Following is a factbox on England's leading Test wicket-taker James Anderson, who became the first pace bowler to claim 600 victims in the game's longest format.
MCG moved to improve the playing surface after receiving the negative rating from ICC following last year's drawn Test against England, when only 24 wickets fell in five days.
Australia have named the following 17-man squad for the five-Test Ashes series against England, which begins at Edgbaston on Aug. 1.
Usman Khawaja batted bravely for nearly nine hours to make 141 and help Australia salvage a draw in the first Test against Pakistan, in Dubai, on Thursday.
Match officials have found no evidence of ball-tampering in the Hobart Test between Australia and Sri Lanka and no charges will be laid, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday.
Factbox on the five-Test Ashes series between England and Australia
Australia coach Justin Langer has urged the struggling batsmen in his team to step up and deliver when the fifth and final Ashes Test against England starts at The Oval on Thursday.
Australian bowlers hunted in a pack all throughout the Test series to demolish the famed Indian batting line up and pace spearhead Peter Siddle said the home team reaped rich dividends by sticking to its plan of "bowling in partnerships".
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.
Injured pacer Harris sidelined; Siddle dropped.
Alastair Cook, who will retire after this week's fifth Test against India, is the sixth highest scorer in five-day cricket with 12,254 runs, including 32 centuries.
The West Indies batsmen crumbled late on Sunday to leave their team teetering at 91-6 and staring at another humiliating defeat at the close of day two of the second Test against Australia.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Ashes Test at Edgbaston, Brmingham, on Friday
England roared back in the final session following a feeble batting display as wickets tumbled on a dramatic opening day of the first Ashes Test against Australia at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.
Azhar Ali's bizarre run-out during day three of the second Test against Australia has set himself up for a life-time of teasing from his children, the Pakistan batsman joked.
Former West Indies captain Brian Lara will be in the same team as Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer in the upcoming Bushfire relief fundraiser match. Ponting's side, which will be coached by former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, also comprises of lethal pacers such as Brett Lee and Wasim Akram. On the other hand, Gilchrist side's has a solid top-order comprising of Yuvraj Singh, Shane Watson and Andrew Symonds.
Images from Day 2 of the 2nd Ashes Test played at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, on Thursday.
Peter Siddle, who turned 26 on Thursday, took the ninth hat-trick in the Ashes series and the first by an Australian since Shane Warne in the 1994-1995 series.
Pacer Peter Siddle's hamstring injury notwithstanding, Australia announced an unchanged 12-member squad for the third and final Test against the West Indies, starting December 16 in Perth.
Batsmen Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges and Joe Burns have been rewarded for their strong form over the past 12 months by being awarded central contracts by Cricket Australia on Friday.
Former skipper Ricky Ponting believes the exodus of experienced players left a void in Australian cricket and this leadership crisis led to the infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in 2018.
Australia's Steve Smith was out for 92 after resuming his innings having been forced to retire hurt when he was struck by a short ball from England fast bowler Jofra Archer on the fourth day of the second Ashes Test at Lord's on Saturday.
Images from the Champions Trophy final between Australia and New Zealand in Centurion on Monday.
The tourists were left on 20-2 after seven overs going into the second day.
The left-armer was made to toil on a typically lifeless pitch in the drawn first Test in Dubai, grabbing only a solitary wicket while conceding 108 runs for more than 40 overs' work in broiling heat.
Cricketing fraternity, on Thursday, applauded Australia batsman Steven Smith for hitting a century against England, on Day 1 of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, on Thursday.
England declined to enforce the follow-on after dismissing Australia for 215 on the third morning of the second Ashes Test at Lord's in London on Saturday. Australia, 156 for eight overnight in reply to England's first innings 425, batted brightly with Peter Siddle reaching his highest Test score of 35.
Australia's most promising players Cameron White and Peter Siddle headline the 15-member Victoria squad. Limited-overs cricket specialist David Hussey also looms as a big threat while Brad Hodge's vast experience in domestic cricket in a few different countries will also come handy.
James Pattinson will replace fellow-quick Mitchell Starc in the Australia team for this week's opening test against West Indies, captain Steve Smith said on Wednesday, reviving a promising career that had stalled because of injury.
The Barmy Army, also paid homage to the late left-hander by chanting "There's only one Phillip Hughes" to the tune of 'Winter Wonderland' during the opening session of the fifth day of the match.
Australia pick two uncapped players for first two Tests
South Africa, chasing an improbable victory target of 454, were bowled out for 291 as Mitchell Johnson (4-112) and Peter Siddle (3-46) put Australia 1-0 up in a three-match series.
Pattinson was handed the ban when he admitted abusing a Queensland player during a domestic match last week.
Australia paceman Stuart Clark will miss the second Test against India starting on Friday after failing to recover from an elbow injury.
The Queensland all-rounder offers another slow bowling option with his leg-spin at the Sydney Cricket Ground, traditionally Australia's most spin-friendly wicket.
Following is a fact box on the second Test of the four-match series between Australia and India:
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.
Images from Day 2 in the third Ashes Test between England and Australia.
All that's transpired on and off the cricket pitch on Monday.
Pakistan spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah took nine wickets in the second innings as the hosts beat Australia by 221 runs in the first Test on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
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