Since 2011, England have managed to eke out just a single draw in 13 Ashes Tests over three tours and their last two Tests in Sydney have resulted in humiliating defeats.
Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has refused to get drawn into the discussion over Mitchell Johnson's explosive column on opener David Warner and instead opted to provide a shining endorsement for his fellow World Cup winner.
Will Virat Kohli's team bounce back to win the second game or will it again be the Australians taking the honours?
A series win in Australia will certainly put Kohli on a higher pedestal even though the quality of the home team's batting line-up suffered adversely due to the bans of former skipper Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner.
Young all-rounder Cameron Green scored a confident century for Australia 'A' on day two of the tour match against India 'A' in Sydney on Monday to put his hand up for selection in the Test series starting next week.
The New Zealand government tightened border restrictions and stating that all those entering the country from Australia would be subjected to a mandatory 14-day self-isolation period. The new restrictions, which come into from Sunday midnight, would have led to the New Zealand team being quarantined if it stayed back to complete the assignment.
Images from the third and final T20 International between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Speaking to ANI, sources in the know of developments in the Indian team said that the batsman will need a little more time before he can go full throttle.
The death of Phillip Hughes less than six weeks ago still hung thick in the air at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday as Australia began preparations to play their first Test match at the ground since.
West Indies (2012, 2016) have won the title twice, while India (2007), Pakistan (2009), England (2010) and Sri Lanka (2014) are the other teams to have won it once.
On the ropes at 43-4 early in their innings, Pakistan rallied behind spectacular half centuries from Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan to post 185 for nine and delight the lively crowd of 30,000 roaring them on at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The operators of the SCG have launched an investigation into claims by an Indian cricket supporter who was told by the security officer to "go back to where you belong".
Images from Day 2 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the MCG on Friday.
A Canberra-based singer/song writer Jack Biilmann has paid a musical tribute to the late Phillip Hughes, releasing a track called 'Forever Unbeaten'.
Ricky Ponting advised star batters Virat Kohli and Steve Smith to stop trying hard to rediscover their best and pushing themselves too hard and just focus on watching the ball and scoring runs.
With this bat in hand, Ricky Ponting managed to score two centuries in his 100th Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Emotions are set to run high at the venue where late Australian opener Phillip Hughes died last month after being struck by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match
India were 98 for 2 at close of play on the fourth day of the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, still 308 runs behind Australia and a full day's batting away from saving the match.
Paine said Pucovski would open the batting if he was selected for the match
Joe Root has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings after his stellar efforts helped England secure a 22-run victory over India at Lord's, according to the official website of the ICC.
World champions India will clash against hosts Australia in their first warm-up match of the ICC World Cup 2015 in Adelaide on February 8 before they take on minnows Afghanistan at the same venue two days later.
Virat Kohli's conduct came under the microscope in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne on Thursday after a clash of shoulders with teen debutant Sam Konstas, but the incident did little to knock the Australian wonder boy off his stride.
Australia out for Pakistan sweep in David Warner Week
Melbourne Cricket Club's chief executive officer Stuart Fox said though he wants Sydney to retain the hosting rights of the third Test, the situation is "extremely complicated" in the wake of a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 cases there.
Jason Hughes, the older brother of the late Phillip Hughes, has made an emotional return to grade cricket, scoring 63 -- the exact score his sibling was on when he was fatally struck by a bouncer.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting feels David Warner will have it tough to fight back into the team given his barren run with the bat.
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.
Images from the T20 World Cup match between Sri Lanka and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Pattinson sustained the injury while on 'approved leave' from the team's hub in Melbourne
Cameron Green said that his body is in great shape, where he can contribute well as a bowler
India's captain Ajinkya Rahane on Monday said the racial abuse faced by his teammates Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj during the third Test against Australia in Sydney is not at all acceptable and should not happen anywhere in the world.
Jhye Richardson said Australia were lucky to get Mahendra Singh Dhoni out with a dubious call.
Rohit Sharma last played for Mumbai way back in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh.
Play was impossible at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where the tourists are scheduled to play a non-first class tour match against an understrength representative side
Virat Kohli survived a controversial catch call on the first ball he faced in the fifth and final Test at Sydney on Friday.
Play was halted for a few minutes after India pacer Mohammed Siraj complained of racial abuse from a section of the crowd
India's cricketers and staff have been cleared of COVID-19
Australia legend Steve Waugh believes under-fire Rohit Sharma can't afford to be 'complacent or relax' if he wants to continue serving Indian cricket.
'Pakistan will return home this week. India too will go back home after playing the semi-final as they too aren't that good.'
'He (Rizwan) is a very honest person and he said to me he did not even feel that it touched anywhere near the gloves.'
