Images from ICC Men's ODI World Cup match played between India and Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, October 8.
The Australian media were united in their view that the Mitchell Johnson-inspired humiliation of England at Lord's marked a decisive shift in the balance of power in the Ashes series.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald feels their 'sub-continent journey' helped them triumph in the World Test Championship final against India.
Australia offie Nathan Lyon reckons the Indian captain 'will be able to adapt to any climate that we are able to play in'.
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.
Pakistan's Azhar Ali and Younus Khan forged a 120-run partnership to stall a rampant Australia on day two of the third and final Test in Sydney on Wednesday after a Peter Handscomb century had helped drive the hosts to 538 for eight declared.
Melbourne will host the traditional Boxing Day Test before the final match is played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3.
'As a South African team, we know we're going to have that chip on our back, or that narrative that we have to get over'
Despite the recent injury setbacks, senior off-spinner Nathan Lyon believes that the current Australian team is the 'tightest group' that he has been a part of and is certainly in a much better space than what it was two years back, when India triumphed 1-2 in Tests.
Warner was dropped from the playing XI by his IPL franchise SunRisers Hyderabad and there were some who questioned his selection in the Australian line-up.
Ian Chappell feels that Ravichandran Ashwin will certainly be the biggest threat but the Australia batters need to be proactive against him.
Joe Burns will bat at number six when he makes his debut for Australia in the third Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, starting on Friday. The 25-year-old, regarded as one Australia's most promising young batsmen, replaced injured all-rounder Mitch Marsh in one of two changes to the Australian team that won last week's second Test in Brisbane. Paceman Ryan Harris, who missed the second Test because of a thigh problem, returns at the expense of Mitchell Starc.
Steve Smith is understood to have subsequently undergone a concussion test and was omitted from the first ODI side 'as a precautionary measure'.
Top class left-armers are in short supply and chief selector Rod Marsh joked that he had mulled telephoning Johnson to see whether he might like to come out of retirement.
Although Steve Smith was named man of the match after scoring 273 runs it was Australia's rejuvenated pace bowlers who made the biggest statement in their side's brutal mauling of England in the second Ashes Test.
Travis Head, D' Arcy Short and Chris Lynn have been dropped, while the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have been rested.
As the prestigious Ashes gets underway, here's a look at the milestones that can be achieved.
Australia avoided a series whitewash as they survived a mid-innings wobble to beat England by five wickets in the third T20 international and regain their top-ranking in the sport's shortest format on Tuesday.
The duo has been left out of Australia ODI squad for UAE despite bans ending before tour end
With a batting average of just a shade under 30, the pugnacious Mitchell Johnson plundered the Indian bowling to register his ninth Test fifty and give Australia a fighting chance in the second Test at the Gabba.
'It is not foreign to have two left-handers in the team. Australia have not done it a lot in the past but I don't see why we can't do that. Mitch bowls exceptionally well at the death, can also bowl at the middle and upfront. So, it might be a case if both of us are picked in the same team we can have different roles'
Australia have dropped Test skipper Tim Paine from their one-day squad for next month's series against South Africa and named opening batsman Aaron Finch as captain in his place.
Australia pick two uncapped players for first two Tests
Collingwood 'amazed' by questions about Root's captaincy
Kane Williamson coolly struck a straight six to give New Zealand a one wicket victory over Australia in a dramatic battle between the World Cup hosts at Eden Park on Saturday.
Australia have gone on to win the World Cup every time they have reached the last four and will be well-fancied for a sixth title.
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.
'The pitch should have enough for the bowlers to be interested on all days of the Test.'
Photos of the World Cup Pool A game between Australia and New Zealand being played in Eden Park
'Captaincy in India is about knowing the right period -- when to take the foot off the pedal and when to attack. I think I learnt that in Sri Lanka' India and Virat Kohli have been on a roll, with the team going unbeaten in the last 19 Tests and the Indian captain scoring at will, but Australia have devised plan to stop both and team in hope to have a successful series
Brett Lee is putting patriotism aside, admitting it would be 'great' if England won the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
Shane Watson's international future looked bleak on Monday after the all-rounder was left out of Australia's 13-man squad for this month's one-day series against India on Monday.
Australia will resist the temptation to tinker with their team on tour against West Indies and plan to field their best 11 in a bid to sweep the two-Test series and build momentum for the Ashes, selector Rod Marsh has said.
'All the talking stops very quickly and the series becomes a normal series after the first two hours'
Kane Williamson staged a fight-back along with opener Tom Latham (36), and Ross Taylor (26) as New Zealand reached 140 for 2 (42 overs) at close of play on Day 2 of the 2nd Test at the WACA in Perth on Saturday.
Steve Smith has demanded his team's batsmen lift their output and score centuries against South Africa in the wake of their humbling six-wicket loss in the second Test at Port Elizabeth.
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.
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.
The Australian mind games targeting India's new Test captain Virat Kohli continued with opener David Warner saying that it would be interesting to see how "fiery" the batsman would be when he leads the side out in the fourth and final Test starting in Sydney on Tuesday.
With two confident teams going head-to-head in a blockbuster World Cup semi-final on Thursday, it could be the tiniest mis-judgement, the smallest detail that decides whether Australia or India emerge triumphant.
