Indian captain Mahendra Singh blamed his opening bowlers for the four-wicket loss against Australia in their cricket tri-series match in Melbourne.
His 39-ball 66 blitz may have helped Australia amass a massive 348-runs lead, but middle order batsman Joe Burns reckons that spin will play a major role as the fourth and final Test against India heads into the penultimate day.
Australia all-rounder Shane Watson said memories of Phil Hughes will flood him the moment he steps out to compete in the fourth Test against India in Sydney, starting on January 6.
More than his hundred on debut as captain Steven Smith was happy that Australia putting up 500 runs on the board on Day 3 of the second Test against India.
India lost the crucial wicket of opener Murali Vijay after Steven Smith led Australia's fightback with a magnificent century on his captaincy debut. He received able support from Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, who both scored half-centuries. At close of play on Day 3 in the second Test , India were 71 for one in their second innings. Check out some images from the day's play.
David Warner punished a wasteful India with his second century as Australia seized control of the first Test at close of play on Day 4. The left-hander, who scored an emotional 145 in the first innings, added another 102 to help fire Australia to a 363-run lead at a sun-drenched Adelaide Oval on Friday. In the course of the day's play several milestones were set. Check them out.
The tri-series in Australia, India's final ODI engagement before the World Cup, gets underway on January 16, says Chandresh Narayanan, casting a fascinating look at the survivors from earlier World Cups.
Hard-hitting left-hander Chris Gayle will return to the West Indies squad for their tour of South Africa after recovering from a back injury.
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.
Factbox on the third World Cup quarter-final between Australia and Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.
David Warner punished a depleted and dispirited England with a brilliant century to help drive Australia to 235 for three and a dominant lead of 369 after the third day of the third Ashes Test on Sunday.
Steve Smith led the way with another good knock as Australia raced to 251 for 6 and a lead of 348 over India before rain stopped play at the end of the fourth day in the fourth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday. Statistical highlights from the day's play.
Images from the final day's play of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Tuesday.
Statistical highlights on day three of the third cricket Test between India and Australia in Melbourne.
Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar feels that Ishant Sharma should step up in a leadership role as the bowling unit has the skill set and ability to take 20 Australian wickets in the third Test starting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Michael Clarke all but ruled himself out of the remainder of the Test series against India after limping off the field with a hamstring strain on the fifth and final day of the opening match in Adelaide.
Australia chiselled out four key England wickets to take control of the fifth and final Ashes Test on an absorbing third day at the Oval on Friday.
'The man who never knows when he is beaten deserved, on the day he played what will be his last World Cup game, mates who were not beaten in the mind before they were beaten on the field.' Prem Panicker salutes 'India's best one day captain by a long margin who led superbly throughout the tournament.'
Kevin Pietersen defiantly struck a mature century but England were staring down the barrel at 294 for seven at stumps on the third day of the third Ashes Test on Saturday, still 233 adrift on first innings.
Former India batsman V V S Laxman, who always reserved his best for the mighty Australia, feels that Suresh Raina 'needs a lot of clarity' as to how he would find a solution against short-pitched bowling.
India opener Shikhar Dhawan is finally satisfied to be back among runs ahead of the World Cup after snapping his prolonged run drought with a fifty against Australia in their first warm-up game.
Australia captain Michael Clarke was left to thank his bowlers and centurion Chris Rogers for the hosts' escape in the fourth Ashes Test on Sunday, having risked his team's winning streak by opting to bowl first after winning the toss.
Australia captain Michael Clarke has declared himself fit to play England in the second Ashes test in Adelaide after suffering an injury scare when he rolled his ankle on Monday.
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".
'If a few words from the opposition trouble you,' S Sreesanth tells Harish Kotian/Rediff.com, 'then you shouldn't be playing international cricket.'
Unfazed by an aggressive Virat Kohli, Australian opener David Warner said the Indian is free to play the way he wishes and the ICC is there to manage if anybody crosses the line.
The speculation around the mood inside India's dressing room became a subject of ridicule for Australian skipper Steve Smith, who said the home team does not need to sedge the tourists as they are busy "whingeing among themselves".
Former Australian skipper Mark Taylor has come out and praised Virat Kohli for the way he marshalled the Indian team in the first Test here, saying the young batsman knows how to play cricket Down Under.
Australia rode on James Faulkner's brutal unbeaten 29-ball 64 to take Australia to thrilling 4-wicket win in Mohali on Saturday.
Australia rode on James Faulkner's brutal unbeaten 29-ball 64 to take Australia to thrilling 4-wicket win in Mohali on Saturday.
Chris Rogers became the second oldest Australian to hit a maiden Test century as he led his team to 222 for five on the second day of the fourth Ashes Test against England in County Durham on Saturday.
Ian Bell joined an elite trio on Thursday with his third Ashes century in successive Tests after England had lost three cheap wickets on the opening day of the second Test against Australia at Lord's.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised Rohit Sharma, who has been in good form in the ODI cricket for the past two years, terming him as someone, who now knows the art of "building on good starts".
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon claimed seven wickets (7-152) to help the Aussies win the first Test at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
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.
Former skippers Ian Chappell and Mark Taylor feel next week's first Test between India and Australia in Brisbane should go ahead as it would help the cricketers and the fans to come out and share the mourning of the loss of Phillip Hughes.
Emotions were still too raw in the wake of the death of Phillip Hughes to make a decision on whether to go ahead with next week's first Test against India, Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said on Friday.
Despite the weeks of debate about the make-up of the Australia team for next week's first Ashes Test, captain Michael Clarke is of the opinion that 11 of the 12 players are "no-brainer" selections.
Steve Smith scored a brilliant century to help Australia knock out defending champions India and set up a mouth-watering final against neighbours New Zealand, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, on Thursday.
Moeen Ali, the England all-rounder, with a batting strike-rate of 82.1 and an economy rate of 4.2, was tops.
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