Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni squarely put the blame on his batsmen for the crushing 87-run defeat at the hands of Australia in a critical match at the SCG on Sunday.
Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath backed former teammate Ponting, despite a poor run of form and a century drought which stretches almost two years, to come up with a strong performance in the four-match Test series.
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has said injured skipper Ricky Ponting should not have been in Australia's dressing room during the first day's play against England at the SCG.
Debutant Usman Khawaja briefly lit up a gloomy first day of the fifth Ashes Test on Monday but Australia's batting frailties and rain returned later in the day to leave the hosts wobbling on 134-4 at the close of play.
India justified their top ranking with their breakthrough overseas win in Australia on Monday and captain Virat Kohli has reasons to be optimistic about leading a team which can dominate Test cricket for years to come.
Australia Test skipper Michael Clarke, opener Aaron Finch and South Australia's Tom Cooper are among eight pall-bearers, which includes Phil Hughes's dad Greg, brother Jason and locals Corey Ireland, Mitchell Lonergan and Matthew Day, for the late cricketer's funeral in Macksville on Wednesday afternoon.
Images from Day 4 of the third Test between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney on Monday.
Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the upcoming Asia Cup.Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been named as the replacement.
The death of Phillip Hughes less than six weeks ago still hung thick in the air at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday as Australia began preparations to play their first Test match at the ground since.
Former Test skipper Steve Waugh is interested in rebuilding Australian cricket team following their Ashes loss but said he would not be able to take up a full-time coaching job.
England, at 488 for seven at the stumps on the third day, were not the only ones in the pink as the fifth and final Ashes Test celebrated "Jane McGrath Day" at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
While Australia will hope to use local knowledge to their advantage in the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) next week, debutant Michael Beer has admitted that his contribution will be zero.
Spinner Nathan Hauritz, whose place in the Australian Test team is in doubt, has said that he is a better bowler than Tasmanian Xavier Doherty, who has also been included in an expanded 17-man Ashes squad.
The selection committee of the Cricket Board (BCCI) will meet in New Delhi on Saturday to pick the Indian team for the upcoming limited-overs tour of Australia, starting January 12.
Spinner Nathan Hauritz helped Australia script a remarkable 36-run victory over Pakistan, on Day 4 of the second Test at the SCG on Wednesday. The off-spinner recorded figures of 5-53 in the second innings as the visitors were dismissed for 139, chasing 176 for victory.
Australia's David Warner cracked a quick-fire century - his fastest at the Sydney Cricket Ground - against Pakistan, on Day 1 of the 3rd Test on Monday.
Rain dashed the West Indies' hopes of registering their first victory after two defeats, washing out the third One-Day International against Australia at the SCG on Friday. The tourists dismissed Australia for 225 but faced just one over in reply, scoring six without loss.
Australia made it to the ICC women's T20 World Cup final, coming through a nerve-shredding semi-final against South Africa in Sydney on Thursday. They'll face India at the MCG on March 8 - International Women's Day. India's semi-final against England was abandoned without a ball bowled.
Australia on Saturday brought in opening batsman Phillip Hughes as cover for the injured Simon Katich for the second Test against Pakistan beginning on Sunday at the SCG.
News of all that transpired on and off the cricket field
'It's important we learn from this and when we get back together as a red ball team, we face India and we can hopefully play our brand of cricket'.
Ahead of their departure, the skipper shared a picture on Twitter and captioned it as: "Next stop, New Zealand."
Australian skipper Steven Smith was a happy man with a dominating scoreline to the team's credit but did not forget to praise the good performance of the visitors.
Swapna Mitter, who travelled from Singapore to watch the semi-final, says many hearts were still bleeding blue after the loss in Sydney.
'India have got a great side and have great momentum going.'
Australian vice captain Michael Clarke is being forced to receive daily treatment on his troublesome back to be ready in time for next week's opening Test against the West Indies at Gabba.
Sachin Tendulkar added yet another feather to his cap on Wednesday when he was inducted as one of the latest honourees to the Bradman Foundation. Former Australia captain Steve Waugh was the other cricketer to enter the Bradman Hall of Fame alongside Tendulkar during a gala dinner, at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground.
In the wake of the tragic death of late Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes, a British-based firm has come forth with its reformed prototype helmet aimed at giving better protection for the players.
Wins in Adelaide and Melbourne had given Virat Kohli's side a 2-1 lead going into the final Test and a draw was enough to secure a breakthrough that had eluded all previous Indian touring parties for 71 years.
Cheteshwar Pujara's masterful 193 and Rishabh Pant's magnificent unbeaten 159 extinguished Australia's hopes of winning the SCG Test.
Andrew Symonds underwent a successful arthroscopic knee surgery but the team is optimistic of the all-rounder's return to the side at some point during the five-match one-day series against South Africa.
Elijah Obagbemiro Junior's seven goals helped the 'Flaming Orange' accumulate 25 points from 11 matches, four ahead of a resurgent Mohun Bagan and five in front of their Goa mates Churchill Brothers.
Australia's explosive opening batsman David Warner, who was there on the field when Phillip Hughes was struck on that fateful day back in late 2014, has insisted that every time he scores runs, it's for the late Australian left hander. On his way out to bat on the opening day of the third Test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Warner gently placed his hand on the plaque stationed immediately outside the Australian team dressing room that was erected in Hughes' memory.
Former Pakistan cricketer and ex-national team selector Mohsin Khan believes Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq has made the right decision by postponing his retirement and focussing on the third and the final match against Australia in Sydney. Misbah, who has been one of the most successful captains in the country's Test history, has received a flurry of criticism for his tactics after the side suffered a crushing defeat by an innings and 18 runs in the second Test in Melbourne. After losing their fifth consecutive match in Australia, Misbah had hinted that he might call curtains to his illustrious career in the coming days, even as soon as before the ongoing final dead-rubber Test at the SCG.
Australia skipper Michael Clarke was stumped by a question which appeared to be about his sex life.
Australia captain Steve Smith feels he has matured quite a lot as he gears up play his landmark 100th One-Day International, against India, in Kolkata, on Thursday.
Pacer Mitchell Johnson returns to the Australian team after a fortnight's rest for the third one-dayer against South Africa at the SCG on Friday. Johnson, who was rested after the 1-2 Test series loss against the Proteas, replaces Ben Hilfenhaus in the 12-man squad for the third match of the five-game series, which is locked 1-1.
Australian cricket will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its 1958-59 Ashes success at a lunch on the opening day of the third and final Test against South Africa at the SCG in Sydney on Saturday. The nine surviving members of the victorious 1958-59 team will be special guests of Cricket Australia, Cricket New South Wales and the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust 50 years after helping Australia to an unexpected 4-0 Ashes series victory.
ICC Match Referee Jeff Crowe ruled out action against the bowler, who is alleged to have made monkey gestures towards crowd at the SCG during the first final of the CB Tri-series against Australia.
Reader Kartikey Vyas sent us this picture from Australia.
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