Mitchell Johnson will be rested for the opening One-Day International against England to freshen up for the rest of the series, Australia coach Darren Lehmann said on Thursday.
Carlos Brathwaite shone briefly for West Indies but the rain was the only real winner on Monday as wet weather washed away all but 11.2 overs of play on the second day of the third Test against Australia.
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 thick gloom that has pervaded the West Indies lifted briefly on Monday as paceman Carlos Brathwaite struck a defiant half-century on debut and celebrated wildly upon taking his first wicket during the second Test against Australia.
West Indies were bowled out for 271 in their first innings after Australia pacer James Pattison ended Darren Bravo's stubborn resistance at tea on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday.
Australia have cut opening batsman Ed Cowan and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade from their list of 18 centrally-contracted players, but handed opener Phillip Hughes another chance to establish himself in the national set-up.
Josh Hazlewood had to wait a while for his Test debut but no one can accuse him of wasting his chance when it came after he became the 33rd Australian to take a five-wicket haul on debut in the second Test against India on Thursday.
David Warner and Shaun Marsh smashed fifties to complement their bowlers' efforts as Australia crushed England by seven wickets in the third one-day international in Sydney on Sunday to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
Australia's aim of regaining the top ranking in Test cricket has taken a major step forward following Monday's comprehensive victory over New Zealand in the opener of their two-match series, according to captain Steve Smith.
Phillip Hughes' tragic death came back to haunt Australia after star all-rounder Shane Watson was hit on the helmet by a vicious bouncer from pacer James Pattinson during their training session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
Australian captain Michael Clarke made his expected declaration overnight and then his bowlers worked their way through the South African batting line-up to dismiss them for 287 and claim an overall lead of 207 runs.
Former England captain David Gower has joined the list of critics who believe that controversial batsman Kevin Pietersen had allowed his ego to come before the needs of the team in England's 5-0 Ashes hammering by Australia.
The injuries and form aside, it was that famous fall-out with then captain Michael Clarke and coach Mickey Arthur that brought ignominy unto Watson.
Paceman Mitchell Johnson has been ruled out of the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh with a toe infection, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Sunday.
India, along with the mighty Australia, will start as title contenders in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Dark sunglasses were the order of the day for Australia's triumphant cricket team.
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.
West Indies have lost their last four Tests, two to Australia and two to Sri Lanka, and have not enjoyed a single win in Australia since the 1996-97 tour.
Centurion Michael Clarke played a true captain's innings as Australia shrugged off another umpiring controversy to produce an Ashes fightback and rack up 303 for three on the first day of the third Test on Thursday.
Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja reduced Australia's victory target to 131 runs with nine wickets in hand at the end of the fourth day of the second Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval on Tuesday.
Graeme Smith made three in his final Test innings as South Africa were slipping towards a heavy defeat at the close on the fourth day of the series-deciding third Test against Australia on Tuesday.
India and Australia play their opening T20 match In Ranchi on Saturday. And, although the visitors have added fresh faces to their squad for the three-match series, India are clearly the dominant side in this match-up.
But Smith believes the world champions have a quality squad to bounce back in the series.
Ian Bell and Stuart Broad shared an unbroken century partnership to lift England to 326 for six on a compelling third day of the first Ashes Test against Australia on Friday.
Number 11 Ashton Agar made an astonishing record 98 on debut as Australia seized control of the first Ashes Test against England on a wildly fluctuating second day at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Former captain Ian Chappell feels the Indian team will be quite a handful for World champions Australia in the upcoming One-Day International series but the hosts will still be the favourites to win the five-game series as the visitors are short of one specialist batsman.
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will be gunning for the No.1 spot in the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers as an interesting contest promises to develop with Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who wrested the top spot following a 10-wicket haul in the Lord's Test that ended on Sunday.
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.
England roared back in the final session following a feeble batting display as wickets tumbled on a dramatic opening day of the first Ashes Test against Australia at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.
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.
Aggressive off-spin bowling from Graeme Swann and indifferent Australian batting allowed England to seize control of the second Ashes Test at Lord's on Friday.
England were scenting victory after claiming three late wickets to reduce Australia to 174 for six on a fluctuating fourth day of the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
Injured Australia captain Michael Clarke will arrive in the United Arab Emirates five days ahead of the rest of the Test squad as he races to be fit for the two-match series against Pakistan.
India Test regulars like Cheteswar Pujara and Ishant Sharma have also thrown their hat into the ring with base prices of Rs 50 and Rs 75 lakh respectively.
Virat Kohli is a confident man ahead of his first match as India's Test captain. On the eve of the Indian squad's departure for Australia on Friday, he declared that his players are mentally ready to cope with whatever comes their way Down Under.
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