Pacer Doug Bollinger and all-rounder Andrew McDonald will make their Test debut as Australia on Friday named one of its most inexperienced teams in decades for the third and final Test match against an unchanged South Africa, starting in Sydney on Saturday. Along with 27-year-old Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle, 24, McDonald and Bollinger will make up one of the youngest and the most inexperienced Australian pace attack.
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.
The opening Test between Australia and South Africa at Perth is interestingly poised at the end of fourth day's play on Saturday.
Michael Clarke's 130 saw Australia amass 307 for 7 before rain intervened and washed out the first ODI against India.
Australia's bowlers struck at regular intervals to reduce India to 311 for 5 by close on Day 1 of the fourth and final Test in Nagpur on Thursday.
Breaking his silence on the on-field clash between Australia skipper Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee, coach Tim Nielsen said a poor over-rate wasn't the main reason the strike bowler was not used in the first session on the fourth day of the second Test in Mohali. It was, he says, also because they wanted to take pace off the ball.
Australia pacer Doug Bollinger, who destroyed India in the sixth ODI in Guwahati, with a five-wicket haul, says the ongoing series is a good learning experience.
Australia will be counting on their pace attack, not spin, to beat India in their four-Test series that begins next month, chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said on Friday. Australia named the uncapped Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle in their 15-man squad to provide back-up to the front line trio of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson for the series.
Australia exploited England's lack of power hitters at Lord's on Sunday to beat the hosts for the second time in three days and take a 2-0 lead in the seven-match one-day series.
Australia recorded its largest one-day victory over West Indies to claim a 5-0 sweep of their international series on Sunday.
Australia completed a crushing victory over England in the fourth Test on Sunday to level the Ashes series at 1-1 with one match to play.
England fast bowlers James Anderson and Graham Onions dismissed Australia for 263 on the second day of the third Ashes Test. England were 56 for one in reply at tea with captain Andrew Strauss on 33 and Ravi Bopara on 23.
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.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul carried his bat for the third consecutive innings but once again lacked support from his team mates as West Indies were dismissed for 216 on the second day of the third Test on Friday.
Australia's chairman of selectors George Bailey has defended the omission of explosive batter Jake Fraser-McGurk from their T20 World Cup squad, saying he is an exciting option going forward but their top-three, including David Warner, have been doing well.
Ricky Pointing struck an outstanding 158 as Australia dominated West Indies to finish at 301 for four on the opening day of the first Test.
India made two changes to their side with opener Virender Sehwag recalled for Praveen Kumar and S Sreesanth replacing Munaf Patel.
Both the teams have made one change each from the elevens that won their respective semi-finals.
Gilchrist, 34, the leading one-day stumper, caught Kevin Pietersen off left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson for one run to reach the milestone.
Australia clinched a series win over South Africa and remained top of the world rankings after completing a crushing 175-run victory in the second Test on Tuesday.
South Africa were 138 for seven at the close of the second day of the second Test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Saturday.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith will miss the third and final Test against Australia after fracturing a finger, the team said on Saturday.
South Africa struggled to handle Australia's seam attack on a tricky Wanderers pitch, limping to 85 for three at the close of the second day of the first Test Friday.
Anil Kumble bagged five wickets and Mathew Hayden scored a century as Australia ended the opening day of the Melbourne Test on 337 for 9.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat in the first Test against India.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith will be out of action for six weeks after he broke his left little finger on the second day of the third and final Test against Australia in Sydney on Sunday. Smith, who was set to miss the one-day series in Australia and fly home after the third Test to inject his own blood on his injured right elbow, was surprised by a Mitchell Johnson delivery and was struck on the knuckle on his little finger.
Despite being hit by the absence of key bowlers due to injuries as well as international commitments, Chennai Super Kings will still like to display their on-field ruthlessness while taking on wooden spooners Gujarat Titans in a 12th round IPL encounter in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Fast bowler Jason Gillespie was recalled to the Australian Test squad for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh.
Ben Stokes took five wickets to put England on the verge of a famous victory that would win back the Ashes as Australia finished on 241 for seven after a compelling second day of the fourth Test at Trent Bridge on Friday.
Pooran, Powell make fifties as WI hammer nine-man Australia by 35 runs
Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma was well aware of Shardul Thakur's range of shots as he wanted Lasith Malinga to bowl a slower delivery which turned out to be a masterstroke at the end of a thrilling IPL final.
Australia have named Michael Clarke in a 12-man squad for the first Test against India starting in Brisbane next week, but the hamstrung captain must prove his fitness in a tour match starting on Friday.
Australia left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson is unhappy with the lack of enough practice games ahead of their Test series against India in October and said it would make the series more harder for them. Australia are scheduled to play just one four-day match before the first Test begins in Bangalore on October 9.
After several losses in the early years of the new century, a resurgent India notched up two consecutive series wins in Australia to become the Aussies' nemesis.
Australia's Phil Jaques will replace the retired Justin Langer in the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Former Australian captain Allan Border on Tuesday advised struggling pacer Mitchell Johnson to take a break international cricket for a week to recapture his rhythm.
New Zealand reached their victory target with 23 overs to spare, skipper Stephen Fleming ending on 70 not out and Lou Vincent hitting Mitchell Johnson for six to seal the win and finish unbeaten on 73.
All-rounder Andrew Symonds retained his place along with seamer Mitchell Johnson, who was the 12th man in Perth.
Australia named all-rounder Andrew Symonds in place of the retired Damien Martyn in their team for the third Ashes Test against England.
