The four wickets that India prised out in the third session, on balance, swung the game back in their favour, says Prem Panicker .
India A captain Shreyas Iyer has pulled out of the second unofficial Test against Australia A starting in Lucknow on Tuesday because of personal reasons.
A heated exchanged between India captain Jasprit Bumrah and Australia opener Sam Konstas lit up an eventful Day 1 of the fifth and final Test.
Marnus Labuschagne, who was dropped from the Test side during the tour of West Indies in June-July, has since hit three centuries in one-dayers and a couple more in Sheffield Shield for Queensland.
Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has agreed to play the entire upcoming season of the Big Bash League for Sydney Thunder, just a day after he went unsold at the ILT20 auction in Dubai, ESPNcricinfo reported.
Skipper Pat Cummins, who missed the tour of Sri Lanka due to the birth of his second child in February and was also ruled out of the Champions Trophy campaign with an ankle injury, will take the reins against South Africa.
Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel's marathon partnership was the highlight of the first unofficial Test in Lucknow, which ended in a rain-hit draw between India 'A' and Australia 'A' on Friday.
Spin great Ravichandran Ashwin is set to play for Sydney Thunder in the Australian Big Bash League in a mega deal valued at around $1 million over two years.
The Perth Stadium curator has promised the wicket will be green, fast and bouncy but Stokes offered no thoughts on whether England would attack with four quicks or pick the specialist spinner, Shoaib Bashir, in their 11.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald accused the Indian team of trying to 'intimidate' young batter Sam Konstas.
Their last eight Tests in Perth have all been defeats, with the most recent setback a bitter innings and 41-run capitulation in 2017 that saw Joe Root's team surrender the urn.
'That so many have reached such an advanced stage of their careers without obvious replacements is certainly a reflection of their quality, but will be a matter of concern in the case of more injuries during the series.'
Speaking ahead of the first Test from June 25 onwards at Barbados, Joseph said as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald, "To take 13 wickets across the series was a good feeling. A lot has changed. There were a lot of opportunities that came my way."
Australia have dropped Marnus Labuschagne for next week's first Test against West Indies in Barbados
'I was just doing my gloves when I got the little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket.'
Throughout the series, Konstas had altercations with Indian players. His first major incident occurred at the iconic MCG during the Boxing Day Test when he was involved in a bumping exchange with Virat Kohli. Usman Khawaja, who was batting at the other end, was seen trying to calm things down.
Virat Kohli's conduct came under the microscope in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne on Thursday after a clash of shoulders with teen debutant Sam Konstas, but the incident did little to knock the Australian wonder boy off his stride.
Taking aim at senior players like Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, among others, he said that if their aim was to prolong their send-offs till after the Ashes, it was a wrong mindset.
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said there is no place for physical contact on the cricket field, following the face-off between Virat Kohli and Australia's debutant Sam Konstas.
The second Test hangs in the balance after West Indies speedster Jayden Seales dismissed Australia's openers in a damaging late spell on Day 2 of the second Test.
'I'm leaning towards McSweeney now for that opening role at the start of the Australian summer.'
Smith dislocated his right little finger in last month's World Test Championship final and will be required to wear a splint for five weeks, Cricket Australia said.
India's Test stars flopped with the bat as the hosts folded for a lowly 194 in 52.5 overs in their first innings, on Day 2 of the unofficial second Test against Australia A.
Batting under lights on a lively track, Australia then suffered a collapse of their own and finished day two on 99-6 for an overall lead of 181 as they look to complete a series sweep.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri advice to Konstas was to focus on his "strengths".
Australia's opening partnership has been the subject of much debate since David Warner retired and remains unresolved less than a month before the World Test Championship final against South Africa.
Glenn Maxwell's hopes of reviving his Test career may be over after the all-rounder missed out on selection in Australia's much-changed squad for the Sri Lanka tour.
The star batter's aggression has been a fire to forge inspiration and motivation, but it has also led to some unnecessary controversies in the red-ball format.
McSweeney was dismissed by Bumrah four times across six innings and the Australia selectors have replaced him with teenage sensation Sam Konstas for the Melbourne and Sydney Test.
'As a captain it makes my life a lot easier knowing you've got lots of settled players there.'
India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who played in the fifth and final Test at The Oval against England in their last assignment, has been named Iyer's deputy.
'If opener is where I need to bat to be playing in the Test team, that's fine.'
Australian skipper Pat Cummins had a special message for the 19-year-old debutant Sam Kontas, urging the batter to enjoy being a part of the Boxing Day Test, and not overthink it.
The West Indies produced another dominant day with the ball against Australia and then survived a tense final hour Saturday to take the honours after the first day of the day-night third Test.
Virat Kohli's return to Australia was initially met with fanfare, with the Australian media welcoming him back enthusiastically.
'I think we all want to remember Kohli as one of the greatest cricketers ever in the game and not as somebody who was fined'
Virat Kohli was not extended any special treatment, asserted India great Sunil Gavaskar, but some former Australia players felt the batting superstar got away lightly for his physical altercation with debutant Sam Konstas in the ongoing Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
A "devastating" omission after below-par performances in the Border-Gavaskar series notwithstanding, opener Nathan McSweeney has not given up hope of returning to Australia's Test setup, saying he will try his luck as a long-term replacement for Usman Khawaja once the batting stalwart retires.
Australia captain Pat Cummins is all but ruled out of the Champions Trophy while fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood is also a doubt for the tournament.
Despite the pitch invasion and the hostile reception from sections of the crowd, Kohli remained unfazed.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances