Pakistan's Azhar Ali and Younus Khan forged a 120-run partnership to stall a rampant Australia on day two of the third and final Test in Sydney on Wednesday after a Peter Handscomb century had helped drive the hosts to 538 for eight declared.
David Warner hit a record century inside one session and his fellow opener Matt Renshaw a maiden hundred over three as Australia reached 365 for three at close of play on the opening day of the third Test against Pakistan on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old Renshaw has averaged 36.64 from his 10 Tests in a positive start to his international career but has had a tough Shield campaign for Queensland, failing to surpass 20 runs in his four innings.
Tempers flared again in the ongoing battle between fierce rivals India and Australia with pacer Ishant Sharma and young opener Matt Renshaw getting involved in a heated exchange on day five of the third Test in Ranchi.
Steve Waugh wants Shaun Marsh to open alongside David Warner when Australia take on India.
The last session of play on Day 3 of the 2nd Test in Bengaluru gave India a slight edge over the Aussies. However, the DRS continues to rankle the Indians - Kohli once again failing to use the technology thoughtfully.
'It's an honour and privilege to be amongst the greats of the game. It wasn't something in the back of my mind to go out and score a 100 in a session. It was about going out there with intent and batting positive'
Usman Khawaja hit Australia's first century of the series and Peter Handscomb scored a half-century on debut as the hosts reached 307 for six with a lead of 48 at end of the second day of the day-night third Test against South Africa in Adelaide.
Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss and opted to bat against an Indian side missing their inspirational skipper Virat Kohli through injury in the fourth and final Test in Dharamsala on Saturday.
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.
Shakib Al Hasan lit up his 50th test with all-round brilliance to help Bangladesh claim a handy first-innings lead over a listless Australia in the second Test on Monday.
Young opener Matt Renshaw (60) and experienced Shaun Marsh (66) battled hard against the Indian spinners and their fighting half-centuries consolidated Australia's position in the match but Virat Kohli's captaincy left a lot to be desired.
26 Number of Tests Virat Kohli has captained India without ever playing the same XI in two consecutive matches.
Factbox on the four-Test series between India and Australia, which starts at Pune on Thursday:
Despite the pair making certain of selection, doubts remain in other areas of captain Tim Paine's team, with opener Matt Renshaw picking up a head injury after being struck by the ball during the tour game that ended on Tuesday.
Australian opener Matt Renshaw, became the talking point after he was forced to take a 'toilet break'.
Batsmen Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh were all dropped from the squad that lost a home Test series against India for the first time.
Australia batsman Usman Khawaja on Thursday hinted he could bat in the middle order in the upcoming four-Test series against India, starting in Adelaide on December 6.
It took a shoulder injury to Mitchell Marsh to enable Maxwell to return for his first Test in more than two years and the flamboyant all-rounder, nicknamed 'The Big Show', responded with a mature career-best Test knock, putting on a series-high 159 runs with skipper Steve Smith for the fifth wicket.
Australia's defeat in the home series against South Africa helped them galvanise, opening batsman David Warner said on Wednesday ahead of the second Test against India.
Virat Kohli will face the toughest battle of his fledgling captaincy career when India take on a resurgent Australia in the second cricket Test.
Australia have rested paceman Mitchell Starc and dropped left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe for the upcoming two-test series in Bangladesh, Cricket Australia said on Friday.
Australia must address their tendency to collapse before this year's Ashes series against England, skipper Steve Smith said after his team levelled their two-Test series against Bangladesh on Thursday.
David Warner made 88 not out and featured in two significant partnerships to lead Australia's robust reply to Bangladesh's first-innings total of 305 in the second and final Test on Tuesday.
Earlier, Nathan Lyon kept Australia in the contest, claiming six for 82 to help bowl out Bangladesh for 221 after the hosts had resumed on 45 for one.
Australia bowled out Bangladesh for 260 and then suffered a spectacular top-order collapse of their own to leave them reeling at 18 for three after the spin-dominated opening day of the first Test on Sunday.
Australia pick two uncapped players for first two Tests
An aggressive opening batsman in limited overs cricket, Aaron Finch said he is unsure what role he would be asked to play in the Tests against Pakistan in the UAE, if selected.
Nathan Lyon claimed six for 60 to bowl Australia to an emphatic series-equalling seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the second and final Test on Thursday.
Indian captain Virat Kohli has been rendered a doubtful starter for the fourth and final cricket Test against Australia in Ranchi, a scenario that has put the hosts under immense pressure on the eve of the decider of the bitterly fought series.
Delhi medium pacer Navdeep Saini, who picked up the wicket of Australian swashbuckler David Warner early in the warm-up game for India 'A', said it was a special feeling to get the feisty opener out with a bouncer.
Young batsman Shreyas Iyer pounded the Australian bowlers with his career-best unbeaten 202 before the three-day warm-up game between India A and the visitors ended in a draw, in Mumbai, on Sunday.
The selection of opener Cameron Bancroft, wicketkeeper Tim Paine and number six Shaun Marsh all looked to have backfired early in the series-opener but all three finished strongly in Brisbane to help Australia to victory and boost their confidence ahead of the second test in Adelaide starting on Saturday.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the fourth Test between South Africa and Australia in Johannesburg on Monday
Opener Aiden Markram led the way with a career-best 152 as South Africa had the better of the opening day of the fourth Test against a much-changed Australia, reaching the close on 313 for six on Friday.
'That will come, it will turn around. I just have to keep being disciplined and making sure that my preparation is still the same -- not change anything, and just go about my business as I do'
Australia skipper Steve Smith said Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh lived up to his expectations after the middle order batsmen scripted the team's great escape in the drawn third Test against India on Monday.
Steve Smith struck his sixth century against India and found an able ally in Glenn Maxwell as Australia reached 299 for 4 on the opening day of the 3rd Test in Ranchi. Here are the statistical highlights from the 1st day's play.
Wicket-keeping great Ian Healy says he is 'losing respect' for Indian captain Virat Kohli.
Australia's hopes of winning back respect and moving on from a ball-tampering scandal that plunged the team into disgrace face their first test on Sunday when Tim Paine's rebuilding side meet Pakistan in the series-opener in Dubai.
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