Steve Smith cracked his maiden 50-over century as Australia routed Pakistan in 36.3 overs to secure a comprehensive 93-run victory in the first One-day International on Tuesday.
'He showed what Test cricket is all about.'< 'It is not about hitting the ball and looking fancy out in the middle, it is about showing grit.'
Australia named five uncapped players in a raw tour squad to play Pakistan in a Test series in the United Arab Emirates, while recalling pace veteran Peter Siddle for the first time in two years and dropping middle order batsman Peter Handscomb.
The pitch offered some variable bounce but did not pose too many problems for the batters till the final hour of play.
While Shaun Marsh gets another go at resurrecting his career
Australia were two wickets from victory at the end of day four of the first day-night test against Pakistan on Sunday, but the tourists were buoyed by a feisty fourth innings chase and a brilliant unbeaten century from Asad Shafiq.
Steve O'Keefe was instrumental in helping Australia record one of the most famous test victories in recent times but hosts India have been quick to put their heavy defeat down to the pitch in Pune rather than the 32-year-old spinner's performance.
After India outplayed Australia with bat and ball in Melbourne, Captain Virat Kohli is convinced India have the firepower to break new ground.
The countries will pin their hopes of victory on their quicks with seamer friendly wickets on order for the Tests in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg, and the contests set to be dominated by fiery exchanges of fast bowling.
A confident and wiser Australia are well-equipped to take the fight to India in a series that could literally be decided by a coin-toss, according to former Test bowler Ryan Harris.
India captain Virat Kohli was booed by a small section of the Adelaide Oval crowd on Saturday when he stepped out to bat in the second innings against Australia.
England were caught out by Australia's aggression during the ill-fated 2013/14 Ashes campaign but captain Joe Root says they are fully prepared for short-pitched bowling and on-field chatter when the series kicks off in Brisbane next week.
Although Steve Smith was named man of the match after scoring 273 runs it was Australia's rejuvenated pace bowlers who made the biggest statement in their side's brutal mauling of England in the second Ashes Test.
Australia fought back with two late wickets to restrict England to 196 for four and leave the Ashes series-opener in Brisbane delicately poised on Thursday after the tourists' unheralded batsmen threatened to dominate an intriguing first day.
Pakistan, who briefly topped the Test rankings last year, have now lost six straight Tests, one to West Indies in Sharjah, two in New Zealand and three in Australia.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the fourth Test between South Africa and Australia in Johannesburg on Monday
Images from Day 4 of the third Test between Australia and Pakistan in Sydney, on Friday.
The recall of Steve O'Keefe for a twin-spin attack and inclusion of debutant batting all-rounder Hilton Cartwright gives Australia the look of a team getting an early start on preparations for a tour of the sub-continent.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and Australia, at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, on Thursday.
England paceman James Anderson ripped shellshocked Australia to shreds with six wickets to bowl the tourists out for a paltry 136 on the first day of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday.
A security delegation sent by Cricket Australia to Bangladesh over the weekend has since returned home and was to report to local authorities on Wednesday, prompting speculation the tour will be cancelled. The security concerns in Bangladesh could also impact on Australia's qualifying campaign for the soccer World Cup.
New South Wales paceman Abbott and Queensland veteran Neser are the reserve quicks behind regulars Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson.
Joe Root plundered a superb century to defy Australia as England recovered from a poor start to post 343 for seven on the first day of the first Ashes Test on Wednesday.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 4th Test played at the SCG on Sunday
Images from Day 1 of the pink-ball first Test between Australia and India, in Adelaide, on Thursday.
'We've just got to make sure we get enough balls in the right areas and be relentless and patient and stick two up their nose an over' Australia have not lost a series home or away to West Indies since 1992/93.
Bengaluru curator says a sporting, Test match pitch being prepared
Harbhajan Singh has rated the current Australian team led by Steven Smith as the 'weakest ever' in recent times to tour the Indian sub-continent.
Brendon McCullum's dismissal in the final over of the day put Australia firmly in control of the first Test in Wellington on Sunday, as New Zealand were reduced to 178-4, still 201 runs behind the tourists' mammoth first innings of 562.
Having gone down swinging in an enthralling Adelaide Test, Australia barely have time to pick themselves up off the canvas before another potentially bruising contest against a confident India in Perth.
India came within sniffing distance of a defining victory before a stoic resistance by Australia's tail delayed the inevitable in the third Test in Melbourne on Saturday.
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.
Joe Burns scored his maiden Test century and his opening partner David Warner his 14th as Australia finished the third day of the first Test against New Zealand in a dominant position on 264 for four with a lead of 503 runs on Saturday.
Australia's pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has been under fire for his lacklustre form during the home summer.
Australia batsman Adam Voges produced a Man of the Match performance as they emphatically beat West Indies by nine wickets in the first Test in Dominica on Friday
'We have the best spinner and three outstanding pace bowlers, against the outstanding Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli. So it takes some mental and physical energy out'
New Zealand's pacemen struck back with two late wickets under the floodlights at Adelaide Oval but Australia's bowlers basked in the sun as the inaugural day-night Test opened on Friday.
If Rahane's side can go 2-1 up and ensure the retention of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, it will be one of the finest hours in the history of Indian cricket
Ryan Harris sent shudders through the home dressing room by grabbing three early wickets but Bell weathered the storm with a majestic unbeaten 105 that led England to 234 for five in their second innings at the close, an overall lead of 202 runs.
Practitioners of the same art do have fellow feelings and no wonder pioneer of 'doosra' Saqlain Mushtaq feels sad about the manner in which the senior India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been sidelined by the team management. While he terms Ravichandran Ashwin as a "world class bowler", he feels that Harbhajan not getting a single start during the last seven T20 internationals is "not doing the bowler's confidence any good". "I am afraid that Indian cricket board and team management's treatment to Harbhajan has not been great. He was a world class bowler and is still a world class bowler. The emergence of Ashwin doesn't mean that you drop Harbhajan or put him under tremendous pressure," Saqlain told PTI during an interaction. The 39-year-old Saqlain, who has 208 Test and 288 ODI wickets, said dropping a top grade performer according to convenience is not the best example to set. "Look from the time he got dropped (in 2011), he has made three comebacks which meant that when you needed him, you picked him and when the need
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