Following is a fact box on the final Test of the four-match series between Australia and India
They will, however, only be able to join their respective franchises after Australia play their lone T20 match against Pakistan on April 5.
'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'
Josh Hazlewood decided to give this year's IPL a miss in order to spend some time with his family.
Australia's selectors sprung a major surprise on Friday by naming uncapped fast bowler Joe Mennie in a 12-man squad for the first two matches of a three-test series against South Africa beginning in Perth next week. Mennie was part of an inexperienced bowling attack that was humbled by the Proteas batsmen in the recent one-day series in South Africa, which the hosts won 5-0. Despite accumulating figures of 0-82 on debut, the 27-year-old was preferred to Jackson Bird, who toured New Zealand and Sri Lanka as part of the Australian test squad.
Indian cricket team will not just be looking to win a third ODI global title but also look at saving the '50-over format' which has been battling identity crisis for at least five years now.
Australia called up uncapped paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile for the first Test against West Indies on Tuesday as a replacement for left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc, who was ruled out of the series due to a broken foot.
A maiden five-wicket haul by seamer Cameron Green on Sunday set Australia up for a five-wicket victory in the first one-day international against Zimbabwe in Townsville, which is hosting the first series between the sides Down Under since 2004.
Shreyas Iyer stroked his way to an unbeaten half-century in an otherwise unimpressive batting display by India 'A' in reply to Australia's first-innings total of 469 for seven declared on the second day of the three-day practice game in Mumbai.
Rising Pune Supergiants have roped in former Australia captain George Bailey to replace Faf du Plessis, who was forced to cut short his Indian Premier League campaign due to a finger injury.
Their campaign back on track after drubbing Bangladesh in their previous game, Australia cannot afford slip-up against an unpredictable West Indies in their final Super 12 match as they look to seal a semi-final spot in the T20 World Cup on Saturday.
Former champions Sri Lanka will look to exploit Australia's top-order woes when they clash in a group 1 Super 12 match of the ICC T20 World Cup here on Thursday.
Jofra Archer took six wickets as England's bowlers gave their side a handy lead on the second day of the final Ashes Test, reducing Australia to 225 all out in reply to their own first innings score of 294.
SKY overtook Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan to become just the second Indian player to hold the top T20I batter ranking.
'We've put ourselves in this situation but hopefully the Sri Lankans can do the job for us.'
Starc took five wickets for 48 runs and Josh Hazlewood 3-11 as Australia bowled out the West Indies for 123 to win the 1st ODI
Former Australia captain Greg Chappell feels that Steven Smith is a worthy candidate to lead the national cricket team but adds he is not the only choice if Michael Clarke decides to step down some day.
Australia and West Indies are set to lock horns in five T20Is and three ODIs in July this year.
Ravichandran Ashwin's 25th five-wicket haul was the cornerstone of India's remarkable turnaround as the hosts defeated Australia by 75 runs in the second cricket Test to level the four-match series.
Victorious Australia captain Aaron Finch says writing David Warner off at the start of the tournament was like 'poking the bear" as the opener emerged as the player of the T20 World Cup with match-winning knocks in the semi-final and final.
'...there'll be nerves and a bit of pressure, but that's all part of it, and I'm just excited to see what it all brings.'
With pacer Mohammed Shami in menacing form, India holds the edge in the bowling department against Australia, reckons batting great Gundappa Viswanath, who wants skipper Rohit Sharma to convert his aggressive starts to a big hundred in the World Cup final.
How the IPL teams have shaped up after the auction.
In what will be a dress rehearsal of their opening game in the World Cup, an unbeaten Australia take on England in the cricket tri-series final, in Perth on Sunday.
Chris Gayle smashed 67 off 38 balls as the West Indies sealed a six-wicket win over Australia in the third Twenty20 international in St Lucia on Monday to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in their five-match series.
Hazlewood, Marsh named Australia's joint Test vice-captains
Australia thrashed England by eight wickets in their fifth and final one-day international at Old Trafford on Sunday to win the series 3-2 and take some consolation for the pain of Ashes defeat.
Khawaja to battle Head for openers' spot as Australia name squad for first two Tests.
The 24-year-old, who played his last Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong in September, has been included alongside regular spinner Nathan Lyon for the Jan. 4 match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Australia's troubled Ashes tour of England continued when they drew with county side Northamptonshire on Sunday.
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.
Shaun Marsh's sensational strokeplay helped Kings XI Punjab edge past Rajasthan Royals via the Super Over after the match had finished in a tie in the Indian Premier League, in Ahmedabad, on Tuesday.
'When you show love towards the younger guys as a coach or a senior player, you know that they are going to give it back.'
Kane Richardson will take his place in the 15-man squad for the tour, which starts with two Twenty20 matches later this month and is being used a warm-up for their World Cup title defence in England.
Singapore-born Tim David is an X-factor in Australia's Twenty20 World Cup squad and pace spearhead Pat Cummins said he is looking forward to the all-rounder's debut in Australian colours during the three-match series in India.
Travis Head smashed a brilliant 137 as Australia cruised to their sixth World title after outclassing India by six wickets in the final on Sunday.
Australia's Mitchell Marsh struck his second half-century in as many matches with a steady 54, but a batting collapse similar to the one they suffered in the opening game meant the visitors were bowled out for 140 in 19.2 overs chasing 197 for a win.
In David Warner, who is back as captain for this season, the franchise has an inspirational leader and a superb batsman, who would like to lead from the front.
Steve Smith has branded India favourites to win the T20 World Cup after Virat Kohli's side outclassed Australia in a warm-up match on Wednesday.
