Australia's selectors have responded to the threat of a first ever Test series sweep on home soil by dropping five players from their squad for the third match against South Africa, which begins in Adelaide on Thursday. Joe Burns, Adam Voges and Callum Ferguson, as well as wicketkeeper Peter Nevill, paid the price for a string of batting collapses, while seamer Joe Mennie was also axed after the innings defeat in the second Test in Hobart.
Australia have left no stones unturned in their preparation as they chase their first Test series win in over a year, captain Tim Paine said.
Opening batsman David Warner enjoyed a gift-wrapped century after being reprieved on 99 as Australia endured a meandering first day of the Boxing Day Test against England on Tuesday.
Australia have resorted to guided missile technology to reduce injuries to their fast bowlers as they seek to reclaim the Ashes from England next year.
Top class left-armers are in short supply and chief selector Rod Marsh joked that he had mulled telephoning Johnson to see whether he might like to come out of retirement.
Australia railed at suggestions their team resembled a 'Dad's Army' but the evidence supplied by the first four Ashes Tests against England suggests it was not an unfair moniker.
They have not lost to the West Indies in 14 Tests dating back to 2003.
The return of all-rounder Ben Stokes will be a welcome boost to the England squad as he provides much-needed balance and lifts morale, team mate Moeen Ali said ahead of the two-match test series in New Zealand.
Australia secured a 23-run win over Ireland in a rain-interrupted one-day international, in Belfast, on Friday.
England bowling coach Chris Silverwood has been named the head coach of the men's team replacing Australia's Trevor Bayliss, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Monday.
Umpires should invoke cricket's laws and protect England's tailenders from Australia's relentless 'bodyline' bowling in the ongoing Ashes series, former England captain Michael Atherton has said.
'They have got so much talent. And in the last 10 years when they have not been playing home Test matches (for security reasons), they have done a remarkable job to be as competitive as they have and continue to bring on the level of talented players they have.'
The Australian media were united in their view that the Mitchell Johnson-inspired humiliation of England at Lord's marked a decisive shift in the balance of power in the Ashes series.
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.
Peter Siddle has been brought into Australia's squad while uncapped fast bowler Kyle Jamieson has been called into the New Zealand squad.
Tailender Jason Holder was left stranded on 82 not out as West Indies were dismissed for 220 in their first innings against Australia in Jamaica on Saturday, a deficit of 179, on the third day of the second Test in Kingston, Jamaica.
Mitchell Johnson will not mind being the man England fans love to mock in the Ashes so long as he is taking wickets but the friendly abuse might start to get under his skin if the Australian paceman continues to fire blanks.
Australia captain Aaron Finch says playing in the sub-continent can be intimidating, but having won an ODI series last year, he says 'Knowing that our game plan is good enough to beat India in India, that gives us a lot of confidence going there.'
Adam Voges became the oldest player to score a century on debut as Australia seized control of the first Test against the West Indies on the second day in Dominica on Thursday.
India No 3 batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who ground it out on Day 1, scoring 43 off 160 balls, believes that the match is evenly poised after India ended the day at 233 for 6 but conceded that skipper Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane's dismissals in the final hour of the opening day will provide a 'little bit of advantage' to the hosts.
Handed a Test recall faster than he expected, Australian pacer Pat Cummins said it would feel like a second debut when he takes the field against India in the ongoing Test series.
Australia thrashed England by eight wickets in their fifth and final one-day international at Old Trafford on Sunday to win the series 3-2 and take some consolation for the pain of Ashes defeat.
'We just have to pick the right three fast bowlers to take the 20 wickets in that first Ashes Test'
Justin Langer said the contest would likely be an exciting one thanks to the two teams being evenly-matched.
Australia all-rounder James Faulkner is in line to make his Test debut after replacing Usman Khawaja for the fifth and final Ashes Test, starting at The Oval on Wednesday.
Hazlewood said his team has been making plans for Kohli and a few 'options' will be in place.
Australian batting star Steve Smith has no time to think about how India might plot revenge in the second Test in Melbourne but he does have a word of advice for the visitors jolted by the first game's battering -- 'Let it go and move on'.
Siddle broke the news to his team mates at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday after being released from the squad for the third and final Test against New Zealand in Sydney.
Australia must stifle their attacking instincts in the subcontinent and 'bore' batsmen into giving up their wickets, captain Smith has said.
'I thought Virat Kohli was the best batsman I've ever seen because of the way he plays in all forms, but Steve Smith... that's another level.'
Images from Day 2 of the 2nd Ashes Test played at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday
Rajneesh Gupta offers insights about the World Test Championship Final.
The squad also sees the return of proven Test and one-day bowler James Pattinson, who joined Australia A in India after recovering from a string of injuries
Australia's stand-in coach David Saker on Wednesday said that the team management will closely monitor premier fast bowler Pat Cummins' workload in the upcoming limited overs series against India even though they expect him to play all the five ODIs.
Australia have every faith wicketkeeper Peter Nevill will make a strong impression on his debut at Lord's on Thursday when he replaces Brad Haddin for the second Ashes Test, captain Michael Clarke said.
Craig McDermott, who took 291 wickets in 71 Tests for Australia, turned down a contract extension so he could concentrate on his outside business interests
Top order batsman Shaun Marsh was called into the Australia squad for the third Test against New Zealand on Wednesday along with pace bowler James Pattinson and left arm spinner Steve O'Keefe.
Australia, bidding to avenge their defeat in the Ashes Test series earlier in the tour, went 1-0 up in the One-Day International encounter when they beat England by 59 runs in Southampton on Thursday.
Australia have put fast bowlers Doug Bollinger and Nathan Coulter-Nile on standby for next week's third Ashes Test against England in Perth should any of the current pacemen break down during the second Test in Adelaide, starting on Thursday.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell says India needs to 'sort their batting inadequacies' before the tour Down Under later this year
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