'As a captain it makes my life a lot easier knowing you've got lots of settled players there.'
But the hosts will be a confident group as star batter Virat Kohli made a return to run-making ways after an all too brief blip.
Mitchell Starc keeps away from T20 leagues around the world, including the IPL, despite the handsome money on offer as he wants to be at his best playing for Australia.
South Africa's dream start to the World Test Championship final quickly turned into a nightmare at Lord's, as their batters failed to back up Kagiso Rabada's five-wicket masterclass.
Shreyas Iyer-led KKR crushed Sunrisers Hyderabad in Sunday's final by eight wickets to win their third IPL title.
Australia is on the cusp of scripting another milestone. If the Baggy Greens trounce the Proteas, they will become the first team to defend the WTC mace successfully.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals played in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Australia pace man Mitchell Starc said he still feels some discomfort in his finger after snapping a tendon in a fielding mishap in December but he expects to return to the side.
'Most expensive player in your team can't be your weak link.'
Pat Cummins captured the sentiment perfectly, calling this potentially the 'last chance' for fans Down Under to witness these legends in action. With both stalwarts set to be 39 and 40 respectively by the 2027 World Cup, every appearance carries added significance. Ro-Ko have been the heartbeat of Indian cricket for over 15 years. Their return brings an emotional lift to the team and raises expectations for the series against the world champions.
Both DC and LSG have 10 points and a win will keep them safely perched in the higher echelons of the points table ahead of the jostlers.
It was a frustrating day for the loyal crowd of 16,180 but perhaps more so for the home team, whose chances of forcing a result were progressively eroded.
Rahul played a scintillating knock of 77, with some eye-catching drives and peak Test match batting, before getting out to Mitchell Starc in the first session on Day 3.
Mukesh Kumar will be hoping that this dream IPL campaign can pave the way for his return to the Indian team. His control, clever variations, and mental resilience have made him one of Delhi's go-to bowlers this season.
DC's brilliant fielding turned the game in their favour, proving once again that catches win matches.
The Delhi Capitals will be looking to improve their batting performance in the middle overs when they face a struggling Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League match on Tuesday.
Josh Hazlewood has been a standout performer for RCB this season, claiming 18 wickets in 10 innings at an economy rate of 8.27.
The West Indies produced another dominant day with the ball against Australia and then survived a tense final hour Saturday to take the honours after the first day of the day-night third Test.
Australia carved out an 82-run lead over West Indies on day two of the first Test in Barbados on Thursday, with the hosts frustrated by several close umpiring calls that went against them.
Starc took 4-43 as Australia cruised to a 64-run victory at Lord's on Tuesday to qualify for the semi-finals
Australia paceman Mitchell Starc is being monitored by medical staff after being hit by a ball just above his knee during training ahead of their T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka, the team said on Thursday.
Currently, India leads the World Test Championships table with Australia in second place.
Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel would like to quickly forget the underwhelming performances of his side in home conditions and get their stuttering campaign back on track when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are teetering on the edge of elimination, in the IPL match in Hyderabad on Monday.
Across four Tests, Australia's fifth bowling option Marsh has bowled only 33 overs, a statistic that underscores his underutilisation. However, McDonald defended the all-rounder.
Former No. 1-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne will be pushed up in the order to open alongside Usman Khawaja.
Australia's preparations for the second Twenty20 international against India later on Sunday have been upset with fast bowler Mitchell Starc released for the remainder of the series on compassionate grounds.
With South Africa's seam attack featuring Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Marco Jansen and Australia having Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and the ever-dependable Josh Hazlewood in their lineup, the battle between the two sides' fast bowlers is likely to be critical in determining the outcome of the World Test Championship final, as per ICC website.
There were some magical moments in the field from both teams that brought fans and franchise owners to their feet.
An optimistic Mitchell Starc said he was hopeful of returning to Australia's playing eleven for the second Test against India, starting in Delhi on Friday.
Formidable India have their tails up as they head to the gargantuan MCG for the second T20I against Australia here on Friday, thanks to the influx of young talent and the return to form of skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
England were spared the ignominy of the follow-on but Australia appeared on course for victory after dominating day three of the day-night second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
Starc was bought by KKR ahead of IPL 2018 but an injury had ruled him out of that season.
For the penultimate over, Axar had the option to exercise Mitchell Starc's last over and Vipraj Nigam, who had bowled just a solitary over.
Mitchell Starc's first ball of the match was as good as Steve Harmison's was poor, a full yorker which went behind the legs of hapless England opener Rory Burns and swung into the base of his stumps
Cameron Green will change Australia's bowling dynamics for the upcoming five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy and may increase spinner Nathan Lyon's workload
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc was reprimanded for "exaggerated celebration" after dismissing batsman Murali Vijay in the ongoing fourth and final Test in Sydney.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has allowed pacer Mustafizur Rahman to play for IPL side Delhi Capitals for a limited duration of May 18 to 24.
West Indies' fearsome bowling attacks of old, Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph tore through Australia on Wednesday
Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc described Virat Kohli as a 'fantastic captain', having shared the dressing room with the India captain while representing Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.
The Indian team ramped up preparations for the Boxing Day Test by practicing on a fresh wicket on Tuesday at the MCG.
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