David Warner is very happy for his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate Thangarasu Natarajan's Test call-up but he is 'not sure' if the Tamil Nadu left-arm seamer can consistently hit one length, over after over, in the five-day format.
Having all but completed their one-year ban (set to end on March 28) from international cricket on ball tampering charges, Smith and Warner's IPL performance is expected to be closely monitored by Cricket Australia.
India are favourites to 'steamroll' Australia in the Test series Down Under due to the absence of the experienced duo of Steve Smith and David Warner.
All cricketing activity has come to a halt due to the health crisis and there are serious doubts over the future of T20 World Cup. However, the International Cricket Council is yet to take the final call on the T20 showpiece event.
The Test batting chart is headed by Australia's Marnus Labuschagne (915 points), followed by England captain Joe Root (900) while New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson (879) dislodged Steve Smith (877) from the No. 3 slot.
Australian opener David Warner termed as 'bizarre' the experience of playing behind closed doors, which it said was like playing a warm-up game.
David Warner to lead IPL's Delhi in Pant's absence
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell feels the potency of Australia's pace attack in English conditions gives them the edge in next month's World Test Championship final against India, who could be "badly affected" by the absence of injured Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant.
With Australia grappling with injuries in the run-up to the series, there were doubts that Burns too might join the list but scans cleared all fears
Australia opener David Warner praised his junior partner Matthew Renshaw for catching the Indian team off guard with his gutsy performance in the first Test despite being under the weather.
Agar is the latest Australian to return home midway into the tour, with the visitors having lost the first two Tests of the four-match series.
Top-order batsman Usman Khawaja has been drafted into the Australia squad for the ongoing ODI series against India in place of opener David Warner whose wife is expecting the couple's second child. Khawaja will join the squad in Brisbane and, at this stage, will remain for matches two and three of the five-game series, at the Gabba on January 15, and at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 17 respectively, Cricket Australia said. National selector Rod Marsh said Warner would be welcomed back into the squad when circumstances allow.
Factbox on the four-Test series between India and Australia, which starts at Pune on Thursday:
David Warner is seen with his family at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Indian Premier League chairman Rajeev Shukla said Rajasthan Royals will wait and see what sanctions the ICC imposes on Steve Smith before taking a call on his future as the franchise's captain, following a ball tampering scandal that prompted, among others, even Australia's prime minister to react.
Kohli is the leading Indian batsman in the chart with 886 rating points behind Australia's Steve Smith (911 points).
Langer said Smith and Warner's experience made them natural authority figures and that their leadership would be 'crucial' for success on and off the field.
The 29-year-old, who got married this week, received a warm welcome from an unusually large crowd at the Glenn McGrath Oval and looked his usual twitchy self at the crease as he rattled off a half century in 62 balls.
Opener David Warner extended his purple patch with the bat, scoring his second century of the match, as the first Test against India headed for an exciting finish, with Australia gaining an overall lead of 363 runs in Adelaide on Friday. At stumps on Day 4, at the Adelaide Oval, Australia were 290 for five, with Steven Smith and Brad Haddin batting on 52 and 14 respectively.
India tour is not final marker for World Cup hopefuls, says Langer
On the upcoming ODI series in India, Steve Waugh feels the home team starts favourites despite Australia winning the five-match series 12 months ago.
Australian opener David Warner has backed his embattled partner Ed Cowan, saying that the selectors should persist with him despite repeated failures in the ongoing Test series against India.
Patel smashed 74 and dominated his 114-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Ashwin to rescue India
Travis Head smashed a brilliant 137 as Australia cruised to their sixth World title after outclassing India by six wickets in the final on Sunday.
There will certainly be some distinct home advantage for Australia along with the experience of playing more Day/Night Tests.
He is on an 18-match unbeaten streak as India's Test captain, but Virat Kohli was left out of the ICC Test Team of the Year.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, who was at his glorious best against Australia during the second Test of the series in Karachi, gained three spots to move up to No.5 in the rankings chart.
The unavailability of Australian batting stalwarts Steve Smith and David Warner has made India the front-runners to win the upcoming four-Test series Down Under, believes former stylish left-hander Vinod Kambli.
Australian vice-captain David Warner indicated that they will not sledge in-form India skipper Virat Kohli.
David Warner and Steven Smith on Tuesday looked heaven-wards and raised their bats on reaching 63, score from where the late Phillip Hughes could proceed.
Images from Day 3 of the third Test between Australia and India, at the SCG, on Saturday.
Australia have included uncapped George Bailey in their 12-man squad for the first Ashes encounter against England next week in a gamble the 31-year-old can replicate his "extraordinary" limited overs form in the Test arena.
Images from Day 1 of the 3rd Test played in Perth on Friday.
Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will be back in action at the next IPL season, says Delhi Capitals Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly.
With day-night Tests seen as a possible solution to Test cricket's dwindling attendances, Australia are hopeful that India will agree to play one at the Gabba this year.
Sachin Tendulkar said that Cricket Australia has taken the 'right decision' in banning captain Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner for one year after being found guilty of ball-tampering against South Africa during the Cape Town.
India would be pressing for a decisive first-innings lead in the contest when play resumes on Friday.
Steve Smith says Australia is better off training on its own rather than playing tour games on "irrelevant" Indian pitches ahead of the four-Test Border-Gavaskar series next month.
David Warner failed to take field against India in the ongoing Boxing Day cricket Test after the Australian opener suffered a nasty blow on his right forearm at the MCG nets.
Australia came into the match better prepared and executed their plans to perfection while the Indians hit the panic button once the toss went against them.
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