With the series nicely poised at 1-1 going into the third Test, the narrative built around both the teams has changed significantly following India's 336-run routing of England at Edgbaston.
Gill earns glory with maiden double hundred, puts India on top in second Test
Aiden Markram scored an unbeaten century as South Africa edged tantalisingly close to an unlikely success in the World Test Championship final, needing 69 runs to dethrone Australia after reaching 213-2 at stumps on the third day at Lord's on Friday.
Images from the Grand Slam Track meet in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Almost half of the Australian team currently playing in the T20 International series in India will return home after the third match in Guwahati.
Shubman Gill played a masterful captain's knock with his second century of the series on the opening day of the second Test
Sam Konstas has vowed to take a more conventional approach than in his early Test appearances for Australia
Matthew Short has also been called up as an extra batter while Travis Head recovers from a fracture to his left hand.
Starc's withdrawal comes after pace stalwarts Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out due to injuries.
As Team India gear up for the much-anticipated Test series against England starting on Friday, several players in the squad will draw confidence from their county cricket experience.
Former Australia captain Aaron Finch believes the 285-run first innings partnership between Steve Smith and Travis Head made the difference in the World Test Championship final.
Across five fiercely contested Tests, more than 7,000 runs were scored, including a record-equalling 21 individual centuries. Every match stretched into a gripping fifth day. The sun shone, the stands were full, and the cricket -- emotional, enthralling, and endlessly unpredictable -- captured imaginations around the world.
Atherton reckons that in his three years at the helm, the series against India is Stokes' sternest test of leadership qualities.
Australia and South Africa, two teams renowned for their batting prowess, will go head-to-head in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, aiming to secure a place in the Champions Trophy semifinals.
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.
Josh Inglis smashed a maiden ODI century (120 not out) to lead Australia to a thrilling five-wicket victory over England in a high-scoring Champions Trophy match.
'We obviously want to wheel him in, but we also want to respect where his body's at, and on the basis of that, we just felt that it wasn't worth including him in the squad.'
India lost their openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K L Rahul on a green top but did well to reach 72 for two at lunch on Day 1 of the series-deciding fifth Test against England at The Oval, London, on Thursday.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday.
Siraj, Krishna, Akash Shine as India's Pace Future Takes Shape
India finished Day 3 on 90/2 to lead England by 96 runs at stumps in the opening Test on Sunday after England were dismissed for 465 in the first innings.
Young spin-bowling all-rounder Cooper Connolly will replace injured Matthew Short in the Australian squad for the knock-out stages of the ongoing Champions Trophy.
Smith and Green played vigilantly and stitched up a massive partnership to see off a comfortable victory in the three-match ODI series.
Both teams have struggled in the ODI format recently. World champions Australia lost to Sri Lanka (0-2) and Pakistan (1-2) in their last two series, while England, now coached by Brendon McCullum in all formats, haven't won an ODI series since their disastrous 2023 World Cup campaign.
India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday
India will ponder whether they want to include Washington Sundar, who is quite handy with the bat or Kuldeep Yadav, who is a much better wicket-taking option.
'He is one guy that India will really want back in the dressing room very quickly.'
England skipper Jos Buttler expressed delight in Ben Duckett's record-breaking knock even as he hailed Australia for chasing down a massive total of 352 runs in the ICC Champions Trophy Group B match in Lahore on Saturday.
Images from Day 2 of the fifth Test between England and India at The Oval, London, on Friday.
Alex Carey's jaw-dropping catch, which led to Phil Salt's dismissal. Was this the catch of the tournament?
Australia's historic pedigree in cricket's biggest tournaments will count for nothing when they run into an Afghanistan side that is fast cementing its place in the game's top table in the Champions Trophy match in Lahore on Friday.
They will meet the winner of Wednesday's second semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand in the final in Dubai on Sunday.
Leg spinner Adam Zampa was the most experienced bowler for the Aussies, having played 111 ODIs.
K L Rahul drove his way to a sublime 47 after England negated India's advantage by totalling 465 in their first innings as the visitors had another ordinary day in the field on Day 3 of the first Test in Leeds on Sunday.
Australia, who have already secured their place in the final of the World Test Championship against South Africa, won the opening Test, also in Galle, by an innings and 242 runs.
England have included five uncapped players for their Twenty20 series against Australia, and Gus Atkinson, Harry Brook, Matthew Potts and Jamie Smith have been named for the One-Day Internationals, the country's cricket board said on Monday.
Australia bowled out West Indies for 188 at Adelaide Oval on Day 1 of the first Test on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old has been in strong form in 50-overs cricket too and famously quipped "I'm back, baby" during an ODI against England in November after a successful technique tweak.
Pat Cummins will captain Australia at the Champions Trophy after being named in a preliminary 15-man squad also featuring fellow quick Josh Hazlewood on Tuesday.
Josh Hazlewood, who was recalled after recovering from a side injury that ruled him out of the second Test, did not start on the ground on day four at the Gabba on Tuesday and bowled only one over before chatting to a team physio during a drinks break.
