Hailed as one of Indian cricket's brightest young talents, the 22-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal made a dazzling start to his Test career.
'I was playing country cricket and working as a carpenter, and that was the dream for me.'
'They're those little moments as a squad that I think have got us across the line to four wins this series.'
Mitchell Starc and Ben Stokes set the scene for a dramatic Ashes series.
England did not have their full squad in Perth until last Sunday and will play one internal match before the first Ashes Test on November 21.
Indian and Australian cricketers were engaged in a war of words on Tuesday, ahead of the crucial third Test in Perth, with senior players of both sides taking digs at each other after Brad Haddin started the jibes by calling India a "fragile" team.
'I think it's a huge credit to (head coach) Andrew McDonald, the coaching staff and the medical staff that we feel like we've got a big squad that we can draw on.'
Having hit Western Australia's golf links before being beaten by eight wickets in Perth, England's enthusiasts will have access to a selection of championship courses to play a round before a refreshing dip in the Pacific Ocean.
The overwhelmingly bowler-friendly Melbourne pitch on which 20 wickets fell on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test has prompted Kevin Pietersen and Dinesh Kartik to point out the selective criticism of Indian tracks when spinners get wickets in a heap.
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.
Australia, England registered shameful record during first Ashes Test at Perth as express pace dominates proceedings
'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.'
Dropped Australia opener Sam Konstas will face England in a two-day tour match between the first and second Ashes Tests as part of the Prime Minister's XI squad.
'In choosing to be fully himself, even when it was uncomfortable, Usman Khawaja expanded the meaning of representation and conscience in Australian sport,' notes Asif Ullah Khan.
Two Indian origin players -- Aryan Sharma and John James -- have been named in Australia's 15-member squad for the men's U-19 World Cup scheduled to be held in Namibia and Zimbabwe from January 15 to February 6.
'If Rohit wants to open, KL should bat at No. 3. Nothing later than that.'
A look back at a few memorable showdowns in the last decade and half that had the quintessential crests and troughs of Test cricket.
Greg Chappell said that while he admires positive cricket, a "full-frontal assault" approach is insult to the intelligence of the players and the public alike.
Shubman Gill joined an unwanted list following the loss to Australia in the first ODI at Perth, becoming the second Indian skipper after Virat Kohli and overall ninth captain to lose their first matches in all three formats as captain.
The Australian media summed up their team's 295-run hammering by India in the opening Test with strong headlines such as 'Perth-etic Humiliation' and 'Monster Loss', former players called for some tough decisions, including sacking Marnus Labuschagne.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting tips confident England to pose real Ashes threat.
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.
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.
'It is the biggest stage and it is the brightest lights. It is a series that could define teams, the people and players within it.'
The contest between England's dialled-down "Bazball" approach and Australia's more methodical batting could determine who prevails in the Ashes series beginning in Perth on Friday.
Scott Boland will step up and uncapped Brendan Doggett is tipped for a high-stakes debut to try to shore up the loss of a combined 604 Test wickets of experience.
England need to alter their approach if they hope to claw their way back after their disastrous start to the Ashes series and avoid another drubbing, former Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson said.
The mounting criticism of their poor show in the Test series against Australia notwithstanding, the Indian cricket team chose, on Monday, to enjoy some go-karting instead of having a nets session ahead of the do-or-die 3rd Test starting in Perth on Friday.
Images from Day 4 of the first Test between Australia and India in Perth on Monday.
The hosts lost six wickets in the first session for 94 runs after resuming on four for no loss on Day 2 of the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne.
As England and India gear up for the final showdown in the five-match series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval, former England speedster Stuart Broad feels the hosts should make some changes to their Playing XI and rest tearaway Jofra Archer.
In a fiery contest, Jaiswal had his moment of cheeky brilliance against Mitchell Starc, a legendary fast bowler with over 330 Test wickets to his name.
England on Tuesday named a 16-man squad for the Ashes series starting in Australia in November with Ben Stokes, who is currently nursing a shoulder injury, set to return to lead the side.
A dominant Australia were five wickets away from reclaiming the Ashes after hammering England with the bat and reducing them to 251 for five with the ball at the end of the fourth day of the third test at the WACA on Monday.
'That so many have reached such an advanced stage of their careers without obvious replacements is certainly a reflection of their quality, but will be a matter of concern in the case of more injuries during the series.'
Australia's selectors chairman George Bailey defended sticking with the Test side's veteran core for the Ashes on Wednesday following criticism from former captain Steve Waugh about the team's ageing profile.
England's fightback to draw the last Ashes series 2-2 is a useful reminder to Australia that they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas with a 2-0 lead this time around, Cameron Green said on Sunday.
The Ashes could be decided within days at an Adelaide Oval furnace where England's hopes of wresting back the urn will fire anew or flame out entirely against a strengthened Australia.
Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps on Day 4 of the third Test, still 228 runs short of victory
Speaking on Taruwar Kohli's YouTube channel, Vijay praised Dhoni's power-hitting, mental strength and unmatched impact on the game.
