Australia have named the unchanged 12-man squad for the second Test of the three-match series against Pakistan beginning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Boxing Day. The Steve Smith-led side are going with the same side that clinched a nail-biting 39-run win after Pakistan's epic run chase in the opening day and night Test at the Gabba, cricket.com.au reported.
India would be pressing for a decisive first-innings lead in the contest when play resumes on Friday.
The four-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy that promises a lot of twists and turns, engrossing sub-plots and probably career-defining performances.
'It's an honour and privilege to be amongst the greats of the game. It wasn't something in the back of my mind to go out and score a 100 in a session. It was about going out there with intent and batting positive'
Images from Day 1 of the fourth and final Test between India and Australia in Dharamsala, on Saturday.
Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a dig at Steve Smith's controversial move to seek dressing room advice for a DRS referral.
Earllier, Smith and Warner were reportedly banned for one year, ruling them out of the home series against India, while Cameron Bancroft was handed a nine-month suspension as Cricket Australia came down heavily on the errant trio which disgraced itself in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
It took a shoulder injury to Mitchell Marsh to enable Maxwell to return for his first Test in more than two years and the flamboyant all-rounder, nicknamed 'The Big Show', responded with a mature career-best Test knock, putting on a series-high 159 runs with skipper Steve Smith for the fifth wicket.
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.
Shakib Al Hasan lit up his 50th test with all-round brilliance to help Bangladesh claim a handy first-innings lead over a listless Australia in the second Test on Monday.
Despite the pair making certain of selection, doubts remain in other areas of captain Tim Paine's team, with opener Matt Renshaw picking up a head injury after being struck by the ball during the tour game that ended on Tuesday.
Usman Khawaja hit Australia's first century of the series and Peter Handscomb scored a half-century on debut as the hosts reached 307 for six with a lead of 48 at end of the second day of the day-night third Test against South Africa in Adelaide.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting says England's only hope of winning a Test in the upcoming Ashes series is the day/night match in Adelaide and has predicted a 4-0 victory for the hosts.
Batsmen Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh were all dropped from the squad that lost a home Test series against India for the first time.
Australia batsman Usman Khawaja on Thursday hinted he could bat in the middle order in the upcoming four-Test series against India, starting in Adelaide on December 6.
Cheteshwar Pujara is set to play his 100th Test match when India take on Australia for the 2nd Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
The last session of play on Day 3 of the 2nd Test in Bengaluru gave India a slight edge over the Aussies. However, the DRS continues to rankle the Indians - Kohli once again failing to use the technology thoughtfully.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and Australia, at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, on Thursday.
Factbox on the four-Test series between India and Australia, which starts at Pune on Thursday:
Warner has also taken aim at his Ashes nemesis England veteran pacer Stuart Broad, implying that he will not be the force that derailed the opening batter's 2019 trip this time.
Images from Day 3 of the second Test between India and Australia, at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi, on Sunday.
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.
Umesh Yadav gave a brilliant exhibition of reverse swing bowling before Mitchell Starc's rearguard half-century helped Australia reach a competitive 256 for nine.
India 'A' bowlers were largely ineffective, allowing Steve Smith and senior batsman Shaun Marsh to strike comfortable hundreds as Australia started their Test tour in impressive fashion in the three-day warm-up game in Mumbai on Friday.
India has lost three finals and on four occasion it bit dust at the semifinal stage. It also made an exit at the preliminary stage of the 2021 T20 World Cup.
The Australians 'swept' their way to self-destruction in the face of the Indian spinners' guile in the second Test in Delhi on Sunday.
Resolute rearguard action by Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh helped Australia escape with a remarkable draw against India on the final day of the third Test in Ranchi on Monday.
Delhi medium pacer Navdeep Saini, who picked up the wicket of Australian swashbuckler David Warner early in the warm-up game for India 'A', said it was a special feeling to get the feisty opener out with a bouncer.
26 Number of Tests Virat Kohli has captained India without ever playing the same XI in two consecutive matches.
Young batsman Shreyas Iyer pounded the Australian bowlers with his career-best unbeaten 202 before the three-day warm-up game between India A and the visitors ended in a draw, in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Indian bowlers were thwarted by Australia's perseverance as Steve Smith's men survived a battle of nerves on Monday to force a draw in the third cricket Test in Ranchi and keep the series alive.
Images from Day 2 of the second Test between India and Australia, at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi, on Friday.
Australia pick two uncapped players for first two Tests
Rahul didn't provide any definitive answers about three key slots in the team -- the wicketkeeper, the third spinner and the number five in the batting order.
Australia's defeat in the home series against South Africa helped them galvanise, opening batsman David Warner said on Wednesday ahead of the second Test against India.
Australia recalled wicketkeeper Tim Paine for the first time in seven years in a selection bombshell while dropping opening batsman Matt Renshaw in a surprising Ashes squad for the series against England.
Virat Kohli will face the toughest battle of his fledgling captaincy career when India take on a resurgent Australia in the second cricket Test.
Australia captain Steve Smith said the players drafted in for the third-Test victory over South Africa had energised the team and contributed to a "good start" to the new era of Test cricket in the country.
Australia have rested paceman Mitchell Starc and dropped left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe for the upcoming two-test series in Bangladesh, Cricket Australia said on Friday.
Australia's hopes of winning back respect and moving on from a ball-tampering scandal that plunged the team into disgrace face their first test on Sunday when Tim Paine's rebuilding side meet Pakistan in the series-opener in Dubai.
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