Harbhajan Singh has rated the current Australian team led by Steven Smith as the 'weakest ever' in recent times to tour the Indian sub-continent.
Nasser Hussain reckons James Anderson will pip Stuart Broad for a place in the 2nd Test starting on Thursday in Adelaide.
Photos from Day 2 of the 3rd Test played at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday
Penpix of players in Australia's Ashes squad.
Usman Khawaja is doubtful for the day-night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide later this month after the Australian top order batsman re-injured his left hamstring while fielding at the WACA on Saturday.
Warne believes the Australian pace battery deserves more credit for the win in the series-opener than the criticism faced by the Indian batsmen.
Finch and Khawaja put on 209, a record opening stand for Australia while chasing in ODIs, bettering Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist's 206 against West Indies in 2001.
Replacement paceman Kyle Abbott took 6-77 as South Africa completed an innings and 80-run humiliation of Australia the second Test in Hobart on Tuesday to seal the three-match series with a game to spare.
'No Aakash, nothing is lost in translation. In your 12-minute video, you have called me an agenda peddler because it didn't suit your narrative.'
Warner is poised to wrap up his Test cricket journey with the upcoming third Test against Pakistan at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Australia ripped through South Africa's top order in the first hour, dismissed the tourists for 242 by tea and reached 105 without loss at close on the back of some Dave Warner fireworks on the opening day of the first Test on Thursday.
Tim Paine is stepping away from cricket for an "indefinite mental health break", his manager said on Friday, leaving Australia's Ashes preparations in disarray a week after the wicketkeeper's resignation from the captaincy.
Australia coach Justin Langer said that England are obviously the red-hot favourites going into the World Cup and said the team deserves to be the number one team in the world.
Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh scored unbeaten half-centuries to launch a strong response from Australia after Dinesh Chandimal's patient hundred pushed Sri Lanka's first-innings total to 355 on the second day of the third and final Test on Sunday.
David Warner became a bit 'weary' after being knocked on the head by a Mohammed Siraj bouncer on day one of the second Test.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald feels their 'sub-continent journey' helped them triumph in the World Test Championship final against India.
India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is confident that senior spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be able to change their style of bowling that suits South African pitches during their upcoming tour, starting on January 5.
Opening batsman Chris Rogers wants an unchanged Australian team for the fifth and final Ashes Test as a reward for the eleven players who beat England in the first four matches to emphatically wrest back the urn.
England captain Alastair Cook became the youngest cricketer to reach 8,000 Test runs as the tourists moved serenely to 54 without loss at lunch after dismissing Australia for 204 early on the third day of the fourth Ashes Test on Saturday.
Images from Day 1 of the pink-ball first Test between Australia and India, in Adelaide, on Thursday.
Earlier, Nathan Lyon kept Australia in the contest, claiming six for 82 to help bowl out Bangladesh for 221 after the hosts had resumed on 45 for one.
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.
Jonny Bairstow kept his head with a fine century for England but Steve Smith showed a captain's poise to guide Australia to 203 for three at the close of day two of the third Ashes Test on Friday.
The duo has been left out of Australia ODI squad for UAE despite bans ending before tour end
Virat Kohli might have come under sharp criticism from various quarters for his on-field aggressive behaviour but former Australia spinner Brad Hogg defended the India captain, saying the visiting team derives energy from him.
India captured Australia's last two wickets after a rain-delayed start to day five of the third Test on Sunday to complete an emphatic 137-run win and take a 2-1 series lead.
India would have been better served with a frontline spinner in their side, pace spearhead Mohammed Shami said.
Babar Azam fell one run short of his maiden century as Pakistan set Australia a mammoth victory target of 538 on day three of the second and final Test.
Team India is all set to take on Australia in the final of the ICC World Test Championship final from Wednesday at The Oval and this 'Ultimate Test' also brings with it a set of milestones that players can establish during the course of the match.
Cheteshwar Pujara has set an example for others with his first-innings century
All-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis have been excluded from a 25-player squad for an intra-Australia clash that will go a long way to deciding the makeup of Tim Paine's Ashes side.
Images from Day 2 of the 2nd Ashes Test played at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, on Thursday.
'It won't be easy like the other matches but confidence is the main thing... If we took that confidence into the ground and deliver to our best, you never know'
Rahane also pointed how the coach's contribution was the key to the team's success.
Batsmen Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges and Joe Burns have been rewarded for their strong form over the past 12 months by being awarded central contracts by Cricket Australia on Friday.
A rejuvenated India shorn of Virat Kohli turned the tables on Australia to claim the second Test in Melbourne with a rousing eight-wicket victory within four days and breathe life into the series.
Langer's side secured their spot in the last four with a 64-run win over hosts England at Lord's on Tuesday and return to the famous north London ground on Saturday to face neighbours New Zealand in their penultimate round-robin tie.
Pujara was placed sixth, down one rung, with 791 points, while Rahane occupied the ninth spot after slipping a couple of positions with 759 points.
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is against shortening of Test matches as he believes that four-day Tests might lead to more draws.
With thumbs down from currently the most influential international cricketer, ICC might find it difficult to implement 'four-day Test'.
