The Perth Stadium pitch that saw Australia complete a thumping eight-wicket Ashes win inside two days over England has earned the ICC's (ICC) highest rating.
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The Perth Stadium curator has promised the wicket will be green, fast and bouncy but Stokes offered no thoughts on whether England would attack with four quicks or pick the specialist spinner, Shoaib Bashir, in their 11.
The two greats showed their class with some brilliant shots during the practice session.
Pat Cummins captured the sentiment perfectly, calling this potentially the 'last chance' for fans Down Under to witness these legends in action. With both stalwarts set to be 39 and 40 respectively by the 2027 World Cup, every appearance carries added significance. Ro-Ko have been the heartbeat of Indian cricket for over 15 years. Their return brings an emotional lift to the team and raises expectations for the series against the world champions.
Australia will also welcome Matt Short back into the side at No.3, forming part of a refreshed middle order alongside Renshaw, Owen, Cooper Connolly, and wicketkeeper Josh Philippe, who replaces the injured Josh Inglis (calf).
Australia's board had hoped the 60,000-seat venue in Burswood would be ready to host the third Ashes Test between the sides from December 14-18 but construction delays ruled that out, with Perth's traditional WACA ground staging it instead.
Australia's stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh continued his fine run of form on Sunday, scoring 46 not out and leading his side to a seven-wicket triumph over India in the weather-affected first one-day international at Perth Stadium.
David Miller's explosive innings not only showcased his exceptional finishing skills but also equaled David Warner's record for the most runs scored against India in T20 World Cups.
Taking his 17th Test five-wicket haul, he finished with 7 for 58 off 12.5 overs.
Opening batter Jake Weatherald and pace bowler Brendan Doggett will make their Test debuts for Australia in the first Ashes Test against England in Perth on Friday.
Cummins has been sidelined with a lumbar stress injury since Australia swept West Indies in the Caribbean in July.
Even as the rain poured, the mood in the stands never did. Ponchos, cheers and chants filled the arena as fans danced through the drizzle, refusing to let the weather wash away their excitement.
This happened following India's practice session that saw both India's senior batters hit the nets at the Optus Stadium.
Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad said the second Ashes Test starting Thursday next week will be a lottery and the toss is a key factor in Brisbane with the pink ball.
The stand-in Australia captain was asked about Panesar's recent comments that England should shame Smith over his involvement in "Sandpapergate" to get a psychological edge in the series, which starts in Perth on Friday.
With skipper Pat Cummins already out of the series opener because of a back injury, Australia are expected to send out Hazlewood with Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland as their pace attack.
Khawaja pulled no punches, taking aim at former players and sections of the media over what he described as blatant double standards
'My body feels great right now, I am very confident of getting through all five (Tests) without any dramas.'
Ravichandran Ashwin hails Travis Head after his 69-ball century, the second-fastest in Ashes history, helped Australia easily chase down 205 runs on Day 2 of first Ashes Test.
Captain Shubman Gill acknowledged losing early wickets was one of the big reasons for India's loss in the rain-hit first ODI against Australia.
Kuldeep was instrumental to India's success at the Asia Cup, topping the wicket-taking chart with 17 wickets. Chopra explained the rationale behind dropping the left-arm wrist spinner, attributing it to batting depth.
Reeling from injuries to captain Pat Cummins and paceman Josh Hazlewood, Australia have received a boost ahead of the first Ashes Test in Perth starting Friday, with Cameron Green telling reporters he is ready to bowl free of any restrictions.
Their last eight Tests in Perth have all been defeats, with the most recent setback a bitter innings and 41-run capitulation in 2017 that saw Joe Root's team surrender the urn.
The cricketing ecosystem has learned to survive the prolonged absence of Kohli and Rohit -- at least in two formats -- in this interim period.
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England pacer Mark Wood feels Australia will start as favourites in the upcoming Ashes series, but insists that there is a "quiet confidence" within the English camp about doing well in the marquee contest, starting later this month.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Ashes Test played in Perth on Friday.
Cricket Australia were left millions of dollars out of pocket, having to refund tickets for a confirmed sell-out crowd on day three at the 100,000-seat stadium and for another large crowd for day four.
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.
No fewer than 36 wickets fell during two chaotic days in the fourth Ashes Test, leaving the captains of both Australia and England unimpressed with the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Ashes Test in Perth on Saturday.
While ever more hostage to Twenty20's global carve-up, cricket will take a breath from next week to indulge its most time-honoured rivalry as Australia and England battle in the Ashes.
'The tailenders should have looked to bat with Jamie Smith. Really poor from the batters towards the end. The plan should have been to give him the strike and let him do the heavy lifting.'
The Indian men ruled white-ball cricket, while South Africa ended decades of hurt by winning the World Test Championship at Lord's. Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their maiden IPL title, though the celebrations were dimmed by a deadly stampede. Above all, it was India's women who won a billion hearts by finally adding an ICC World Cup trophy to the cabinet.
Mitchell Starc and Ben Stokes set the scene for a dramatic Ashes series.
Joe Root's Australian hoodoo is over. The England batter scored his first Test century in Australia, an unbeaten 135 off 202 balls, rescuing his side after a shaky start in the second Ashes Test at Brisbane's Gabba and steering England to 325 for nine following captain Ben Stokes' decision to bat first.
He has since returned for key assignments, including the 2022 T20 World Cup victory and both the Ashes and ODI World Cup campaigns in 2023.
Shreyas Iyer's battle against Josh Hazlewood continued on a rain-hit Perth afternoon in the first ODI at the Optus Stadium on Sunday
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