Defeat will severely dent both the teams' dreams of a semi-final berth in the tournament, as South Africa and Australia have already notched two points.
The opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Perth marked a big moment for two young Indian talents, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made their Test debuts.
Steve Smith has said he had never encountered a wicket like the one at the SCG
If Smith is ruled out, then the left-hand batter Travis Head will lead the squad as he is the vice-captain of the side.
With only five matches in the group and just the top two progressing to the semi-finals, Australia will need to hit their stride in their tournament opener against the Proteas in Abu Dhabi next Saturday, Starc added.
Starc took the help of orthopaedic surgeon Russel Miller, who said the injury was "complex and multifactorial" but "it is likely, on the balance of probabilities, that at specific injury occurred on 10/03/2018 which was associated with extreme physical activity including bowling on a pitch with uneven footmarks'."
Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc described Virat Kohli as a 'fantastic captain', having shared the dressing room with the India captain while representing Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.
Before the IPL Auction 2025, Rediff.com delves into the top 10 most expensive players in IPL history, exploring their impact on the game and the factors that have made them so valuable.
KL Rahul, the stylish Indian batter, has been performing consistently regardless of his batting position.
Australia's historic pedigree in cricket's biggest tournaments will count for nothing when they run into an Afghanistan side that is fast cementing its place in the game's top table in the Champions Trophy match in Lahore on Friday.
Pace bowler Mitchell Starc's patchy form is among the few worries for a rampaging Australia in the ongoing ODI series against India but skipper Aaron Finch on Tuesday threw his weight behind the seasoned campaigner, saying there is no need to panic just yet.
Katich agrees that if Mitchell Marsh isn't contributing with the ball, then Australia's National Selection Panel will need to have a look at the combination considering the all-rounder's poor returns with the bat.
Pant admitted to feeling immense pressure as his name neared the top of the bidding list. He particularly dreaded being picked by the Punjab Kings, who possessed a massive purse.
Pat Cummins took five wickets as Australia maintained their unblemished record in 'Pink-ball' Tests with a thumping 10-wicket victory over India in the second Test in Adelaide on Sunday to level the five-match series 1-1 in just two-and-a-half days.
Head smashed a swashbuckling hundred to fetch Australia a first innings lead of 157 at his home ground the Adelaide Oval.
The upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is likely to see bowlers playing a crucial role in the success of teams.
The Australian pacer naturally wants to play the second Test at Lord's from Wednesday but is even keener on Australia bringing home the urn, even if it means spending more time on the sidelines.
Images from Day 1 of the fifth Test between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
When you are defending to save a game, a loose delivery comes along and you suddenly opt to play an attacking shot, you are unlikely to hit as well as if you were playing your naturally aggressive game all along. First Pant, then Jaiswal, found that out the costly way, observes Prem Panicker.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's first Most Valuable Player Index for IPL 2025.
Spin twins Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon combined to dismantle Sri Lanka and bowl Australia to a crushing victory by an innings and 242 runs in the opening Test in Galle on Saturday.
'Just with having multiple broadcasters and a whole bunch of radio and print and the rest, I probably read into that noise a bit too much.'
India's Abhishek Sharma has surged to the second spot in the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings for batters after a stunning 135-run innings in the fifth and final T20I against England.
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between Australia and India in Perth on Sunday.
Uncapped McSweeney to open with Khawaja in India series
Australia paceman Mitchell Starc is being monitored by medical staff after being hit by a ball just above his knee during training ahead of their T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka, the team said on Thursday.
India fight back against Australia as 17 wickets tumble on opening day
It was a proper Test innings, it was of the highest class, and given the circumstances it came in, it was one of the best innings by an Indian batsman in recent memory, applauds Prem Panicker.
Both teams have struggled in the ODI format recently. World champions Australia lost to Sri Lanka (0-2) and Pakistan (1-2) in their last two series, while England, now coached by Brendon McCullum in all formats, haven't won an ODI series since their disastrous 2023 World Cup campaign.
Though Australia have dominated the rain-hit Test, time will most likely deny the hosts.
Australia's fielders spilled a few chances offered by Ajinkya Rahane as India took a 82-run lead by the end of Day 2 in the second Test.
The exact reason for Starc's release is not yet known but it is believed that it could be because of the uncertainty around his availability for the 2019 season.
He added that it is amazing to watch Head, who wants to play at the peak of his powers and at the moment.
'Most expensive player in your team can't be your weak link.'
'It's tough going -- we get to play cricket, (so) we can't complain too much -- but in terms of wellbeing of players, staff and officials, how long can you stay in hubs for?'
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is on the cusp of making history after he went level with former spinner Bishan Singh Bedi for most wickets in an overseas Test series for India.
The legendary Adam Gilchrist showered praise on Australia captain Pat Cummins for his outstanding performance in the Adelaide Test.
The hosts, who had a put up a massive first innings score of 598-4 before declaring, opted not to enforce the follow-on and reached 29-1 at stumps.
The right-hander feels that keeping India's relatively inexperienced pace attack, aside from Jasprit Bumrah, on the field for as long as possible could be the key for the hosts in the five-Test series beginning in Perth on Friday.
Their pre-tournament decision to fill the squad with five spinners drew a lot of flak from all corners, but it is now proving to be a masterstroke on the slow pitches in Dubai.
