Former Australian captain Smith underwent an operation in January to repair a ligament in his right elbow while he was serving his 12-month international ban for ball tampering that ended last month.
Australia captain Steve Smith shook off a sickening blow to the back of his head and notched up his 14th test century, earning the praise of his team mates and New Zealand opponents at the end of the second day of the second test on Sunday. Smith was on 78 shortly before tea when he was hit by a Neil Wagner bouncer and dropped to his knees, immediately prompting gasps from the crowd at Hagley Oval. Australia are still mindful of the death of their team mate Phillip Hughes, who was killed in late 2014 after being hit by a bouncer in a first class match, and fellow centurion Joe Burns said there was real concern when his captain dropped to the pitch. "It certainly always a concern when you see someone get hit in the head, it got him quite flush as well," Burns told reporters after Australia finished the second day on 363 for four, just seven runs adrift of New Zealand. "Fortunately the medical staff was out there very quickly, they gave him the all clear. Luckily the tea break was around the corner so he could sit down for 20 minutes and let the shock settle."
There seems to be no love lost between India and Australia players as visiting skipper Steve Smith, on Monday, appeared to have used cuss words against Murali Vijay after the home team opener claimed to have taken a catch that was deemed not clean.
Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah saved India the blushes in the Brisbane Test with a resolute 10th wicket partnership but the rookie pacer on Sunday said his focus was on a wholesome contribution to the team rather than looking to "merely save the follow-on".
Australia will be without their premier pacers but their envious pedigree in ICC tournaments make them favourites to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy from Group B.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes it's time the cricketing world changes the moniker 'Fab Four' to 'Fab Five' by including Pakistan's Babar Azam in the same league as Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson.
Finch is happy that both Smith and David Warner have done incredible work during their time off the field which is showing off
'Requesting all cricket fans to stop such behaviour. Sanity and dignity are more important.'
Kohli's skill and spikiness on the field reminded many of their own: Australian media
Australia's mouthwatering clash with India sees the two behemoths of the modern game go head-to-head in five tests over six weeks with the tourists eyeing a third straight series triumph Down Under.
The debate over the vacant slot at the top of the Australia batting order continues to captivate the nation's sports media a month before the opening clash in a blockbuster five-Test series against India.
Smith and Warner have returned from year-long bans following a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa which also prompted Lehmann to step down as coach of the side in March last year.
Australia coach Darren Lehmann has praised captain Steve Smith's handling of an outburst by Mitchell Starc that cost the left-arm quick half his match fee from the first Test against New Zealand.
Smith top-scored with 73 not out for Rajasthan Royals in their relatively meagre total of 139 for three in Jaipur.
The pair will face England in their World Cup match at Lord's on June 25 and are also likely to endure hostile reception during the Ashes, which begins at Edgbaston on August 1.
While others have faded somewhat recently, Kohli has been burning brightly, and pulling ahead of his peers.
Sydney Sixers' all-rounder Steve Smith said his team is lucky to sneak into the Champions League Twenty20 final after fortunes swung like a pendulum during their semi-final against Titans on Friday.
Back-to-back Test series wins over Australia are almost unheard of but India have won the last four they have played.
Australia led England by 12 runs at the end of a tense and fluctuating second day to leave the final Ashes Test at The Oval on a knife-edge on Friday.
Warner is still living with the leadership ban while accomplice Steve Smith happens to lead Australia
Australia captain Steve Smith will seek an explanation from match referee Chris Broad over a Decision Review System malfunction during his team's march to victory over West Indies in the second Test on Tuesday.
Images from Day 1 of the fifth Test between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
England star Joe Root is cementing his status as one of the greatest players as he achieved new career-high rating in the latest ICC Men's Test Batter Rankings.
Australian chair of selectors George Bailey said Fraser-McGurk and Short made "compelling cases" for selection, and provide better than adequate cover should squad members go down during the tournament.
Nathan McSweeney had a disappointing start to his international career after being ousted by Bumrah for 10 and zero in the first Test at Perth.
Images from Day 3 of the 3rd Ashes Test played at the WACA in Perth on Saturday
Steve Smith's unconventional technique will warrant a slightly wider line from Indian bowlers, the iconic Sachin Tendulkar said, urging the pacers to target the 'fifth stump' to blunt the redoubtable batsman during the upcoming series in Australia.
Before the IPL 2021 qualifier 2 game between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Delhi Capitals at the Sharjah cricket stadium on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, DC's Australian star Steve Smith and KKR's Kiwi Head Coach Brendon McCullum were spotted in this strange pose.
IMAGES from the match between Australia and The Netherlands, played in New Delhi on Wednesday.
All-rounder Aaron Hardie will travel with rest of the Australia squad to India as cover for Sean Abbott and Nathan Ellis.
Former Australian skipper Aaron Finch said that Alex Carey and Rishabh Pant, two left-handed wicketkeeper-batters will be extremely important for their respective sides during the highly-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.
Stokes, 26, is England's vice-captain and one of their most important players, but his participation in next month's Ashes series against Australia has been thrown into doubt after he was released under investigation following the incident.
A survivalist's mindset sees Indian batsmen fail again on the first day of the SCG Test.
India's assistant coach also Ryan ten Doeschate also lauded Starc for his excellent display with the pink ball.
'Virat obviously stuck by his comments. From my point of view, they are completely wrong. I obviously came out after the game and said that I had made a mistake. It was an error on my behalf. I had a brain fade. In regards to we do it consistently, that's complete rubbish in my opinion. So, I think he was wrong in his statement'
'The world simply wants to see you cry, once you have cried they will feel satisfied and live happily ever after,' lamented India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin while expressing solidarity with the disgraced Steve Smith and David Warner.
The highlight of Jadeja's performance, however, was his rocket throw which ended Steve Smith's stellar knock of 131.
In a nail-biting finish at the MCG, Australia clinched a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first ODI on Monday night.
Australia captain and man-of-the-match Steve Smith praised his team's character after they saw off some stiff England resistance before trouncing the tourists by 10 wickets on day five of the series-opening Ashes Test.
Boland troubled India throughout the game with his incisive bowling, not allowing the famed Indian batting line-up to breathe easy at any point
