Australian batter Steve Smith is "focussed" on taking them all head on in the game beginning in Adelaide on Friday.
A B de Villiers described South Africa's squad as a well-balanced unit and backed them to pull off an upset against defending champions Australia.
While Sheffield Shield game for South Australia on a bouncy track would have been ideal preparation for Perth, Head feels that he will relax bit before resuming training for the India series.
Rohit Sharma's decision-making has come under intense scrutiny, especially after the team's failure to contain Australia's innings in the first session of Day 2.
India find themselves in a spot of bother against Australia in the third Test at Indore.
Pat Cummins tore through South Africa before a Proteas fightback left the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 on a knife-edge at the end of an absorbing second day at Lord's.
Spinners Dunith Wellalage (3-42) and Maheesh Theekshana (2-26) kept Sri Lanka in the hunt but Dasun Shanaka's side were left to rue a limp performance with the bat.
Virat Kohli booed by home fans after bumping shoulders with Konstas on the pitch after the 19-year-old smashed India's bowlers around the park early on.
Australia will be aiming to become the first-ever side to defend their ICC WTC mace as they take on Proteas in the 'Ultimate Test' from June 11 onwards at Lord's.
Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne missed individual centuries but forged Australia's highest partnership of the summer to earn the hosts a handy first innings lead against Sri Lanka on day two of the series opening day-night Test on Friday.
Images from Day 1 of the third Test between Australia and South Africa at the SCG on Wednesday.
Australia batsman Marnus Labuschagne said there has not been any talk about him opening the batting in the first Test against India but he is ready to bat at that slot if the team management asks him to do so.
Starc's withdrawal comes after pace stalwarts Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out due to injuries.
Travis Head's blistering century powered Australia's innings on Day 2 of the second Test against India
Australia's batting sensation Marnus Labuschagne on Monday said he and his team would be "pretty devastated" if India don't tour Down Under later this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. India's tour of Australia will begin with a T20I tri-series in October and is scheduled to end with a four-match Test series in December. The speculation on the tour is because of the travel restrictions currently in place and the uncertainty surrounding how long it would take to control the pandemic.
Skipper Jasprit Bumrah has suffered back spasm and the team is waiting for an update from the medical staff about the availability of the pacer on Day 3 on Sunday.
Australian run-machine Marnus Labuschagne is willing to "sacrifice" the use of saliva to shine the ball in order to get back on the field in the post coronavirus world as the batting all-rounder feels players must be able to adapt to new rules. There has been widespread speculations that the use of saliva and sweat to shine the ball will be stopped to cut down the risk of spreading the highly contagious coronavirus when cricket restarts.
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.
Images from Day 2 of the fifth Test between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Images from Day 1 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
The world No. 2 India are heading into the five-Test Border-Gavaskar series, starting in Perth on Friday, following their whitewash at home, which ended their 12-year unbeaten run in their own backyard.
Marsh was nonetheless retained in Australia's list of contracted players released on Tuesday for the 2025/26 season in an endorsement by selectors.
Australia, who won the toss and batted in the day-nighter, reached 248 for four at stumps with Labuschagne 110 not out and Travis Head unbeaten on 20.
Images from the opening day of the second Test between Australia and Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.
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.
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.
Glenn Maxwell's hopes of reviving his Test career may be over after the all-rounder missed out on selection in Australia's much-changed squad for the Sri Lanka tour.
Australia finished second in the league table during the 2023-25 WTC cycle, behind South Africa, having claimed 67.54 per cent of the points on offer to them.
Top Australia batter Travis Head on Saturday shattered day-night Test records at Adelaide, continuing his golden run against India.
IMAGES from the 2nd ODI played between England and Australia at the Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, Britain, on Saturday.
'They have won everything but the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and they know that, they've spoken about that, this is the one they want to tick off.'
India did not respect the match situation, the playing conditions, and the bowlers, and they've paid a price for it.
Speaking ahead of the first Test from June 25 onwards at Barbados, Joseph said as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald, "To take 13 wickets across the series was a good feeling. A lot has changed. There were a lot of opportunities that came my way."
Travis Head took 4-28 as Australia strangled England with spin before launching a rapid pursuit of their target with rain in the air to clinch the One-Day International series 3-2 following a 49-run win via Duckworth-Lewis-Stern in Bristol on Sunday.
'In terms of a great first year, it was an amazing summer and hopefully, I can better that this time... Hopefully, against a side like India, testing yourself against one of the best bowling attacks in world cricket at the moment'
If Smith is ruled out, then the left-hand batter Travis Head will lead the squad as he is the vice-captain of the side.
Ashwell Prince, South Africa's batting coach, labelled Aiden Markram as the "man for the big occasion" after the opener steered the Proteas towards what could be a famous run-chase in the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia on Friday.
Pat Cummins is the eighth Australian to join the 300 club, no mean feat for any bowler but particularly one who he had to wait more than five years for his second Test appearance after a spate of injuries.
Starc was the standout performer on a lively Adelaide pitch, returning excellent figures of 6/48 to dismiss India for a mere 180 runs.
'This wasn't an easy decision, but I believe it's the right time for me to step away from ODIs and fully focus on the next chapter of my career.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances