McDonald also said the selectors would consider a Test recall for Mitch Marsh, even if Australia's white-ball captain said last week he would be watching the Ashes series beer in hand.
Across four Tests, Australia's fifth bowling option Marsh has bowled only 33 overs, a statistic that underscores his underutilisation. However, McDonald defended the all-rounder.
Both DC and LSG have 10 points and a win will keep them safely perched in the higher echelons of the points table ahead of the jostlers.
Australia captain Steve Smith brushed off concerns about his fitness on the eve of the fifth and final Ashes Test against England on Wednesday before Mitchell Starc's return to spearhead the pace attack was confirmed as the only change to his team.
DC's brilliant fielding turned the game in their favour, proving once again that catches win matches.
Leading a T20 side for the first time, Australia's World Cup winning skipper Pat Cummins says the shortest format is not taxing on body but the travel involved in the two-month long IPL and different-style preparations to face a variety of teams is certainly a huge challenge.
Australia will be without fast bowler Mitchell Starc for Saturday's final one-day international against South Africa after he was given permission to leave the tour to watch his wife Alyssa Healy compete in the women's T20 World Cup final. Healy will feature for Australia against India in the decider of the global T20 competition at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, and will be able to count on the support of Starc.
IPL Auction 2026 was not just about money; it was a celebration of ambition, opportunity, and the unrelenting belief that the next big star could come from anywhere.
Mukesh Kumar will be hoping that this dream IPL campaign can pave the way for his return to the Indian team. His control, clever variations, and mental resilience have made him one of Delhi's go-to bowlers this season.
Left arm quick Mitchell Starc will replace injured seamer Mitchell Johnson in Australia's lineup for the fourth and final dead rubber Test against India starting on Tuesday.
'All I would say to him is he's just got to have that belief in himself and get involved in the game and I guess have that presence'
Australia is on the cusp of scripting another milestone. If the Baggy Greens trounce the Proteas, they will become the first team to defend the WTC mace successfully.
South Africa's dream start to the World Test Championship final quickly turned into a nightmare at Lord's, as their batters failed to back up Kagiso Rabada's five-wicket masterclass.
The IPL consistently rewards smart squad building, tactical flexibility, and balanced team composition over individual star power. So what exactly are franchises paying for when the bidding war begins?
'You've got to love the banter, especially from someone so young.'
The Indian team ramped up preparations for the Boxing Day Test by practicing on a fresh wicket on Tuesday at the MCG.
Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques is in line for his first Test in three years after being named in the squad for their three-match tour of Sri Lanka in July and August.
'As a captain it makes my life a lot easier knowing you've got lots of settled players there.'
The Delhi Capitals will be looking to improve their batting performance in the middle overs when they face a struggling Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League match on Tuesday.
James Faulkner, man-of-the-match in the 2015 World Cup final against New Zealand, has been omitted from the 15-man squad named on Thursday, with selectors opting for all-rounders Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.
Ramandeep Singh showed great composure to settle under a high catch for the key wicket of SRH's Rahul Tripathi.
Ponting said the ball does move around in South Africa and if Starc is able to reclaim the swing he will be more lethal in the series.
Virat Kohli's wife and K L Rahul's wife Athiya Shetty were in attendance and their reaction to Kohli's dismissal has gone viral on social media.
Josh Hazlewood has been a standout performer for RCB this season, claiming 18 wickets in 10 innings at an economy rate of 8.27.
The exact reason for Starc's release is not yet known but it is believed that it could be because of the uncertainty around his availability for the 2019 season.
Australia pacer Mitchell Starc is contemplating a comeback to the Indian Premier League after a lengthy hiatus despite a hectic schedule that includes touring the subcontinent and the T20 World Cup title defence at home later this year.
The Indian team in Australia lacks a bowling attack that is good enough to take 20 wickets in a Test, Cheteshwar Pujara said
The Indian batters' inability to grind it out against a relentless Australian pace attack in testing conditions left the team precariously placed at 51/4 at the end of a rain-marred day three.
The pace spearhead will return home to begin his rehabilitation, Cricket Australia said in a statement on Friday.
Mitchell Starc claimed his second hat-trick of the match to lead New South Wales to a 171-run victory over Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield on Tuesday.
Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel would like to quickly forget the underwhelming performances of his side in home conditions and get their stuttering campaign back on track when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are teetering on the edge of elimination, in the IPL match in Hyderabad on Monday.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
Fast bowler Mitchell Starc has all but written off his chances of making a faster-than-expected recovery from ankle surgery and playing a part in Australia's bid for a first World Twenty20 title.
KKR, CSK to engage in bidding war in IPL mini-auction with big purse in hand
According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, Starc, who didn't figure in any game for KKR last year after getting injured in the Test series against South Africa, has filed a lawsuit in the Victorian County Court last week against the insurers of his lucrative IPL deal.
Australia's pacemen Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins ripped out England's top order with a masterclass of textbook bowling to put their side in sight of a 2-0 Ashes lead on Saturday.
Australian head coach Andrew McDonald backed Mitchell Starc ahead of the Ashes series starting from June 16 at Edgbaston.
For the penultimate over, Axar had the option to exercise Mitchell Starc's last over and Vipraj Nigam, who had bowled just a solitary over.
The Indian team is brave and supremely confident in its ability to win from any situation, said England's all-time great Alastair Cook.
Australia's pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has been under fire for his lacklustre form during the home summer.
