From afar on Saturday, the SCG track looked to have a distinct tinge of green on it as the groundsmen ran the roller over it.
Australia are confident that captain Pat Cummins will play a significant part in the Ashes series, head selector George Bailey said, as questions remain over the paceman's fitness for the opening Test in Perth.
Both Stokes and McCullum are contracted until 2027 and have publicly expressed their desire to stay on beyond the current tour.
'They're all going to score because they are naturally gifted players but the real high-risk way of playing, I'm afraid it hasn't worked.'
Australia Test captain Pat Cummins congratulated veteran opener Usman Khawaja on his "incredible career" after the 39-year-old confirmed his retirement from international cricket following the conclusion of the fifth Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground, starting January 4.
The victims of the Bondi massacre, first responders and community members were welcomed with a guard of honour from Australia and England players at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Batting great Alistair Cook says England's 2-2 home series draw against Shubman Gill-led India was against "not a great Indian side", flagging concerns over the team's preparation for the Ashes.
The talks about the reunification had already started when Ajit Pawar was alive. In fact, the two parties even contested the civic polls in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad together.
England lost the first three matches in the ongoing Ashes series but chased down 175 to win the fourth by four wickets and score a first Test victory in Australia in 15 years.
It isn't easy for a girl from Gopal Nagar to chase a dream. But Pinky was extremely determined. A force unto herself, she was going to go places. Literally. Till it abruptly ended one morning on the tarmac at Baramati airport.
'It's a double-edged sword, but I'm enjoying it.'
England have not won an Ashes Test match in Australia for nearly 15 years but their batting firepower could prove decisive in the series starting in Perth next month, according to former captain Alastair Cook.
Now 29, Renshaw is hopeful of having another run in Test whites and believes being father to two young children has helped give him a sense of perspective.
Khawaja said his parents sacrificed a comfortable life in Pakistan, including financial security, by moving to Australia solely to give their children better opportunities and a better future.
Charlie Smith, one of the thousands of England fans cheering on Ben Stokes's struggling team, stopped off on the way to the ground to buy bin bags and gather up the garbage.
England batter Joe Root defended fellow teammate Jamie Smith for his dismissal in the first innings of the final Sydney Test
'We could play a couple of all-rounders. Could play a spinner. Could play no spinner. We'll figure it out.'
Josh Hazlewood wants to continue playing international cricket in all formats despite missing the entire Ashes series because of injury.
Returning to the bowling crease would mark the final stage of Green's carefully looked-after return to cricket after a spinal fusion operation in Christchurch.
60 years ago, on January 24, 1966, Dr Homi J Bhabha, the father of India's nuclear programme, died in an air crash on Mont Blanc. The official inquiry said the plane went off course in bad weather, but coincidences, missing evidence, and later unproven claims have kept conspiracy theories alive. A fascinating excerpt from Bakhtiar Dadabhoy's book, Homi J Bhabha: A Life.
'How much value do fans and audiences hold for an ICC tournament every year? The novelty of it is wearing off, to be very honest and with all due respect.'
Harry Brook could be in contention to replace Ollie Pope as Ben Stokes' deputy when England travel to Australia this winter.
Usually, in the western view, corporate success is attributed to efficiency, organisational structure, and scale. R Gopalakrishnan and Harish Bhat argue that philosophy, culture, and the transmission of values are more important for sustaining growth and profitability of an enterprise over a period of time.
Ashwin's comments echo a growing concern within the game, that too many tournaments, too often, may be eroding the very excitement that once made World Cups unmissable.
Australia paceman Josh Hazlewood's hopes of playing in the third Ashes Test in Adelaide have dimmed after he suffered a new injury setback during his recovery from a hamstring strain.
Enjoyment is a huge part of why I'm still playing: Jonny Bairstow
The legendary Ricky Pointing has advised Australia all-rounder Cameron Green to keep things simple and not over analyse or tinker with his game in order to find the right approach in Tests.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 3rd Ashes Test played in Adelaide on Wednesday
Australia's Usman Khawaja has declared himself fit for the third Ashes Test against England next week, brushing aside speculation about his future and saying he will keep playing as long as he is valued by the team.
If selected, it would be the fast-medium pacer's first Test since taking five wickets in a heavy defeat by New Zealand in Hamilton a year ago.
'He has been benched so many times that he has lost a bit of rhythm.'
Starc also pointed out that the wicket did not assist pacers that much with the new ball and expressed concerns over Nathan Lyon's injury on the final day of the Test and the setback to Hazlewood.
England trail 2-0 in the five-Test series after being outplayed with bat, ball and in the field during the eight-wicket loss in the day-night match in Brisbane.
Joe Root's Australian hoodoo is over. The England batter scored his first Test century in Australia, an unbeaten 135 off 202 balls, rescuing his side after a shaky start in the second Ashes Test at Brisbane's Gabba and steering England to 325 for nine following captain Ben Stokes' decision to bat first.
He also admitted to learning a lot from 'one of the best players in the world', his teammate Steve Smith.
'From an Indian perspective, Varun Chakravarthy is the bowler of the year for me.'
Green has so far played 29 matches in the IPL to aggregate 707 runs and take 16 wickets.
Dropped Australia opener Sam Konstas will face England in a two-day tour match between the first and second Ashes Tests as part of the Prime Minister's XI squad.
From McCullum, there was greater support for another England batter, Jamie Smith, who he said works very hard on his game. The wicketkeeper-batter joined the team at the start of 2024.
England have not won a first Ashes Test in Australia in nearly 40 years, nor beaten the hosts in Perth since 1978.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances