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.
Virat Kohli is the second fastest behind Don Bradman to score 25 Test hundreds, notes Rajneesh Gupta.
India pacer Mohammed Shami said on Monday that he is completely pain-free and is still not out of reckoning for the marquee Test tour of Australia starting next month.
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.
Pakistan are already depleted in attack, with injured quick Naseem Shah sidelined and Haris Rauf having opted out of the series to play in Australia's T20 Big Bash League.
Matthew Hayden's chances of playing in the third Test in Perth are slim with the opener saying he was not sure whether he can recover in time for the match beginning January 16.
India have lost 7 Tests in 2018, the joint-most in a calendar year (1959 and 1983 being the other years when India also lost seven Tests.
Khurrum Shahzad was one of the few success stories for Pakistan in the first Test against Australia in Perth.
India's batting is a major concern with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggling for runs ahead of the tour of Australia.
Reader Amit Modi sent us a picture of Sania Mirza from Perth, Australia.
Ricky Ponting feels that left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed could be a valuable addition in the Indian squad
Pat Cummins is looking at the upcoming five-Test series against India as a chance to 'make amends' for the successive defeats at home against their fierce rivals.
India would look to carry on the momentum and seal a win against Great Britain in the quarterfinals of the men's hockey competition of the Paris Olympics in Paris on Sunday.
Eoin Morgan said the current Indian team ranks as "one of the greatest in their own conditions".
Curator Daljeet Singh said the redesigned pitch will offer good bounce, like the one in Perth, Australia.
The ICC confirmed the rating on Tuesday, a marked improvement from the three demerit points that they earned after last year's drawn Ashes Test.
Former Australian coach John Buchanan on Thursday congratulated Jay Shah on becoming the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman and expressed hope that the incumbent Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary will be able to make all three formats of international cricket a priority for all in the age of T20 franchise cricket.
'The actual three quicks of India out-bowled the three quicks of Australia. They were outstanding. It's a big, big risk that Australia are taking'
The opening Test between Australia and South Africa at Perth is interestingly poised at the end of fourth day's play on Saturday.
Roundup of matches across the country in the ongoing BCCI Ranji Trophy
After several losses in the early years of the new century, a resurgent India notched up two consecutive series wins in Australia to become the Aussies' nemesis.
'The real problem for Shaheen Afridi is the pressure of being the spearhead of this Pakistan attack and without much real support at the other end when it comes to pace, genuine pace.'
Paceman Tom Curran claimed a career-best five for 35 to derail Australia's chase in the inaugural match at Perth's new stadium and help England win the fifth and final one-dayer by 12 runs on Sunday.
Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been included in the Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against Bangladesh.
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram feels that playing conditions in Sydney and Perth in the ongoing Test series between India and Australia exposed the "physical inadequacies of an ageing cricketer".
'It was a team effort, and I am happy for Kumble and the boys that we came up with a remarkable win,' said the former India captain after India beat Australia by 72 runs to win the third Test.
India surpassed that mark when Richa Ghosh hammered a four in the first ball of the 109th over bowled by Annerie Dercksen.
Babar was also one of the few bright spots from Pakistan's previous tour to Australia in 2019-2020, where he scored 97 and 101.
Australia have put fast bowlers Doug Bollinger and Nathan Coulter-Nile on standby for next week's third Ashes Test against England in Perth should any of the current pacemen break down during the second Test in Adelaide, starting on Thursday.
Set to return in Test cricket against India for the Perth Test on Friday, Australian paceman Ryan Harris is wary about breaking down again and said that he had "bad thoughts" about his recurring injury problems.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said the hosts would field their strongest side against Pakistan, which means a welcome return for spinner Nathan Lyon, who will chase his 500th Test wicket after injury ruled him out of the last three matches of the Ashes.
Ashwin, Rohit ruled out of 2nd Test.
In the bowlers list, Bumrah achieved a career-high ranking of 28 while fellow teammate Mohammad Shami moved two places to 24th.
Ranjan Madugalle has requested the rival captains to be present for a 'cool-off' session at Perth on Monday.
'So I'm not sure, I don't really have a plan (for) what's going to happen next year. I'm taking it season by season to see how far it takes me.'
'It's going to have take something pretty serious to have me miss a game.'
'I'm looking forward to the challenge, and I've got some confidence going into the game definitely.'
Hitting out at the Australian players for their mindless sledging during the Perth Test, former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff described it as "outright abuse".
India 'A' will play two first-class matches against Australia 'A' in the run-up to the marquee Border Gavaskar Trophy later this year, CA announced on Tuesday.
India discard Gautam Gambhir is training in Perth under former Australia Test batsman Justin Langer to revive his international career, fine-tuning skills that made him the world's number one Test batsman in 2009.
