New South Wales Blues skipper Simon Katich was relived after his move to bowl Steve O'Keefe in the Super Over paid off in their Champions League T20 match, on Wednesday, but felt the batting needed to improve further.
It is an perfect stage for India's mercurial skipper Virat Kohli, who loves to bring his A game to the fore when the chips are down.
A look at the newly-laid dark coloured Chepauk track is an indication that unlike the strip used during the first Test, this one will offer turn earlier than expected.
The uncapped pair are the newcomers in captain Steven Smith's 15-man squad, which includes 10 players with less than 10 Tests, as Australia look to rebuild following a string of retirements after the Ashes defeat in England.
Australia captain Steven Smith rubbed salt into India's wounds saying that the hosts dug their own grave by preparing a rank turner which backfired badly in the first Test.
Cheteshwar Pujara's marathon double hundred complemented by Wriddhiman Saha's dogged century put India in complete command with an imposing total of 603 for 9 against Australia on the fourth day of the third cricket Test.
Batsmen have dominated Australia's series against New Zealand, but the pink ball and a green-tinged wicket should swing the balance of power back to the bowlers when Adelaide hosts Test cricket's inaugural day-night match.
Nathan Lyon walked into the record books with career-best figures of 8 for 50 as India suffered another batting debacle.
Captain Virat Kohli loathed the way Indian batsmen negotiated a rank turner, saying they showed how not to bat on such tracks and termed the massive defeat against Australia as their 'worst' batting performance in recent times.
Ravindra Jadeja struck a fifty to give India a handy first innings lead before returning to claim three Australian wickets as the home side stood 87 runs away from a series-clinching victory in the fourth and final Test in Dharamsala on Monday.
The overnight batsmen each survived a review to power India to 435 for six at lunch in response to Australia's 451 after a wicketless session played out under an overcast sky.
Pakistan, who briefly topped the Test rankings last year, have now lost six straight Tests, one to West Indies in Sharjah, two in New Zealand and three in Australia.
Kusal Mendis remained unbeaten on a match-high 86 to help Sri Lanka weather a wobbly morning and reach 116 for four at lunch on the third day of the bowler-dominated first Test against Australia on Thursday.
While Shaun Marsh gets another go at resurrecting his career
India 'A' off-spinner Baba Aparajith struck late to claim five wickets, but it was opener Cameron Bancroft's strokeful 150 that powered Australia 'A' to a crucial first innings lead on Day 2 of the second four-day unofficial cricket 'Test' in Chennai on Thursday.
At the close, after 75 overs were squeezed in around two lengthy rain interruptions, the West Indies were 207 for six with Denesh Ramdin on 23 and Carlos Brathwaite not out 35 after winning the toss.
Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday threw his weight behind the beleaguered Indian team and said that the Virat Kohli-led side will bounce back from the embarrassing defeat against Australia in the first Test in Pune.
Rishabh Pant became the first Indian and only the 12th player on record to hit a six as the first scoring shot of their Test career.
The awards were given by the UN's body on women for their work on principles of women's empowerment and helping champion gender equality.
Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss and opted to bat against an Indian side missing their inspirational skipper Virat Kohli through injury in the fourth and final Test in Dharamsala on Saturday.
Sarfraz Ahmed's belligerent century powered Pakistan to a strong 454 in their first innings on the second day of the first Test against Australia on Thursday.
Indian batsmen frittered away the initial advantage before reaching 248 for six against a disciplined Australia to leave the fourth and final cricket Test evenly poised, in Dharamsala, on Sunday.
Factbox on the four-Test series between India and Australia, which starts at Pune on Thursday:
Virat Kohli's men ticked almost all the boxes during their 203-run win in the opening encounter in Visakhapatnam and they would like to maintain the same intensity in their bid to seal the series in Pune itself.
Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha turned out to be the biggest gainer while comeback man Amit Mishra got five wickets and more importantly vital overs under his belt as the first unofficial 'Test' match between India A and Australia A ended in a tame draw.
The magazine's latest cover features Storm Reid, Mindy Kaling, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon.
After heavy rain washed out more than a session of the day's play, Australia eclipsed Bangladesh's first innings total of 305 by tea before the hosts retaliated in the final session to reduce the tourists to 377-9.
Former Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson feels that Indian team will be 'nervous' considering the pacer-friendly conditions of Dharamsala where Steve Smith and his boys should feel more confident.
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has warned his team to beware a backlash from a wounded Australia in the second and final Test in Abu Dhabi starting on Thursday.
India coach Anil Kumble gave a measured response on Friday after his team's spectacular collapse against Australia in the opening Test, calling it just one bad day for his world No 1 team.
Cricket Australia on Tuesday confirmed former India One-Day International player Sriram Sridharan will join the coaching staff for the forthcoming Test tour of India as a spin consultant.
Needing just 106 runs to win with all 10 wickets intact at the start of the fourth day, the hosts eased past their target before lunch for the loss of just two batsmen.
Ravichandran Ashwin's 25th five-wicket haul was the cornerstone of India's remarkable turnaround as the hosts defeated Australia by 75 runs in the second cricket Test to level the four-match series.
Cheteshwar Pujara struck an unbeaten 79 as Indian batsmen gave a far better account of themselves to keep the hosts afloat by taking a 126-run lead.
Young off-spinner Arjun Nair, the Canberra-born son of Indian immigrants, has been included in the New South Wales (NSW) squad for their upcoming Sheffield Shield match against South Australia.
Sri Lanka set Australia a stiff 268-run victory target before claiming three wickets in a truncated afternoon session to take the upper hand on the penultimate day of the first Test in Pallekele on Friday.
Cricket Australia has roped in Muttiah Muralitharan as spin consultant ahead of Australia's tour to Sri Lanka.
Rajneesh Gupta presents some interesting numbers from Day 4:
'I think they're feeling the pressure a little bit to be honest'
Indian captain Virat Kohli has been rendered a doubtful starter for the fourth and final cricket Test against Australia in Ranchi, a scenario that has put the hosts under immense pressure on the eve of the decider of the bitterly fought series.
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