'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.'
After batsmen ruled the first two Tests, fast bowling could be the decisive factor when Australia and South Africa re-engage their heavyweight tussle for the number one Test ranking in the final match of the series on Friday.
'That's one we need to tick off, definitely, in particular at home... we should pretty much win every series here at home.'
If one has to analyse Ashwin the cricketer, it is very difficult to ignore Ashwin, the person, who had a very independent mind and a brain that probably ticked 24x7. He believed in de-construction of his art and became craftier one ball at a time.
'When we go to Australia, they play India only at five Test centres. They don't play us in Canberra. They don't play us at any of the other venues where they won't be very familiar with the conditions. So do England'
Johnson sidelined for Aus tour of UK
Factbox on the third Test match between Australia and India, which starts on Friday.
While India dominated visiting teams on spin-friendly wickets to put together 18 consecutive series wins at home in last 12 years, the choice to play on turning tracks against New Zealand backfired in Pune and Mumbai.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who knows a thing or two about grinding the Australian attack in their den, backs K L Rahul to bat at the vital number three slot in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He says the swashbuckling Yashasvi Jaiswal is capable of doing what David Warner did in his prime.
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.
Hanuma Vihari, part of India's back to back series wins in Australia, reckons the services of veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara will be be dearly missed when the team aims for a hat-trick Down Under later this year.
West Indies legend Brian Lara will team up with some of Australia's finest players like Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Glenn McGrath for the Australian Legends XI, which will take on Big Bash League champions Perth Scorchers in the Festival of Cricket match in Perth on Friday.
The seeds of India's defeat were sown in Melbourne, where Bumrah had to bowl 53.2 overs -- 24.4 in the second innings on the back of 28.4 in the first innings. With just three days to recover, that was an inhuman burden on a bowler who had bowled 151 overs in this series.
Maxwell has starred with bat and ball in Australia's white ball teams since coming back from his broken leg last year.
Mayank Yadav should be on the plane to Australia if Mohammed Shami is not available for selection, asserted Brett Lee, one of the most destructive fast bowlers of all time, who has high hopes from the Indian pace sensation on the true, bouncy wickets Down Under.
History has not seen a cricketing rivalry as fierce as this this century, every ball bowled every run taken, coming with no quarter given. Ahead of India's five Test tour of Australia, Norma Astrid Godinho/Rediff.com takes a walk down memory lane, recounting India's sojourns Down Under from 1947 to 2021, in a 4-part series.
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.
India have won all the last four series of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, taking into account their home wins in 2016-17 and 2022-23 -- both also 2-1 results in a four-match contest.
The WACA curator Cam Sutherland described the images of people walking and drinking on the Test pitch last night as "unfortunate" but insisted he and his staff were only inspecting the "aesthetics" of the wicket before Friday's third Test match.
Legendary Australian leg spinner Shane Warne has accused skipper Steve Smith of 'bad captaincy' for his handling of off-spinner Nathan Lyon during the team's first Test against South Africa at the WACA in Perth.
'It's going to have take something pretty serious to have me miss a game.'
India's bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad said Dennis Lillee's information about the wind at the WACA ground helped the young pace attack.
'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.'
Australia edged Sri Lanka by five runs in an enthralling One Day International of the tri-series in Perth on Friday.
The Indian complaint against Australian spinner Brad Hogg for allegedly abusing Anil Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni during the Sydney Test will come up for hearing before match referee Mike Procter prior to the third match in Perth.
Mitchell Starc and Steven Smith believe that Virat Kohli is an Australian in the way he thinks, acts, and has the desire to perform in big games.
'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.'
Shane Warne said Australia cared too much about their image in Perth and lost the edge without their trademark aggression.
South Africa thrashed Australia by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in their three-match One-day International series at Perth Stadium on Sunday.
Virat Kohli has succumbed to spin three times in the first two Tests, while scoring just 68 runs in four innings.
'All I would say to him is he's just got to have that belief in himself and get involved in the game and I guess have that presence'
Controversial umpire Steve Bucknor is most likely to sit out of the third cricket Test at Perth after a livid Indian team went public with their grouse against the veteran West Indian.
'Great for the fans, horrible for the players.'
The dawn of a new era had begun under Sourav Ganguly's aggressive leadership. With Ganguly and Coach John Wright at the helm India had transitioned into a force to be reckoned with.
'I'm looking forward to the challenge, and I've got some confidence going into the game definitely.'
India claimed the top spot in the World Test Championship standings
Ricky Ponting feels that left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed could be a valuable addition in the Indian squad
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.
