Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey was mesmerized by the way young opener Sam Konstas scored an audacious half-century in the Boxing Day Test against India, but insisted that it was unlikely to become a "blueprint" for future matches.
Australia announced a 16-member squad on Thursday with several fresh faces added to the group that played India in the fifth and final Test at Sydney last week. Australia won the marquee series 3-1.
Despite the overcast conditions seemingly favouring the bowlers, the decision proved to be a gamble that didn't pay off immediately.
Young blocked the first ball of the Abrar Ahmed over for a dot before sweeping the ball to square leg to bring up his century.
Images from Day 5 in the fourth Test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday.
Speaking as quoted by Fox Sports, Waugh said, "I think they have picked the team on winning these last two Test matches."
Australia and South Africa, two teams renowned for their batting prowess, will go head-to-head in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, aiming to secure a place in the Champions Trophy semifinals.
Teenager Konstas to make debut in fourth Test against India
Nathan McSweeney is on the brink of a major debut, set to partner Usman Khawaja as Australia's opening batters in the series against India.
The BAFTAs were held at London's Royal Festival Hall on February 16.
Australia has made a couple of changes to its squad, addressing Hazlewood's absence and the top-order issues. Sam Konstas replaces Nathan McSweeney in the squad for the fourth Test.
'...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.'
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka led by example and smashed a belligerent hundred to set up a 49-run victory over a depleted Australia.
A "devastating" omission after below-par performances in the Border-Gavaskar series notwithstanding, opener Nathan McSweeney has not given up hope of returning to Australia's Test setup, saying he will try his luck as a long-term replacement for Usman Khawaja once the batting stalwart retires.
Smith's unbeaten 120 is his second successive hundred of the series while Carey made a career-best 139 not out hitting 22 fours and three sixes between them.
A confident New Zealand side will be eager to seal a semi-final spot when they take on Bangladesh, who will be fighting for survival, in their Champions Trophy Group A match in Rawalpindi on Monday.
Here's Prem Panicker's unique take on all the action from the second day of the 2024-2025 Border Gavaskar series.
Unless something changes, Mr Trump is a huge threat right now, which is perhaps not being recognised fully, cautions Debashis Basu.
'You've got to love the banter, especially from someone so young.'
Rookie Australia opener Nathan McSweeney admitted feeling "devastated" after being dropped for the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India, but vowed to work hard to reclaim his spot in the national team.
'...there was a time there where it could have been 250 or 270 (run lead) or maybe even less there for a bit.'
Marnus Labuschagne believes India's memorable fourth innings run chase at the Gabba from 2021 is of little relevance heading into the final day of a gripping Boxing Day Test.
Johnson is a coveted player on the T20 franchise circuit and took a million-dollar contract to play in the 2024 Indian Premier League.
India will have to wait until day two to show their skills and may need early wickets to force a third consecutive result in the series.
Australia's success has been compared with some of the nation's great Test teams led by Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting.
Australia heaved a major sigh of relief on Wednesday after skipper Pat Cummins declared run-machine Travis Head fit for the Boxing Day Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith hailed his side's resounding innings and 242-run victory over Sri Lanka in Galle on Saturday as "near flawless" after the visitors retained the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy.
Liverpool took another step towards the Premier League title with a 2-0 win at Manchester City.
Mitch Owen blasted the Big Bash League's equal-fastest hundred on Monday to deliver Hobart Hurricanes their first T20 title
A round-up of Saturday's action in the Premier League.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met United States President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday.
Rohit Sharma's aggressive batting and Shubman Gill's calculated approach have formed a formidable opening partnership for India in ODIs.
Dhruv Jurel has made a compelling case for inclusion in India's playing XI for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Bumrah now has 36 wickets on Australian soil, and the batter he's dismissed most times is his opposite number Pat Cummins (6).
Australia bowled out Sri Lanka for 231 in the hosts' second innings and then chased down the target of 75 losing the lone wicket of opener Travis Head.
Josh Inglis slammed a brilliant century as Australia completed the highest chase in an ICC men's tournament against England in Lahore on Saturday.
Jurel and Nitish Kumar Reddy then safely saw off the bowling to stay 73 for 5 till close of play, taking a 11-run lead.
New Zealand and South Africa, both laden with world-class talent but often falling short in ICC tournaments, will face off in a tightly contested Champions Trophy semifinal.
Successful in keeping opponents and vitriol at bay so far, India will have to rise above traditional bugbear New Zealand and a rigmarole of emotions surrounding stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to reclaim the Champions Trophy after 12 years in Dubai on Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that India and the United States have set a $500 billion target for bilateral trade by 2030 and added that the teams of two nations will work together to finalise a mutually beneficial trade agreement.
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