A selection of musings from around the cricket World Cup.
Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas claimed three quick wickets as Australia hobbled their way to 136-3 on Wednesday, chasing a mammoth target of 462 in the first Test in Dubai.
A top BCCI source said even if a note is sent and the ICC agrees to put it out in front of member boards for a vote, India is unlikely to find any support from other nations.
The Australian pacer's participation is in doubt as he undergoes an arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow.
The hosts, in their second innings, were 138 for four at stumps, extending their overall lead to 184 runs.
Fast bowler Mitchell Starc has had an operation on his left leg after a freak training ground accident, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Thursday.
Australia have named the unchanged 12-man squad for the second Test of the three-match series against Pakistan beginning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Boxing Day. The Steve Smith-led side are going with the same side that clinched a nail-biting 39-run win after Pakistan's epic run chase in the opening day and night Test at the Gabba, cricket.com.au reported.
Images from the fourth day's play of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Monday.
Australia's pace bowler Shaun Tait lost the fitness battle for a place in the Twenty-20 World Cup squad.
Images from the Wimbledon semi-final played between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on Friday
As far as Halep was concerned, her 6-1, 6-3 semi-final win over Elina Svitolina meant that her mother Tania will finally get to experience something she has been dreaming of for more than a decade.
Washington-Chahal forged a lethal combination during India's Nidahas T20 Tri-Series triumph in Sri Lanka last month.
Former Chelsea and Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen has offered to play for Brazilian team Chapecoense following the air crash in Colombia last week in which most of their players died.
Former South Africa skipper and administrator Ali Bacher believes that the side's recently-concluded tour against India has played a part in the team's current struggle.
Despite a slight waver following her win over Venus Williams, Cori Gauff has taken the attention in her stride so far at the All England Club.
United looked dead and buried as they struggled to get back into the contest after the break but 19-year-old Brandon Williams's first senior goal 18 minutes from time sparked them into life. However, substitute McBurnie denied the visitors in stoppage time to add a further twist to the breathless encounter, squeezing a strike past De Gea, with the goal awarded after a lengthy VAR review.
Ahmed Musa returned to the line-up with devastating effect as he scored both goals for Nigeria to help them resuscitate their World Cup hopes in a 2-0 win over Iceland at the Volgograd Arena on Friday.
The IPL has produced many, many, memorable moments on the way.
Images from Day 4 of the French Open, at Roland Garros, in Paris.
Despite the Indian bowlers working hard to improve their chances of a win in the third Test in Melbourne, Australia finished Day 4 on 261 for seven with Shaun March (62 no out) and Ryan Harris (8 not out) and 326-run lead. Rogers and Shaun Marsh scored fighting fifties to put Australia in a strong position on Monday. Here are the statistical highlights from the day's play.
'They were better than us, they went all out to win the game from the start and we really struggled with their pressure especially at the start of both halves'
Banned UEFA President Michel Platini's Panamanian bank account was declared to the authorities in Switzerland, where he lives, his lawyer said in an interview published by French newspaper Le Figaro on Tuesday.
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has lavished praise on incoming Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, comparing the Spaniard with former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
Barcelona legend Xavi believes nobody will ever be able to replace his former teammate Lionel Messi with respect to his abilities and achievements. Comparing the Argentine with Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi said that Messi was way above the Portugal's Euro 2016 winner. The 36-year old said, "There will be many good players in the future but no one would come close to Messi's level, when he eventually decides to call it quits."
South Africa need seven more wickets to win the third Test at the Wanderers and sweep the series after Pakistan were 153 for three wickets at the close of play on Sunday, still 228 runs short of a daunting winning target.
Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has hailed John Terry as the Premier League's greatest ever defender after the club announced their captain will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
South Africa were fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during their 31-run win in the fifth and final ODI against Australia in Cape Town on Wednesday.
'I would say winning the US Open has helped me for all these grand slams I have played so far, and I believe the rest of my career' 'It's great for me to hear that even he, and a lot of players around, even ex-players, when they were looking before the tournament started, that they were seeing me as a player that could go quite deep (into the tournament)'
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Sunday.
Australia captain Steve Smith will sit out domestic Twenty 20 matches because of knee and hip niggles but has "no doubt" he will be fit to face West Indies in the second Test in Melbourne on Dec. 26.
Pandya's absence means that India will have to rejig their bowling attack. Jasprit Bumrah has already been rested for this series, as well as the tour of New Zealand, and this allows the think-tank to conduct one final experimentation with their bowling attack.
Leaders across the political spectrum took to Twitter on Monday morning to extend congratulations to Leander Paes and Sumit Nagal.
Interesting numbers from day two of Ranchi Test
Giroud scored with an improvised volley in the Premier League match on Jan. 1, producing an acrobatic flick with his left heel to convert Alexis Sanchez's cross into the net off the crossbar while tumbling forward.
Bewildered at his name being dragged into the IPL spot-fixing scandal, Australian pacer Shaun Tait said his legal representatives will examine how the "false" suggestions, which have already been dismissed by the Delhi Police, started.
Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques is in line for his first Test in three years after being named in the squad for their three-match tour of Sri Lanka in July and August.
Kevon Cooper scalped three vital wickets before Ajinkya Rahane scored an unbeaten half century as Rajasthan Royals beat Kings XI Punjab by eight wickets and inched closer to a play-off berth in the ongoing Pepsi Indian Premier League, in Mohali, on Thursday.
Factbox on the four-Test series between Australia and India, which begins on Thursday
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.
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