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.
Australia and India will compete in a five-Test series For the first time since 1991-92.
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.
Factbox on the third Test match between Australia and India, which starts on Friday.
Australia might be forced to use support staff as substitute fielders in the T20 World Cup warm-up games.
Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood presented former captain Babar Azam with a "special souvenir" and cap on his 50th Test appearance on Thursday.
Test cricket will see two players featuring in their 100th game together for only the fourth time when India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and England batter Jonny Bairstow take the field in Dharamsala on Thursday.
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.
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.
'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'
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.
Usman Khawaja suffered a setback after his appeal against the sanction imposed on him for wearing a black armband during the opening Test against Pakistan was rejected by ICC.
Australia make solid start to Boxing Day Test in rainy Melbourne
Opener David Warner brushed aside any doubts about his Test match pedigree on Thursday with a brutal 164-run assault on Pakistan's bowlers.
Australia edged Sri Lanka by five runs in an enthralling One Day International of the tri-series in Perth on Friday.
The Kookaburras stunned the visitors once again by taking the lead a minute later through Willot, who deflected the ball in front of the Indian goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak from Nathan Ephraums's inch-perfect pass.
Langer said conversation they had at that time included a deep dive into Chandrashekhar's life and 'his story blew me away'.
India's bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad said Dennis Lillee's information about the wind at the WACA ground helped the young pace attack.
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.
The source added that team officials and selectors had discussed Afridi's case with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf.
Shane Warne said Australia cared too much about their image in Perth and lost the edge without their trademark aggression.
Ravi Shastri, who is confident that the fast bowlers will have a crucial role to play in the second Test in Perth, hinted at ditching net practice ahead of the clash.
The 26-year-old would be expected to offer a fourth pace option to back up the strike trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, who secured Australia a 120-run victory to give them a 2-0 lead in the series on Wednesday.
Australia's Grace Harris broke her bat into two pieces when smashing one delivery for six in the Women's Big Bash League T20 match.
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.
Novak Djokovic crashed to his first defeat of the season with a stunning 6-4, 6-4 loss to Alex de Minaur.
Former pacer Mitchell Johnson took a dig at Cricket Australia (CA) for inviting him to an award night just weeks after the governing body cancelled his speaking engagements.
Images from the Champions League T20 match between Mumbai Indians and Perth Scorchers in Delhi, on Wednesday.
Australia cannot afford to contemplate anything other than victory in the third Test at Perth with a grassy wicket likely to produce a result that could seal the hosts' Ashes fate, captain Ricky Ponting said on Wednesday.
The ICC said it is determined to stamp out racism at Test grounds after spectators abused several South African players during the first Test against Australia.
Nathan Lyon is the eighth bowler to take 500 Test wickets.
Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch and Travis Head all made half-centuries but none of them was able to really put their foot down on the gas as India pegged the Australians back on a grassy, drop-in wicket that occasionally played a few tricks.
Australia's Ricky Ponting will retire from Test cricket after this week's third match against South Africa, the 37-year-old said on Thursday.
India lost the Perth Test by 146 runs to allow the hosts level the four-match series 1-1.
Images from the Champions League T20 match between Otago Volts and Perth Scorchers in Jaipur on Wednesday.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 3rd Test played between Australia and Pakistan at SCG on Friday.
'It's a very tricky decision to make what kind of a bowling option you want to go with or you want to think whether that guy can contribute with the bat as well or not. Eventually you come to one decision and we backed that decision and we went ahead with it. Whether it comes off or not is a different thing.'
