Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood who missed the third Ashes Test and is set to return to the side in the fourth Test match against Australia, said that he was underprepared for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Alex Carey scored 63 and Beau Webster 60 as Australia were bowled out for 286. West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph took 4 wickets for 61 runs on Day 1 of the second Test.
Virat Kohli's nearly two-decade long agonising wait to lay his hands on an IPL trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be up against Shreyas Iyer's resolve to make first-time winners out of the tenacious Punjab Kings.
Openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli will brace for a fiery showdown against thunderbolts from express pacer Jofra Archer as Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru look to get back to winning ways in the IPL match in Jaipur on Sunday.
The unexpected 10-day break has left both the RCB and the KKR with different goals to achieve and common challenges to hurdle over.
Josh Hazlewood shone with the ball as Chennai Super Kings outclassed Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets to seal their spot in the IPL play-offs, on Thursday.
Former No. 1-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne will be pushed up in the order to open alongside Usman Khawaja.
With South Africa's seam attack featuring Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Marco Jansen and Australia having Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and the ever-dependable Josh Hazlewood in their lineup, the battle between the two sides' fast bowlers is likely to be critical in determining the outcome of the World Test Championship final, as per ICC website.
RCB will look to Virat Kohli not just for runs but also for inspiration as they chase that elusive IPL title -- a drought that has persisted for the last 17 years since the IPL's inception in 2008.
Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood ripped through England with three crucial wickets in the final session to leave Joe Root's side trailing by 297 runs with five wickets remaining after the third day of the fourth Ashes Test.
Under Rohit Sharma, India won the 2018 and 2023 ODI Asia Cup, runners-up position in the 2023 World Cup at home and triumphed in the the ICC Champions Trophy in March.
Kohli has constructed a mini hot streak, making four fifties in his last five innings and pushing for Orange Cap with 443 runs.
'My coaches gave me just one role, which is to hit the stumps, whether I bowl legbreak, googly, flipper or any other variation.'
Hazlewood was initially named in the squad for South Africa, will also return home following the Test series. Xavier Bartlett has been drafted in as his replacement.
Glenn McGrath said his prediction this time is based on how England were held to a 2-2 series draw by India in the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy five-Test series.
Australia has made a couple of changes to its squad, addressing Hazlewood's absence and the top-order issues. Sam Konstas replaces Nathan McSweeney in the squad for the fourth Test.
Hazlewood termed England batsman Joe Root as a 'class player' and said that the 28-year-old does not have any weakness in his game.
Change will be a key theme for both the West Indies and Australia in their upcoming three-Test series in the Caribbean with the visitors set to field a remodelled batting line-up and the hosts being led out for the first time by Roston Chase.
RCB's success so far in IPL 2025 hasn't just rested on Kohli and Hazlewood.
Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood claimed the Men's Test Player-of-the-Year award. It marked his first Australian Cricket Award, with Hazlewood taking 30 wickets at just 13.16 in Tests against the West Indies, New Zealand, and India.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, two sides chasing their first IPL title, will square off in a tantalising Qualifier 1 encounter on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
Even shadow Purple Cup winner Prasidh couldn't escape Vaibhav's onslaught on Monday night!
The West Indies produced another dominant day with the ball against Australia and then survived a tense final hour Saturday to take the honours after the first day of the day-night third Test.
Virat Kohli may reclaim the RCB captaincy in IPL 2025.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Virat Kohli washed away 18 years of hurt and disappointment, conquering Punjab Kings by six runs to lift their maiden Indian Premier League title.
He reached his 73rd ODI fifty, seemingly poised for a big score. But his innings was cut short by an all-too-familiar foe: Adil Rashid.
Joe Root has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings after his stellar efforts helped England secure a 22-run victory over India at Lord's, according to the official website of the ICC.
Australian batsman Steve Smith narrowly missed reaching the 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket during the final match against India in Sydney. He acknowledges the significance of the milestone, describing it as "a different beast." Smith's pursuit of the landmark weighed heavily on his mind during the match, and he even joked about associating the number 38 (the runs he needed) with teammate Josh Hazlewood, whose jersey number is 38. Despite falling short, Smith remains hopeful of achieving the milestone on the first day of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 55.
Hazlewood, who is nursing a tendon injury which sidelined him during the Test series against India, added that Pujara is someone Australians "love to hate".
The second Test hangs in the balance after West Indies speedster Jayden Seales dismissed Australia's openers in a damaging late spell on Day 2 of the second Test.
Magnificent fifties by openers Virat Kohli and Phil Salt guided RCB to a comfortable seven-wicket win over defending champions KKR.
'He showed an awareness of what was required, which belied the fact that he was making his Test debut.'
Struggling Mumbai Indians will be hoping their batters get their act together and shoulder responsibility when they take on an inspired Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League match in Mumbai on Monday.
The 30-year-old said he will look to bowl at the nets on the third day of the Boxing day Test and will rely more on feel than on medical assessment.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru talisman Virat Kohli lauded the batting unit after a hard-fought 11-run win over Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025 match in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's brilliance behind the stumps that stole the show once again.
Australia will have to dust off the cobwebs but are still fancied to successfully defend their World Test Championship crown against equally ring-rusty South Africa in the final at Lord's.
Uncapped McSweeney to open with Khawaja in India series
Among other developments from the RCB camp, West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd and England's Liam Livingstone have returned to India and rejoined the squad on Wednesday.
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