'The pitch should have enough for the bowlers to be interested on all days of the Test.'
IMAGES from the 1st ODI played in Sydney on Saturday
It was a day dominated by record-breaking performances from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Yuzvendra Chahal as Rajasthan Royals pummelled Kolkata Knight Riders into submission.
A tumultuous nets session at Old Trafford left one Australian batsman ruled out of the Cricket World Cup and another screaming in pain but coach Justin Langer said the hard training would pay dividends on the field.
Lendl Simmons smashed a scintillating 61-ball 100 to guide Mumbai Indians to a morale-boosting seven-wicket win over table toppers Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League in Mohali.
The IPL has produced many, many, memorable moments on the way.
The 28-year-old has claimed 10 wickets in 15 games for Hobart Hurricanes this season besides amassing 637 runs at 53.08 and a strike rate of 140.61.
Australia called up uncapped paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile for the first Test against West Indies on Tuesday as a replacement for left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc, who was ruled out of the series due to a broken foot.
Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has been ruled out of the first Test against South Africa starting on Wednesday after a slow recovery from a calf injury.
Photos from Day 2 of the 3rd Test played at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday
Kings XI Punjab skipper David Miller gave the post-match presentation ceremony a miss after his team suffered another stinging loss in the ninth edition of Indian Premier League.
- 'Yes, quite happy with a draw' - 'Bowlers did a very good job' - 'We have found ways to trouble ourselves'
David Warner failed to take field against India in the ongoing Boxing Day cricket Test after the Australian opener suffered a nasty blow on his right forearm at the MCG nets.
Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of this week's third Test against India in Melbourne with uncapped batsman Joe Burns coming into the 13-man squad to replace him.
Factbox on the four-Test series between Australia and India, which begins on Thursday
Australia captain Steve Smith brushed off concerns about his fitness on the eve of the fifth and final Ashes Test against England on Wednesday before Mitchell Starc's return to spearhead the pace attack was confirmed as the only change to his team.
The mood in the Indian camp was summed up best by the skipper after a green pitch was unveiled on eve of the maiden Test at the new facility.
Australia have chosen the experience of Peter Siddle over the potential of the uncapped Joe Mennie as their third seamer for the opening Test against South Africa, which starts on Thursday.
Australia coach Darren Lehmann will have a 'private chat' with Usman Khawaja after the top order batsman publicly criticised selectors for dropping him during the Sri Lanka tour. Khawaja and opener Joe Burns were omitted for the third and final test in Colombo, which Australia lost to slump to a 3-0 series whitewash. Although both the Queenslanders struggled for runs, Khawaja told local media over the weekend he felt they were unfairly singled out.
Australia remain 'hopeful' that opening batsman Chris Rogers will feature in next week's third Test at Edgbaston despite requiring further specialist treatment.
The selection of opener Cameron Bancroft, wicketkeeper Tim Paine and number six Shaun Marsh all looked to have backfired early in the series-opener but all three finished strongly in Brisbane to help Australia to victory and boost their confidence ahead of the second test in Adelaide starting on Saturday.
Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss and opted to bat against an Indian side missing their inspirational skipper Virat Kohli through injury in the fourth and final Test in Dharamsala on Saturday.
The former captain added, "So for Australia it's about enjoying it, working together and not looking too far ahead."
A play-offs spot having sealed after a resounding victory in their previous match, Kolkata Knight Riders would aim for a top-two finish with a win when they take on an inconsistent Kings XI Punjab in an IPL match, in Mohali, on Tuesday.
As India go in to the four-match Test series against Australia that commences in Adelaide on Tuesday, here is a factbox.
Home skipper Glenn Maxwell invited Hyderabad to bat but could hardly trouble the visitors who negotiated the attack with remarkable ease.
The two players were eligible for Aaron Finch's national side after their 12-month suspensions for ball-tampering ended last month.
Injured fast bowler James Pattinson has returned to the Australia set-up when he was named on Tuesday for the One-day series against England in January.
Australian captain Aaron Finch is confident Glenn Maxwell's ODI absence won't last long.
It was only the fourth time in history that a side has lost an ODI chase with two centurions.
Just into his second Test as India captain, Virat Kohli has come under severe criticism for his tactics from Australian batting greats Ian Chappell and Michael Clarke for the way he shuffled his bowlers during the ongoing fourth and final cricket Test.
Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar will join Australia's squad for the fourth and final Test against India in Sydney, captain Steven Smith said on Tuesday.
With Australia taking a 2-0 lead in the four-match Test series against India, the scales are titled highly in favour of the hosts. History also shows that the Melbourne Cricket Ground has been a happy hunting ground for the hosts. With the Boxing Day Test around the corner, here is a quick look at how the teams stand.
Australian all-rounder Shane Watson says he will be 'extremely surprised' if captain Michael Clarke does not score a hundred in honour of the late Phillip Hughes in the first Test against India, starting Tuesday.
A mis-firing Australia head into the second Test against South Africa in Hobart under pressure to save the series and avert a full-blown crisis which would almost certainly be triggered by a fifth consecutive Test defeat.
Kings XI Punjab produced a clinical all-round display to register a convincing 16-run win over Rajasthan Royals and consolidate their position at the top of the table in the Indian Premier League in Mohali on Friday.
Half-centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik combined with excellent performances from their bowlers helped India 'A' outclass Australia 'A' by 50 runs to win the 'A' teams tri-series in Pretoria, on Wednesday.
Paceman Mitchell Starc retains his place in the side despite what was perceived to be a sub-par performance in Adelaide, and will be looking for a strong performance in conditions which are expected to favour his skills at the new Perth Stadium.
The 21-year-old is now level with Englishman Jack Russell (vs South Africa at Johannesburg in 1995) and South Africa's AB de Villiers (vs Pakistan at Johannesburg in 2013).
Joe Burns will bat at number six when he makes his debut for Australia in the third Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, starting on Friday. The 25-year-old, regarded as one Australia's most promising young batsmen, replaced injured all-rounder Mitch Marsh in one of two changes to the Australian team that won last week's second Test in Brisbane. Paceman Ryan Harris, who missed the second Test because of a thigh problem, returns at the expense of Mitchell Starc.
