Debutants Afghanistan will aim to continue their impressive rise in white-ball cricket, while South Africa will once again attempt to shed the 'chokers' tag when the two sides kick-off their Champions Trophy campaign in Karachi on Friday.
South Africa's stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder scored an unbeaten double century to set a record for a new Test skipper and help his side to a formidable 465 for four wickets on the first day of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Sunday.
Rahul now has the most centuries by an Indian opener.
Kagiso Rabada etched another milestone into his illustrious career on Day 1 of the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord's
Karun Nair's struggles at the crucial No. 3 position is a big headache for Team India.
The 3rd Test match in Kingston, Jamaica, will mark Australia's first day-night Test away from home and if they opt for a pace-heavy attack, Scott Boland could come into the side.
Pietersen doubled down on his criticism, calling out the Proteas for going into a shell rather than trying to wrest back momentum.
Australia's middle order enforcer Josh Inglis said their depleted side will draw a lot of confidence after pulling off a record chase against England in their Champions Trophy opener on Saturday.
A look back at some of the most painful moments when South Africa came heartbreakingly close -- but always fell short -- before finally breaking the curse at Lord's.
Joe Root scored his 37th Test hundred on Friday to go past the tally of former India skipper Rahul Dravid and contemporary Steve Smith.
Manpreet Singh, the second-most capped player in Indian hockey, has found a second wind by tweaking his lifestyle and diet.
The ICC is ready to sanction four-day Tests for smaller nations in the 2027-29 World Test Championship cycle but India, Australia and England can still play the traditional five-day matches.
The legendary Ricky Ponting says the quality of players and recent history make India and Australia the favourites to figure in the summit clash of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Australia's batting maestro Steve Smith provided an update on the injury he sustained on his finger during their World Test Championship final defeat against South Africa at Lord's.
South Africa join Australia, India and New Zealand in the semi-finals but who their opponents will be, and where they will play next, will be answered on Sunday when the latter two clash in Dubai.
Despite the impressive record that the WTC finalists are in possession of, Bangar doesn't believe the Proteas or the Baggy Greens will receive an edge over the other in the Ultimate Test, which is scheduled to kick off on Wednesday.
Former England cricketer Nasser Hussain also praised Rahul's methodical approach to batting.
Joe Root picked an easy single off Mohammed Siraj in the 58th over to take his score to 31, which also took his overall Test tally to 13290 runs.
'I think any experience in the sub-continent is valuable.'
Australia have enough experience and versatility in their line-up to get into tournament-mode quickly for the Champions Trophy following a difficult buildup to the One-Day International showpiece, according to opener Travis Head.
'Can Gautam Gambhir almost look at being serious about picking 20 wickets as much as he feels about depth in batting?'
Australia bowled out Sri Lanka for 231 in the hosts' second innings and then chased down the target of 75 losing the lone wicket of opener Travis Head.
Starc's withdrawal comes after pace stalwarts Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out due to injuries.
Australia, who have already secured their place in the final of the World Test Championship against South Africa, won the opening Test, also in Galle, by an innings and 242 runs.
Australia will be without their premier pacers but their envious pedigree in ICC tournaments make them favourites to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy from Group B.
When I think of the character of this team, our never-say-die attitude stands out. There are only three of us who have played over 50 Tests, but we never back down from a challenge
Cricket Australia informed in a release that middle-order batter Rodrigues, a 'fan favourite' in Brisbane, was retained by the Brisbane Heat
'And there are very clear indicators of what fans want. There is enough data to suggest what direction the game is going in.'
Travellers are keen to explore traditional Indian arts and crafts like Madhubani painting in Bihar, pottery and weaving workshops in Rajasthan, or Kathakali and Kalaripayattu training in Kerala.
Kagiso Rabada's month suspension after he failed a drug test was because the fast bowler tested positive for cocaine, the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport has said.
Joe Root has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings after his stellar efforts helped England secure a 22-run victory over India at Lord's, according to the official website of the ICC.
With South Africa's seam attack featuring Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Marco Jansen and Australia having Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and the ever-dependable Josh Hazlewood in their lineup, the battle between the two sides' fast bowlers is likely to be critical in determining the outcome of the World Test Championship final, as per ICC website.
The spotlight in the World Test Championship Final is on the electrifying duel between Australia's batting mainstay Steve Smith and South Africa's pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada.
India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has continued his red-hot form, adding another fifer to his kitty to become the first Asian player ever to have 150 wickets in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia (SENA) nations.
Steely Jadeja completes 7,000 international runs, joins Ganguly, Dhoni, Pant.
'...they always address problems superficially, never tackling root causes.' 'Currently, the policy response will focus on immediate relief -- getting people to safety, providing facilities, clearing debris.' 'This is necessary, but once immediate relief operations end, everything returns to 'normal' without addressing underlying vulnerabilities.'
Rishabh Pant has a chance outdo his ex-skipper and icon MS Dhoni - by becoming the most successful wicketkeeper-batter in South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia (SENA) conditions.
Ashwell Prince, South Africa's batting coach, labelled Aiden Markram as the "man for the big occasion" after the opener steered the Proteas towards what could be a famous run-chase in the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia on Friday.
They will meet the winner of Wednesday's second semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand in the final in Dubai on Sunday.
In the recently concluded five-match Test series against England, India's star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant stood tall as a beacon of determination, battling through injuries to deliver a string of gutsy, crowd-pleasing knocks that underlined his value to the side.
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