Australia is hoping to finalise a T20 tri-series with West Indies and Afghanistan just before the T20 World Cup
Marcus Harris will be the only change to the 11, with opener David Warner cleared to play after struggling with his groin strain in Sydney.
Speculation is rife over who would lead Australia should Finch fail to regain his fitness.
Smith has been England's tormentor-in-chief in the ongoing Ashes series, which Australia have already retained after winning the fourth Test in Manchester on Sunday.
Former skipper Mark Taylor has backed the appointment of Steve Smith as Australia's vice-captain more than three years after he was stripped of the captaincy for his involvement in the Newlands ball-tampering scandal.
Rohit maintains that turning tracks remain the team's strength and wants the struggling batters to find a way to score on them.
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 fourth One-Day International between Australia and India in Canberra, on Wednesday.
Ishan Kishan's Rs 15.25 crore winning bid from Mumbai Indians bettered the Rs 14 crore figure that Chennai Super Kings paid to retain Deepak Chahar.
Royals are more affected than Sunrisers with the absence of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Joffra Archer, who have left for England to join the World Cup camp.
Images from the ongoing IPL 2022 match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals from the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Usman Khawaja will replace Travis Head in Australia's middle order for this week's fourth Ashes Test against England in the only change to the side that wrapped up the series in Melbourne last week.
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.
England stood on the brink of the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup after Jos Buttler's batting pyrotechnics secured their comprehensive eight-wicket victory against Australia in a Group I match on Saturday.
President Donald Trump talked to the Saudi King, during which the latter flatly denied having any knowledge of the missing journalist.
A look at the top five batters, who are expected to make a difference in IPL 2022:
Trump said a thorough investigation will prove that no such collusion took place.
With David Warner and Will Pucovski ruled out of the first Test and looking at Joe Burns's worrying form, Australia can't afford to miss Green for the day-night fixture.
The PM will meet President Donald Trump face-to-face for the first time at the White House on Monday. "I think that the US really appreciates India, and I think that President Trump realises that India has been a force for good in the world and that it's a relationship that's important. And I think that will come through in the visit on Monday," the official said.
Australia pace spearhead Pat Cummins on Friday said he is glad that the effort he put into his T20 bowling in the last four-five months is giving him the desired results in the ongoing World Cup, which has been his "main goal" for a while.
Pat Cummins, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell were among seven players with IPL contracts who have decided not to go on back-to-back tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh in July and August, while Steve Smith will miss the trips through injury.
Images from the fifth One-Day International between Australia and India in Sydney, on Saturday.
Images from Friday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad, in Abu Dhabi.
The two groups will unite late on Thursday night and with the opening ODI slated for Friday, the players will have no scope to wriggle in a practice session as one unit.
'It's a tough gig, opening in Test cricket, but we're really confident Marcus has got what it takes to be a successful Australian opening batsman.'
A pulsating Ashes opener that had promised a grandstand finish will more than likely end early with a handsome win to Australia after Steve Smith's side pushed within 56 runs of victory at the close of day four on Sunday.
As soon as the Aussies clinched the victory, David Warner was seen having a good time with his daughter Ivy Mae.
Twenty20 stalwarts Rashid Khan of Afghanistan and West Indian Andre Russell, with an identical 100,000 pounds reserve price, are among 239 players from outside the UK to enter the draft.
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell said it is unfair that a bowler has to inform the umpire how they are going to bowl while a batsman can easily become "opposite-handed" without any notification and take advantage of the field placing.
'Every facet of their Test team has to improve. They are kidding themselves if they think everything will be rosy when Smith and Warner come back'
Finch scored 114 in an opening stand of 156 with David Warner (69) to lay a platform before his predecessor as captain Smith smashed 105 off 66 balls to drive Australia to 374 for six -- their highest total against India.
Rajasthan Royals outclassed Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets to end their home campaign on a winning note and keep their play-off hopes alive, in the Indian Premier League.
India head into the third Test with momentum after dampening Australia's Christmas cheer with a dominant eight-wicket win in the second match in Melbourne.
Opening batsman Marcus Harris has been called into Australia's first Test squad as the hosts count the cost of a number of injuries ahead of the series opener against India in Adelaide.
Signed playing shirts from the Boxing Day Test will be auctioned online from Thursday, with all proceeds also going to the Australian Red Cross.
Hackers believed to be working for the Chinese military breached the United States government computers, possibly compromising the personal data of 4 million current and former federal employees.
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
Hardik and Pollard added 41 runs for the fourth wicket. The younger Pandya scored 28 runs off 19 balls. The elder Pandya scored 20* off four balls while Pollard remained unbeaten on 25 runs.
The Australians may be in high spirits having won last three Tests against Pakistan to win three-match series 3-0, but will head to India next month having lost nine consecutive Tests in Asia and with just one series win in the subcontinent since the late 1960s.
'I am allowed to experiment a little bit and fail at times. Today was one of the days it didn't come off'
