Simon Katich and Shane Watson have shared an opening stand of 99 -- Australia's best at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, surpassing the 91 between Mark Taylor and Michael Slater in March 1998.
Of the 70 balls Ishant bowled in the Australia's first innings of the first Test, 10 were no-balls. The second innings saw half that figure being sent down.
This provided only the sixth such instance in Test cricket of the first six batsmen getting the past the half-century in an innings and four of them have have come against India.
Michael Hussey's defiant 95 provided the only real resistance as Australia were bowled out for 273 by Sri Lanka on the opening day of the first Test on Wednesday.
Spinner Ajantha Mendis produced the best figures in Twenty20 internationals on Monday to bowl Sri Lanka to an eight-run win over Australia at the Pallakele Stadium and a 2-0 series win. Mendis bemused the Australian batsman to finish with six for 16 off four overs, including a maiden.
Australian all-rounder Shane Watson believes that the dramatic axing of England batsman Kevin Pietersen is related to underlying issues within the team.
Manoj Tiwary staked his claim for a maiden call-up to the Test squad with a timely century before Australia's spinners bowled out India A for 451 on the second day of the warm-up match in Chennai on Sunday.
A reinforced skillsets and the ability to perfectly read the ebbs and flows of a match have made Kuldeep Yadav a tough customer, but back in 2019 the left-arm wrist spinner felt the need of a guiding force around him as his form went south while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders.
India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin is delighted that the hard work he has put in fine-tuning his slip catching is paying off.
Captain Steven Smith was well-entrenched for his third century in successive Tests even though India restricted Australia to 259 for five on the opening day of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. Electing to bat, he again was the visitors' main tormentor, anchoring the innings with an undefeated 72 at stumps. Check out some photos from the day's play.
Off-spinner Marcus North bagged six wickets as Australia completed a record 13th consecutive victory over Pakistan on the fourth day of the first Test at Lord's on Friday.
Controversial all-rounder Andrew Symonds, fit-again pacer Bret Lee and David Hussey have been cleared by Cricket Australia to play in the closing stages of Indian Premier League while Shane Watson, Nathan Bracken and James Hopes have been told to stand down from the lucrative Twenty20 event after they failed medical tests.
Captain Michael Clarke said Australia had the world's best Twenty20 opening batsmen after his team crushed India by 49 runs on Friday.
Half-centuries from David Warner and Shane Watson, and splendid bowling by Dirk Nannes, saw Australia crush India by 49 runs in the Super Eights of the ICC World Twenty20, in Barbados, on Friday. Chasing a mammoth 185 for victory, India were dismissed for 135 in 17.4 overs, their first loss in the tournament.
Shrugging off their shock defeat to Zimbabwe in a warm-up game, Australia began their Twenty20 World Cup campaign in style, thrashing the defending champions Pakistan by 34 runs in a group C match at St. Lucia on Sunday.
Michael Clarke, long the heir apparent to Ricky Ponting, finally assumed the throne when he was named Australia's 43rd Test captain on Wednesday, a day after his mentor quit the post.
Australia retained off-colour Matthew Hayden and replaced the injured trio of Brett Lee, Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson with three uncapped players for the third and final Test against South Africa. Having already conceded the three-match series to Graeme Smith's men, the selectors on Tuesday drafted in three uncapped players -- pacemen Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus and all-rounder Andrew McDonald -- in the 12-man squad.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag has taken a dig at Chennai Super Kings' faltering IPL campaign, saying that some of their batsmen think of the franchise as a "government job" in which remuneration is assured irrespective of performance.
Pakistani leg-spinner Danish Kaneria spun a web around the Australian batsman to reduce the hosts to 286 for 8 on Day 3 of the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
Australia recovered from a top order collapse in their second innings to end Day 3 in the first Test 307 runs ahead of Pakistan at the MCG on Monday. After dismissing Pakistan for 258 just before tea for a first-innings lead of 196, they were 111 for 3 at stumps.
Tim Bresnan was drafted in as a "horses for courses" bowler but ended up hailing the greatest day of his Test career after he blasted through Australia's top order to drive England towards Ashes triumph on Tuesday.
Simon Katich fell eight runs short of a century as Australia finished Day 1 in the opening Test against the West Indies on 322 for 5, in Brisbane, on Thursday.
Dhoni's men will be slight favourites as it will be Bairstow's last game
Cricket Australia has picked Doug Bollinger ahead of fellow pacer Stuart Clark for a spot in the 12-man squad for the first Test against West Indies at the Gabba starting next week.
A bellicose Mike Hussey hit 81 not out to lead Australia to 220 for five when play was abandoned early on the second day of the first Ashes Test against England on Friday.
Australian paceman Peter Siddle destroyed England's lower middle order by taking a hat-trick and finishing with 6-54 as the visitors were dismissed for 260 late on the first day of the first Ashes Test on Thursday.
Australia's Peter Siddle claimed an outstanding hat-trick to sink England further on the first day of the first Ashes Test on Thursday.
The second wicket partnership of 64 runs between Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting is Australia's highest for the second wicket at the venue against any opponent, eclipsing the previous best of 50 runs against India, registered by the same pair on 29-10-2006.
Images from the ICC Champions Trophy match between Australia and Pakistan at Centurion.
Images from Day 1 in the first Test between India and Australia at Molahi.
The T20 World Cup is set to be played in October-November, with Australia beginning their title defence
The middle-order continues to remain a concern for CSK with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni himself not being at his best.
The start of the Ashes third Test between England and Australia was delayed on Thursday due to heavy rain over the past 24 hours.
Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has said that the prospect of changes to the team's batting line-up for October's Test tour of India is remote.
Australia's captain steered his team to 136 for two at the close, just 34 runs behind Pakistan who bowled out the Australians for 88 on the first day of the second Test at Headingley.
Shane Watson scored a quick fifty and Mitchell Johnson claimed three wickets as Australia beat Bangladesh by 38 runs in an ICC World Twenty20 warm-up game in Nottingham on Monday.
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 26-year-old bowler, who has been named in country's 30-man preliminary squad for the World Twenty20 scheduled in June, was stopped by CA as it doesn't want to risk his availability in Twenty20 World Cup in England later this year.
The speculation around the mood inside India's dressing room became a subject of ridicule for Australian skipper Steve Smith, who said the home team does not need to sedge the tourists as they are busy "whingeing among themselves".
Australia have a huge hunger for an Ashes triumph in England, according to all rounder Shane Watson, while batsman Steve Smith believes this year's series will not even be close if the tourists play to their potential.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances