Despite flashes of talent, Sam Konstas' domestic form -- marked by erratic shot choices and a lack of consistent runs -- has intensified debate over Australia's opening options for the Ashes.
With just one match left in the series, Rohit Sharma and his men face a steep challenge to secure their spot in the final at Lord's next year.
In a bid to save its New Year fixture between India and Australia, the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust has offered to host the Brisbane Test too, if the Queensland government refuse to grant exemptions to the teams returning from New South Wales.
Jasprit Bumrah seems to have found a new companion in coffee.
Star Indian batter Shreyas Iyer on Thursday said he is "on the road to recovery and getting better every passing day" after sustaining a ruptured spleen and rib cage injury during the third ODI against Australia.
Australian cricket was rocked on Thursday by the death of a teenage player hit by a ball during training at his Melbourne club.
Rohit Sharma hit a magnificent 121, while Virat Kohli stroked 74 in India's emphatic nine-wicket victory against Australia in Sydney.
Australia's bowling was of the highest quality on the final day and there were positives in the batting, too, throughout the third Test in Melbourne.
Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has agreed to play the entire upcoming season of the Big Bash League for Sydney Thunder, just a day after he went unsold at the ILT20 auction in Dubai, ESPNcricinfo reported.
At the close, after 75 overs were squeezed in around two lengthy rain interruptions, the West Indies were 207 for six with Denesh Ramdin on 23 and Carlos Brathwaite not out 35 after winning the toss.
A dominant Australia looked firmly on course for a 5-0 Ashes series sweep when they reached 140 for four, a lead of 311, at close of play after skittling England for 155 on the second day of the fifth Test on Saturday.
Australia captain Pat Cummins said on Monday he was more likely than not to miss the first Ashes Test in Perth next month and is not absolutely certain of being fit for the second in Brisbane.
Cummins remains a doubtful for the Ashes opener at Perth starting on November 21 but Marsh is among the players who would be in fray for selection for the opening Test of the five-match series.
Rohit Sharma's decision to 'opt out' of the ongoing fifth and final Test against Australia was bizarre as it sends wrong signals, said former opener Navjot Singh Sidhu.
India's young guns are fearless and mentally hardened by the IPL exposure. But true mettle will be tested when adversity strikes -- and this time, there will be no Kohli to stir up the crowd, no Rohit to deliver a captaincy masterstroke, and no Ashwin to conjure wickets out of nowhere.
The 32-year-old Cummins would be watching the action unfold from the sidelines due to a back injury.
During his patient knock, Pujara faced 250 balls, hitting 16 of them for fours, and added 75 runs for the unbeaten fifth wicket stand with Vihari.
Lokesh Rahul hit his maiden century, Virat Kohli his fourth of the series but Australia's Shane Watson hit back with two wickets in as many balls to leave India on 342 for five after the third day of the fourth Test on Thursday.
On Saturday, Rohit and Virat turned back the clock, delivering a vintage special with their refined strokeplay to silence their critics.
Two fast-bowling all-rounders look to be in a battle for one spot, while a decision between Prasidh Krishna and left-armer Arshdeep Singh could be condition-dependent.
Kumble admitted that given Bumrah's history with back injury, it will not be possible for him to play all the five-Test matches.
All eyes will be on Captain Shubman Gill and Coach Gautam Gambhir to lead the Indian Test team into a bold new era.
Virat Kohli, 36, and Rohit Sharma, 38, are active internationally only in the 50-overs format but their future beyond the three-match series is uncertain.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg believes that the aggressive tone of the ongoing Test series between India and England will be a huge selling point for the match-day tickets of the upcoming Ashes.
Cummins, who was previously optimistic of taking part in a significant chunk of the series, appears to have no chance of playing the series opener in Perth from November 21 and could even miss all five Tests, leaving superstar batter Steve Smith as his stand-in captain.
Questions are mounting on when the 37-year-old India captain will finally call time on his Test career.
Ravichandran Ashwin is set to create history as the first capped India men's player to play in the Australia's Big Bash League.
'In the last Test match... I had to be honest with myself. I wasn't hitting the ball well. I didn't want to put myself there only because we had dropped the other guys who were struggling as well.'
Former England pacer Stuart Broad on Tuesday spiced up the leadup to the Ashes series, starting in Perth on November 21, claiming that the battle is between "the worst Australian team since 2010" and the "best England team since 2010".
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, is the other Indian giving Bumrah company in the top-10, having climbed a spot to be joint-ninth.
The Aussies also named a 14-player group for the first two T20I matches against India, with Nathan Ellis and Josh Inglis earning recalls after they missed the recent T20I series with South Africa.
Aus ODIs: Bumrah, Gill workload to be discussed, battle between Jaiswal and Abhishek
But Rohit's deplorable form in red-ball in red-ball cricket may have forced this decision.
Jasprit Bumrah is back in action after a three-month injury lay-off.
"Don't think he'll be available for all 5 Tests...": Ajit Agarkar on Jasprit Bumrah's availability for England series
Relishing the challenge of squaring off against new Indian captain Virat Kohli in the fourth and final cricket Test in Sydney, Australian skipper Steve Smith described his rival number as an "emotional character".
Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese jokingly suggested a law that forces Jasprit Bumrah to bowl 'left-handed or off one step' against the home team.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances