A scrappy India will have to lift their game by several notches against an improving Australia when the two fierce rivals clash in a virtual quarter-final cricket match of the ICC World Twenty20, in Mohali, on Sunday.
Ravindra Jadeja's brilliant all-round display, after Dwayne Smith's fine batting, helped Chennai Super Kings defend a modest total and beat Rajasthan Royals by seven runs in Wednesday's IPL match in Dubai.
Big-hitting Tim David is a "versatile and flexible" player. His presence only adds to the options Australia possess going into the T20 World cup, feels skipper Aaron Finch.
Top-order batsman Usman Khawaja has been drafted into the Australia squad for the ongoing ODI series against India in place of opener David Warner whose wife is expecting the couple's second child. Khawaja will join the squad in Brisbane and, at this stage, will remain for matches two and three of the five-game series, at the Gabba on January 15, and at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 17 respectively, Cricket Australia said. National selector Rod Marsh said Warner would be welcomed back into the squad when circumstances allow.
Countering rival Australian captain Steven Smith's assertion that India were under pressure due to an unexpected debacle in the series-opener, home skipper Virat Kohli asserted that he and his team are relaxed.
Rajasthan Royals beat SunRisers Hyderabad by six wickets in their Indian Premier League match in Visakhapatnam. It was Rajasthan's fourth win in as many matches as keeps them top of the table.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12s match between Sri Lanka and Australia, in Dubai, on Wednesday.
A formidable Royal Challengers Bangalore led by India captain Virat Kohli became the first team to be out of contention for play-offs after a humiliating 61-run defeat against Rising Pune Supergiant in an Indian Premier League encounter, in Pune, on Saturday.
Australia skipper Steve Smith continued his love affair with Pune across all formats when the 27-year-old guided Rising Pune Supergiant to victory in their Indian Premier League (IPL) thriller against Mumbai Indians on Thursday.
Ajinkya Rahane brought calmness in the dressing room in the absence of regular captain Virat Kohli, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said on Tuesday after India recorded an epic series-levelling win in the second Test, in Melbourne, on Tuesday.
Australian James Faulkner's superb all-round show helped Rajasthan Royals outclass Kings XI Punjab by 26 runs in their opening Indian Premier League match in Pune.
Images from Sunday's IPL match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in Sharjah.
Images from Sunday's Indian Premier League match between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi.
Cricket Australia (CA) named Trevor Hohns as the full-time chairman of its National Selection Panel on Friday, effecting a structural change to improve the rankings of the underperforming Twenty20 side.
Captain Steven Smith is looking forward to Hazlewood making full use of the 'traditionally fast and bouncy Gabba wicket'.
Australia captain Michael Clarke retired hurt on 60 with a lower back injury on day one, but after a sleep-deprived night of treatment and pain-killing injections, the 33-year-old's courageous 128 helped drive the hosts to 517 for seven by stumps against India in the first Test at the Adelaide Oval.
New Zealand's cricket team have run a gamut of emotions this week after they slumped to a heavy first Test loss to Australia then won three awards at their country's premier sports awards on Thursday.
Allegations and denials flew thick and fast between rival captains Virat Kohli and Steven Smith with the India skipper claiming that the home team physio Patrick Farhart was "disrespected" by visiting players.
Captain Rohit Sharma's return will certainly give solidity to the top order in the second ODI against Australia.
Virat Kohli and Steven Smith will be eager to stem the rot when Royal Challengers Bangalore square off with Rising Pune Supergiants in an Indian Premier League encounter.
Former skipper Michael Clarke, who is officiating as a commentator in the ongoing four-match series between India and Australia, is trying to 'master' his skills on driving auto-rickshaw.
Steven Smith (133) became the ninth Australian to score a century on captaincy debut as Australia wriggled out from a precarious 247 for 6 to post a mammoth 505 in their first innings in the second Test against India at the Gabba on Friday. He was well-supported by Mitchell Johnson (88) and Mitchell Starc (52) who made valuable contributions down the order, as the hosts took a first innings lead of 97 runs. India ended the third day on 71 for 1 in the second innings. Statistical highlights from the day's play. Statistical highlights from the day's play.
Rain had the final word as the ICC Champions Trophy warm-up game between Australia and Pakistan was washed out after only 10.2 overs of play in Edgbaston on Monday.
Rio-bound Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal, who just clinched the Australian Open Super Series title in Sydney, said she wants to be aggressive like India Test skipper Virat Kohli. The 26-year-old from Hyderabad defeated Sun Yu of China in the finals yesterday to notch up her first title of the season ahead of the Rio Olympics.
The trio of Bancroft, Smith and Warner were banned for their roles in the ball tampering scandal.
The Suresh Raina-led side suffered consecutive defeats against two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders and title holder Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening two matches.
Australian batsman Steve Smith feels skipper Michael Clarke has shown "unbelievable" courage in the wake of the tragic death of Phillip Hughes and played "beautifully" battling severe back pain to score a century on Day Two of the first Test against India.
Images from the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, in Chennai, on Tuesday.
Australia's head coach Justin Langer expressed faith in opening batsman David Warner, saying he expects the player to come good in the second Ashes Test, starting at Lord's on Wednesday.
With Steven Smith now helming the Australian affairs, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni returning from injury, the 2nd Test at Gabba, starting Tuesday, will shed light on the mindset of the two leaders.
Australia concluded their World Cup preparation on an emphatic note, beating a struggling Sri Lanka by five wickets in their final warm-up game, in Southampton, on Monday. Usman Khawaja, who opened alongside skipper Aaron Finch in place of a rested David Warner, anchored the chase with 89 off 105 balls.
Rajasthan Royals may need to rejig their Indian line-up slightly when they try to pull their IPL campaign out of the current rot against a supremely confident Mumbai Indians,
Images from Day 3 of the second Test between India and Australia, at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi, on Sunday.
A modest New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has said his team was "fortunate" to be playing on similar wickets after pulling off a dramatic victory over Australia in the ICC World Twenty20 in Dharamsala on Friday.
Australian opener Matt Renshaw, became the talking point after he was forced to take a 'toilet break'.
Aruneel Sadadekar/Rediff.com lists seven memorable moments from the week gone by in IPL 9.
India would be keen to finish off the four-match series on a high with a victory in Sydney and they would be looking no further than the in-form Virat Kohli to show the way with the bat.
Former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming was on Monday named chief coach of the new Pune franchise of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket tournament. With this the former Chennai Super Kings coach will renew his long and most successful partnership with his former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who was picked in the December draft.
Steve Smith and Aaron Finch struck half-centuries to help Australia to a three-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first One-day international in Colombo on Sunday. Sri Lanka, who lost the toss and were sent out to bat on a dry, turning wicket, set the visitors a target of 228, but Australia successfully chased them down with 19 balls to spare to give them the lead in the five-match series.
No Indian cricketer figures in the ICC's World Cup XI, which is dominated by runners-up New Zealand rather than champions Australia.
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