There was general consensus in Australia on Wednesday that retaining the Ashes this year got a little bit harder after the appointment of wily compatriot Trevor Bayliss as England's new head coach.
More than 110,000 people are expected on the opening day at the world's largest cricket stadium
India has lost three finals and on four occasion it bit dust at the semifinal stage. It also made an exit at the preliminary stage of the 2021 T20 World Cup.
'It's a tough gig, opening in Test cricket, but we're really confident Marcus has got what it takes to be a successful Australian opening batsman.'
It's been more than a decade since India lost a Test series at home - they had lost to England 1-2 in 2012.
Besides Agarwal, New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel and Australian pacer Mitchell Starc were also short-listed for the award.
Australia captain Steve Smith said the all-rounder would be included, probably for Peter Handscomb, if the WACA track is not quick enough.
Allan Border opened up on the team's selection and said Australia overthought during the first Test in Nagpur.
If Boland gets a chance to play the first Test in Nagpur, he would probably like to walk the talk as he said in episode No. 2 of 'Test'.
Number 11 Ashton Agar made an astonishing record 98 on debut as Australia seized control of the first Ashes Test against England on a wildly fluctuating second day at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
To say Joe Root has been galvanised since being dropped for the fifth Ashes Test that completed England's dismal 5-0 rout in Australia in the early days of last year would be an understatement.
Coach Darren Lehmann gave Australia a mark of '7.5' out of 10 for a year in which they won the World Cup but lost the Ashes, the series most prized by home fans.
Recalled Jonny Bairstow says he's in 'best form'.
Jhye Richardson scalped five wickets in the second innings as Australia defeated England by 275 runs in the second Ashes Test. With this win, Australia has gained a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Green, who made his Test debut against India in Adelaide last December, picked up his first wicket by removing Ollie Pope on a disappointing opening day for England, before dismissing the dangerous Joe Root for 89 in the second innings.
Indian opener K L Rahul hit pay dirt with a Rs 11 crore deal with Kings XI Punjab, while controversial England all-rounder Ben Stokes also triggered a bidding war before going to Rajasthan Royals for Rs 12.50 crore at the IPL auctions, in Bengaluru, on Saturday.
Cummins had tested negative for RT-PCR but was asked to isolate accordingly to the COVID rules of South Australia
CA confirmed media reports that Cummins was dining at an Adelaide restaurant on Wednesday night where a positive COVID-19 case was identified.
Australia have included uncapped George Bailey in their 12-man squad for the first Ashes encounter against England next week in a gamble the 31-year-old can replicate his "extraordinary" limited overs form in the Test arena.
Australia's blockbuster four-Test series against India will be the greatest challenge Pat Cummins has faced in his young captaincy as he looks to conquer the "final frontier".
Australia will resist the temptation to tinker with their team on tour against West Indies and plan to field their best 11 in a bid to sweep the two-Test series and build momentum for the Ashes, selector Rod Marsh has said.
Check out the lowest totals in Ashes history after England bowled Australia out for 60 in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
'I think the Indigenous community in AFL and rugby are so big and hopefully one day Aboriginals in cricket can be just as big.'
Images from Day 3 of the 4th Ashes Test played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday
England are being "too nice" and need to "get nasty" against Australia in the Boxing Day Test to fight back in the Ashes series, said former skipper Michael Vaughan.
Selectors name the Test squad on Thursday but will have to rely on their gut rather than hard numbers
Chasing a record 468 for victory, New Zealand were teetering at 31 for two at the break with Tom Latham 10 not out and Ross Taylor unbeaten on five. Images from Day 4 of the first Test between Australia and New Zealand in Perth on Sunday.
Australia opener Marcus Harris was dropped from the Test squad and replaced by Queensland batsman Joe Burns for the upcoming two-match series against Pakistan.
The Test batting chart is headed by Australia's Marnus Labuschagne (915 points), followed by England captain Joe Root (900) while New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson (879) dislodged Steve Smith (877) from the No. 3 slot.
Nathan Lyon grabbed four wickets and Jackson Bird claimed his first victim of the series as Australia restricted England to 238 for nine at stumps on Day 1 of the fourth Ashes Test on Friday.
England will head into this year's Ashes series against Australia heartened by their performances against New Zealand but with nagging doubts about key areas in the team.
'We are looking at them every single day. We are comfortable with the protocols with what they are for SA (South Australia).' The only limit on Australia's players in Adelaide are that they head out in public in small groups.
The four-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy that promises a lot of twists and turns, engrossing sub-plots and probably career-defining performances.
'We have to be confident, we have to continue what we're doing, doing the basics really well, getting big first innings runs is crucial as we've seen, and just backing up day in and day out.'
Pat Cummins admits he would relish taking the prized wicket of England captain Joe Root in this week's opening Ashes Test in Brisbane even if he had not earned a late promotion into the Australian captaincy.
Australia dominated with bat, ball and in the field to post their second successive innings victory over Pakistan
Root's innings was always going to be crucial to his team's chances of chasing down a record 354 at Adelaide Oval and although the innings limped on into a second hour, the hope raised among the English on Tuesday was gone.
Following is a factbox on the first Test match between Australia and England, which starts on Thursday:
Veteran Western Australian batsman Adam Voges in 17-man tour squad but give the cold shoulder to Glenn Maxwell.
England still blinking after perfect Ashes start.