Plenty of hopes will rest on the young shoulders of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who, at the age of just 23, has earned a reputation as one of the world's best openers in the longest format of the game.
Former England skipper Alastair Cook backed Ollie Pope to retain the No. 3 spot in the batting line-up ahead of Jacob Bethell during the upcoming five-match Test series against India.
Here's Prem Panicker's unique take on all the action from the third day of the 2024-2025 Border Gavaskar series.
Kohli, Kohli.... the chants from 90,000 fervent fans still reverberate in the ear when you step into the fabled MCG, even two years after the former Indian skipper pulled off a stunning heist against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022.
Australia's Test regulars will skip the three-match series against Pakistan in November as they prepare for the blockbuster clash against India.
Steve Smith was facing throwdowns from team-mate Marnus Labuschagne in the nets when the ball struck his right thumb.
Steve Waugh expressed disbelief at 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi's impeccable timing and advised him to focus on 'control' to avoid being a supernova.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has backed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to bounce back in the Champions Trophy, expressing confidence in their ability to lead India to success.
'You can only break through the doors or force the selectors to pick you for the Indian team by scoring runs consistently in domestic cricket and that is what he has done in the last so many years.'
Adelaide Oval's head curator Damian Hough has also promised a 6mm grass cover to ensure that the pink ball doesn't wear out early during the day-night Test, starting on Friday.
India's assistant coach also Ryan ten Doeschate also lauded Starc for his excellent display with the pink ball.
Key players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to consider stepping away from the Test format to make way for a new generation of talent.
From the lad with spiked hair lifting the U19 World Cup to the statesman in whites scoring one final ton -- Virat Kohli's journey is one of relentless ambition, transformation, and enduring legacy.
Ashwin's age is certainly a factor that is being kept in consideration.
The Indian team management has decided to retain Devdutt Padikkal, who was part of the India A team, as a backup for the senior team in Australia.
Nathan McSweeney had a disappointing start to his international career after being ousted by Bumrah for 10 and zero in the first Test at Perth.
The 38-year-old played the day-night Test in Adelaide and picked up one wicket.
Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has called for an improved performance from India's batting unit in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, saying the lack of runs from the top-order builds pressure on the lower-order.
Former India off-spinner R Ashwin revealed he considered retiring after his 100th Test but ultimately decided to call it quits during the tour of Australia.
The introduction of Webster was the only change to the side, with Mitchell Starc included despite struggling with a back niggle during the fourth Test.
Jasprit Bumrah doesn't seem to be a long-term captaincy option given his nagging fitness concerns.
'I want to categorically deny any association with these accounts and their content. The statements being circulated are not my views and do not reflect my opinions in any way.'
He warned the players that failure to follow his game plans would result in them being dropped from the team.
Rohit hinted that the 64-Test veteran could still play a part in the remainder of the five-Test series in Australia.
India managed to keep the five-Test series level at 1-1 heading into the Boxing day Test in Melbourne, the fragility of their top order remains a major concern for the tourists.
The tickets for the opening day of the fourth Test of the between India and Australia at MCG have been sold out.
Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been recognised for their exceptional performances in 2024 by being named in the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year.
Hobart will stage the fifth Ashes Test between Australia and England in place of Perth, which was stripped of the hosting rights on Monday because of Western Australia border controls, Cricket Australia said on Saturday.
Sunil Gavaskar said if India captain Rohit Sharma misses the first Test against Australia, then Jasprit Bumrah should lead the side for the entire five-match series.
Between 2014 and 2019, he scored 21 centuries in just 55 Tests. Among these were seven double centuries, the most by an Indian in Test cricket. Remarkably, six of those double tons came within a span of just 22 Tests.
Hazlewood's inclusion is the only change to the home side who will look to take a 2-1 lead in the five-Test series.
'Shami has been India's best bowler for a while. He may not get the amount of wickets Jasprit Bumrah gets, but he's the full package and is more consistent than the rest.'
'The fact is he always needed a challenge. That's what got him going.'
South Africa head into the third and final Test against Australia believing that if all else fails their deep reservoir of grit and determination can still be counted on to confront the most daunting of challenges.
Kohli's farewell came during a turbulent Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, a place once synonymous with his rise.
The Indian team will tour Australia later this year for a multi-format limited overs series comprising three ODIs and five T20 Internationals.
Pakistan look to be positive against strong Australia team
Perth may not be able to hold an Ashes Test over Australia's home summer due to COVID-19 restrictions, sports minister Richard Colbeck said on Tuesday.
It is now-or-never for the now senior-most superstar batter to produce an all-timer series that justifies his talent.
'It (the decision to pick Nitish ahead of Shardul) is also about moving forward and I feel that this is the best set of players that we have selected to do the job for the country.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances