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.
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.
'He is a really exciting talent and probably the guy I am looking forward to seeing the most this summer. I have seen the Aussies a lot and I have seen a lot of the Kiwis, but I am really excited to see him'
Ravindra Jadeja has been voted as the best player of India's home season in a poll conducted by ESPNCricinfo.
Selectors name the Test squad on Thursday but will have to rely on their gut rather than hard numbers
Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss and opted to bat against an Indian side missing their inspirational skipper Virat Kohli through injury in the fourth and final Test in Dharamsala on Saturday.
South Africa's success in Australia is often put down to their comfort on the hard local tracks, which can be similar to those at home, but they could face some unfamiliar conditions this year.
The trio of Bancroft, Smith and Warner were banned for their roles in the ball tampering scandal.
Wade will instead head to New Zealand with Australia's Twenty20 squad for a five-match series starting on Feb. 22 in Christchurch.
Langer feels that spinner Nathan Lyon will have a role to play on the final day of the Pink Test as the wicket will support spin on Monday.
'We only felt that it has never happened before, I don't think it will ever happen again. It was a freak inning'
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.
'It's a very tricky decision to make what kind of a bowling option you want to go with or you want to think whether that guy can contribute with the bat as well or not. Eventually you come to one decision and we backed that decision and we went ahead with it. Whether it comes off or not is a different thing.'
Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli thwarted Australia in a diligent partnership to push India to a position of strength and a 166-run lead at the close of day three of the first Test.
'It's a long series, our bowlers have had a really big workload and we feel we're going to need Mitch's bowling at some point.'
Since the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, Australia's on-field histrionics had been toned down under the leadership of the wicketkeeper-captain.
Paceman Mitchell Starc retains his place in the side despite what was perceived to be a sub-par performance in Adelaide, and will be looking for a strong performance in conditions which are expected to favour his skills at the new Perth Stadium.
Ravi Shastri, who is confident that the fast bowlers will have a crucial role to play in the second Test in Perth, hinted at ditching net practice ahead of the clash.
Virat Kohli is the quickest among all subcontinent players to score 1,000 runs in Australia. Rajneesh Gupta has all the numbers.
Australia's blockbuster four-Test series against India will be the greatest challenge Pat Cummins has faced in his young captaincy as he looks to conquer the "final frontier".
With Australia taking a 2-0 lead in the four-match Test series against India, the scales are titled highly in favour of the hosts. History also shows that the Melbourne Cricket Ground has been a happy hunting ground for the hosts. With the Boxing Day Test around the corner, here is a quick look at how the teams stand.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI in the first Test against Australia?
Shreyas Iyer, on Sunday, said that the India 'A' tour to Australia has helped him grow as a player.
'We've tried to bounce Pujara, we've tried wide of the stumps, we've tried at the stumps, Nathan Lyon's been over and around ... and he's been too good for us'
'I think our bowlers' efforts were really good. If they can do the same thing tomorrow, get a couple edges first up, it could be totally different'
India clinched the four-Test series against Australia 2-1 after the fourth and final Test ended in a draw in Ahmedabad on Monday.
Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh hit centuries but Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath picked up six wickets to restrict Australia's first-innings lead to 24 runs on the third day of the third and final Test on Monday.
Tensions flared-up towards the end of Day 3 on Sunday with none other than the two captains, Virat Kohli and Tim Paine, exchanging verbal volleys.
The series is even more important for Kohli as it would also define his legacy as a leader having already established himself as world's premier batsman.
Usman Khawaja batted bravely for nearly nine hours to make 141 and help Australia salvage a draw in the first Test against Pakistan, in Dubai, on Thursday.
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar believes India can win the Adelaide Test if they remain in a positive frame of mind despite another good batting show by Australia on the fourth day of the match.
Sri Lanka have not played a match at the World Cup since June 4, forced to split points with Bangladesh and Pakistan following two washed out games.
The proposal, which has been floated for the 2023-2031 cycle, has not gone down well with the greats of the game, including Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting, opposing the idea.
James Pattinson has the full support of the Australian team in his battle against over-stepping and they expect him to come out and "blow the game apart" in New Zealand's second innings, according to off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
'With a lead of 260 going into the day session, we're in the drivers' seat'
Queensland quick Michael Neser looks set to make his Test debut against New Zealand on Thursday with Australia considering an unconventional five-man attack for the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The hosts, who can clinch the three-match series with a second successive victory, are wary of the surface at MCG where bowlers had to really toil for any success in recent times.
Scroll down to see the list of other awardees and cricketers who glamed up the night in their sartorial best.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances