Pakistan exploited heavy cloud cover and humidity to the full on Tuesday to seize the advantage over Australia in an old-fashioned English Test match in which ball dominated the bat throughout.
Attack will be the best form of defence for Team India against a rampaging Australian pace battery when the two sides square off on the dreaded green-top wicket of WACA in the do-or-die third Test starting on Friday.
'When Michael made his decision to retire last week it was a very straight forward decision for us to nominate Steve as his successor' 'He is highly regarded by the selectors and we congratulate him on being appointed to the role on an ongoing basis. He should be incredibly proud'
Australia overhauled England's first innings total of 435 on Friday during a productive second session on the third day of the first Ashes Test.
Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds has been fined after sleeping in and missing the team bus to a training session in Barbados. Symonds was 10 minutes late for the bus but did not miss any part of practice after finding his own way to Kensington Oval.
Scenes from the post triumph celebrations after Australia won its first T20 World Cup championship at the Dubai international cricket stadium on Sunday.
Images form the World Twenty20 match between Austalia and Bangladesh played at Bridgetown on Wednesday.
Captain Ricky Ponting has dismissed talks of Australia being underprepared for the World Twenty20 Championships by missing the Indian Premier League (IPL) and said his side is instead "in the best shape" following the break before the big event. Ponting along with Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey, deliberately skipped IPL preferring rest ahead of a busy summer for them.
Former skipper Michael Clarke on Friday warned Australia ahead of their One-Day International series against India next month, saying it will be a difficult outing for the visitors as Virat Kohli's men will be tough to beat in their own backyard.
Australia secured a consolation victory in the final Test by an innings and 46 runs on Sunday before England captain Alastair Cook lifted the Ashes urn at the end of a dramatic and fluctuating series.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat in the Twenty20 international against Australia.
And despite a slowdown, media planners say advertisers are pouring in over Rs 600 crore (nearly half the ad budget for cricket in 2009). This represents a more than 10 per cent increase over last year's spends on television, co-branding of teams and marketing, among others.
Peter Siddle took three wickets to give Australia the upperhand as South Africa were reduced to 198 for seven at stumps on day two of the second Test at the MCG in Melbourne on Saturday. Captain Graeme Smith scored a fine 62 but kept losing wickets at regular intervals in reply to Australia's first innings score of 394.
Michael Clarke top-scored with an unbeaten 61 as Australia dug out a draw against the West Indies on the fifth and final day of a dramatic second Test in Adelaide on Tuesday. Chasing 330 for victory, Australia went through several anxious moments before finishing on 212 for 5 when stumps were drawn.
A report in The Australian said senior Australian players are uncertain about going to India in the near future and player managers have also expressed concern. Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke said security is one of the issues he had to weigh up when considering signing for the second edition of the IPL next year.
Sacked Australia coach Mickey Arthur has been left "extremely upset and disappointed" after his confidential lawsuit against Cricket Australia was leaked to the media leading to a massive controversy.
Harbhajan Singh said it was a barrage of vulgar personal remarks from the Australian fielders that provoked him to a verbal duel.
Australia last won an Ashes series in England in 2001 and captain Michael Clarke is expecting five hard Tests.
India were 43 for 2 in their second innings after taking a 36-run lead on Day 4 of the third Test. Michael Clarke scored 112 as Australia were dismissed for 577.
The visitors were 102 for 4 at stumps, after India posted a formidable first innings score of 469, on Day 2 of the second Test.
Captain Ricky Ponting (5) continued to come a cropper in India as Australia floundered against Rajasthan Cricket Association's Centre of Excellence team in a two-day practice match, folding up for 218 on the first day.
'This will always remain a very important milestone in our journey as a Test side.'
Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke both hit masterful double centuries to drive Australia to 604 for seven declared before their bowlers reduced India to 61 for two at the end of second day of the fourth Test on Wednesday.
Michael Clarke will take over as captain of Australia's Twenty20 team to play England after Ricky Ponting was given permission to go home after the last Ashes Test. Ponting will return to Britain to take charge for the bulk of one-day international series but the selectors wanted to give him a rest as they start blooding younger players for next year's Twenty20 World Cup in West Indies.
Suresh Raina figures among the 10 players, who will "define" cricket in the next decade.
Australia will attempt to add a final twist to a consistently gripping Lord's Ashes Test against England on Monday by chasing down a world-record fourth-innings target of 522. At the close of the fourth day of the second Test on Sunday, Michael Clarke (125) and Brad Haddin (80) had added an unbroken 185 for the sixth wicket to take Australia to 313 for five.
Australia captain Michael Clarke has absolutely no doubt England will be a weaker side without batsman Kevin Pietersen when the Ashes rivalry resumes in Cardiff on July 8.
Images from Day One of the first Test between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. Australia ended the day on 354-6.
Mike Hussey will lead Australia for the three-match Chappell-Hadlee Trophy one-day series against New Zealand.
Herschelle Gibbs hit a sparkling century and Dale Steyn took four wickets to lift South Africa to a series-clinching 61-run win over Australia in the fourth one-dayer on Monday.
The Australians posted 253 for 6 from 50 overs and then dismissed the Sri Lankans out for 125 in the first meeting between the sides since last year's World Cup final in Barbados.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been ruled out of Friday's Twenty20 clash against India with a back injury.
India were 45 for one at stumps in their second innings, a lead of eight runs after trailing Australia by 37 on the first innings.
In a combative, straight from the shoulder signed column published in the Times, London, India captain Anil Kumble puts the onus for the ongoing controversy squarely on Australia.
India made one change with paceman Zaheer Khan ruled out because of an injured heel and was replaced by Ishant Sharma.
Australia have barely put a foot wrong in the five-match series and will head to the MCG confident of pushing England toward a second successive whitewash on home soil.
India made a couple of changes, with Dinesh Mongia and Mohammad Kaif replacing S Sreesanth and Yuvraj Singh respectively.
Former captain Allan Border wants the current team to play "hard-edged Australian brand of cricket" in the memory of Phillip Hughes but at the same time urged them not to get involved in some heavy duty sledging with the Indians during the Test series starting December 9.
The departed cricketer was named his national team's '13th man' as the first Test between India and Australia started in Adelaide on an emotional note.
Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey scored half-centuries to put Australia in a strong position in the second Test in Adelaide on Saturday. At close on Day 2, Australia, replying to New Zealand's 270, were 241 for 3, with Hussey unbeaten on 69 and Michael Clarke on 43.
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