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.
'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.
The 60,000-seat arena will host its first Test after a rich 47-year run at the nearby WACA, located on the opposite bank of the SwanRiver, and the grassy drop-in wicket unveiled on Thursday has fuelled anticipation of a pace bowler's paradise.
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.
From a bowler's paradise on Day 1 to a batting haven on Day 2, the Perth pitch has defied expectations.
The void left by Mahendra Singh Dhoni's retirement in Indian cricket was quickly filled by Rishabh Pant, said batting great Rahul Dravid.
'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.'
KL Rahul sees shades of himself in 22-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal, who on his first trip Down Under, seems to be in a similar position like he was on his maiden Australia tour 10 years back.
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.
A revitalised England gave notice they would not be giving up the Ashes without a fight and reduced Australia to 220 for five at tea on a sweltering opening day of the third Test at the WACA on Friday.
Former captain Sourav Ganguly wants the BCCI to immediately send Mohammed Shami to join the Indian team in Australia, even if he is unable to play in the Perth Test.
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.
Cummins is also unlikely to feature in the first Ashes Test, starting November 21 in Perth, and in that scenario former skipper Smith will captain Australia.
England batter Harry Brook has cautioned against underestimating Australia in the Ashes series, even as doubts linger over the availability of their captain and fast bowler, Pat Cummins, for the opener in Perth.
Virat Kohli and Steve Smith will be "dangerous" and "hungry" for runs in the remaining two Tests
Rohit Sharma will either open or bat at number three in the Adelaide Test against Australia, reckoned former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh
The T20 series is tied at 1-1 ahead of the fourth match on the Gold Coast on Thursday, with the series-opener in Canberra washed out by rain.
Starc further commented that Doggett could handle the pressure of the Ashes series, as he seemed to be the third pacer in Australia's attack.
England last won the Ashes in 2015 and have not won a series in Australia since 2011 but Root was optimistic about their chances this time around.
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.
Speaking on Taruwar Kohli's YouTube channel, Vijay praised Dhoni's power-hitting, mental strength and unmatched impact on the game.
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
Following a disappointing return to international cricket in the first ODI at Perth, Virat Kohli spent a considerable time in the nets on Tuesday, firing some of his trademark shots during the Indian team's first training session ahead of the second ODI in Adelaide on Thursday.
Virat Kohli, 36, and Rohit Sharma, 38, are active internationally only in the 50-overs format but their future beyond the three-match series is uncertain.
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.
'But I think that the manner in which they play is part of the reason why I think they've got their best chance in 15 years of regaining the Ashes Down Under, because in 2010-11 when we went down there and won, we pushed back against Australia.'
Buoyed by their win in the first Test in Perth, the Indian cricket team arrived in Canberra for the mid-series two-day game against the Australia Prime Minister's XI on November 30 and December 1 ahead of the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide on December 6.
Rohit Sharma shared a few words of encouragement before presenting the cap to the youngster.
The blockbuster five-match Test series between India and Australia will get underway at Perth's Optus Stadium on November 22, the venue replacing Adelaide Oval as the national cricket board's preferred choice for the season opener.
Fast bowler Josh Tongue is confident England are prepared for the Ashes series in Australia and have a good chance of ending their long drought Down Under thanks to their fearsome bowling attack.
'We know we're behind the game again, in the situation we currently stand.'
Sarfaraz Khan was spotted leaving the training session early after being hit on his elbow at the nets practice on Thursday.
Rishabh Pant may be dropped for the final Test in the Border Gavaskar series.
Australia's Jake Weatherald says he is excited about the possibility of opening the batting with Usman Khawaja in the first Ashes Test against England later this month.
While the white-ball trophy cabinet kept getting heavier, Team India's fortunes in Test cricket swung wildly between hope and despair in 2025.
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.
Cummins had no qualms in admitting that his team was thoroughly outplayed in the series opener but he promised to bounce back in Adelaide
