look to inch closer to yet another series whitewash when they take on a beleaguered Australia in the fourth One-day International in Bengalurg, on Thursday.
"... they're (India) up against a really talented young Australian cricket team who have got plenty to prove'
India had a forgettable outing with both bat and ball as Australia bounced back in the T20 International series with a crushing eight-wicket win in the second match in Guwahati, on Tuesday.
Skipper Sanju Samson will look for support from his batsmen as Rajasthan Royals aim to return to winning ways against laggards Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai on Monday and keep their play-offs hopes alive.
The opening match of the series begins in Brisbane on December 8, with Australia playing their first Test since losing to India in January.
Powerful senators write to US Defense Secretary Hagel to support a robust defence relationship with India to achieve shared goals and form an unwavering bond between the world's two largest democracies. Aziz Haniffa in Washington, DC
SunRisers Hyderabad looked a happy bunch as the players cut a cake to celebrate their victory against Chennai Super Kings, the IPL match, in Dubai on Friday.
Paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar will miss India's three-match Twenty20 series in Australia with a thumb injury and will be replaced by all-rounder Rishi Dhawan.
Australia pick two uncapped players for first two Tests
India sailed into the ICC World Cup semi-finals and eliminated opponents Bangladesh after Rohit Sharma's century and Jasprit Bumrah's four-wicket haul secured a 28-run victory over their neighbours on Tuesday.
Ricky Ponting said Australia is open to shuffling the batting line-up if the circumstances dictate a more flexible approach in the ongoing World Cup.
Australian cricket, in contrast, has been dogged by structural reform in the wake of the ball-tampering saga in South Africa in March and it has resulted in turbulence on the field as well.
Darren Lehmann, the Australia coach during the infamous ball-tampering scandal, feels then captain Steve Smith shouldn't have turned a 'blind eye' to the ill-fated plan during the Cape Town Test against South Africa.
'RCB will make decision regarding captaincy after mega auction'
Finch suffered the injury while batting during the team's 27-run loss at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which saw India take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
A look at the top performers in the IPL this year, who set the T20 tournament alight with outstanding performances this season.
It's not all doom and gloom for Australia because they have got an amazing squad and I do believe for the first time that they do have a team that can win this ICC Men's T20 World Cup, says Brett Lee.
