Mitchell Johnson took his match haul to 10 after claiming three South Africa wickets on Saturday as Australia reduced the hosts, facing a 482-run target for victory, to 132 for five in the first Test.
Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson feared being axed and struggled to cope with the pressure of playing at the Ashes before vice-captain Michael Clarke's advice and a bit of sledging turned things around for him.
Australia completed a crushing victory over England in the fourth Test on Sunday to level the Ashes series at 1-1 with one match to play.
England fast bowlers James Anderson and Graham Onions dismissed Australia for 263 on the second day of the third Ashes Test. England were 56 for one in reply at tea with captain Andrew Strauss on 33 and Ravi Bopara on 23.
India have set an aggressive tone to the ongoing four-match Test series.
Captain Ricky Ponting, his deputy Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Jason Gillespie and Cameron White are the Australians who have joined the IPL.
Skipper Steve Smith scored a controlled 133, Mitchell Johnson a game-changing 88 and Australia's tail wagged vigorously as the hosts barged their way back into the second Test against India on day three in Brisbane on Friday.
South Africa got off to a sedate start after Michael Clarke's sterling century and some spectacular rearguard action powered Australia to 445 in their first innings on day two of the third and final Test in Sydney on Sunday. In reply, South Africa lost Neil McKenzie (23) to Peter Siddle and Graeme Smith (30 retired hurt) to injury before reaching 125 for one at stumps.
Pacer Doug Bollinger and all-rounder Andrew McDonald will make their Test debut as Australia on Friday named one of its most inexperienced teams in decades for the third and final Test match against an unchanged South Africa, starting in Sydney on Saturday. Along with 27-year-old Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle, 24, McDonald and Bollinger will make up one of the youngest and the most inexperienced Australian pace attack.
Peter Siddle took three wickets to give Australia the upperhand as South Africa were reduced to 198 for seven at stumps on day two of the second Test at the MCG in Melbourne on Saturday. Captain Graeme Smith scored a fine 62 but kept losing wickets at regular intervals in reply to Australia's first innings score of 394.
The opening Test between Australia and South Africa at Perth is interestingly poised at the end of fourth day's play on Saturday.
Notwithstanding the 2-0 scoreline in favour of the home team, former Australian all-rounder Michael Bevan feels Indians have a good chance to bounce back in Melbourne in the third cricket Test, starting Friday.
Had legendary fast bowler Dennis Lillie not spotted him years ago at a cricket clinic in Queensland, Australian Mitchell Johnson says he would have ended up joining the army.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni revealed there was some 'unrest' in the dressing room before the start of fourth day's play in the second Test in Brisbane, on Saturday.
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.
Australia's bowlers struck at regular intervals to reduce India to 311 for 5 by close on Day 1 of the fourth and final Test in Nagpur on Thursday.
Mumbai Indians will be fretting over their team combination as they take on a marauding Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League encounter, in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has matched compatriot Ricky Ponting's feat of winning the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Cricketer of the Year award twice, the governing body said on Friday.
Breaking his silence on the on-field clash between Australia skipper Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee, coach Tim Nielsen said a poor over-rate wasn't the main reason the strike bowler was not used in the first session on the fourth day of the second Test in Mohali. It was, he says, also because they wanted to take pace off the ball.
With a new captain in place, Rising Pune Supergiants would look to make amends for a poor last season but have a tough opening battle at hand against two-time former champions Mumbai Indians.
After his second century in the CB tri-series, Gautam Gambhir leads the list of Most Valuable Players.
Australia will be counting on their pace attack, not spin, to beat India in their four-Test series that begins next month, chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said on Friday. Australia named the uncapped Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle in their 15-man squad to provide back-up to the front line trio of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson for the series.
Australia clinched a series win over South Africa and remained top of the world rankings after completing a crushing 175-run victory in the second Test on Tuesday.
South Africa were 138 for seven at the close of the second day of the second Test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Saturday.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith will miss the third and final Test against Australia after fracturing a finger, the team said on Saturday.
South Africa, chasing an improbable victory target of 454, were bowled out for 291 as Mitchell Johnson (4-112) and Peter Siddle (3-46) put Australia 1-0 up in a three-match series.
South Africa struggled to handle Australia's seam attack on a tricky Wanderers pitch, limping to 85 for three at the close of the second day of the first Test Friday.
India pacer Ishant Sharma, England's limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan and former Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson are among seven players who have listed themselves at the highest base price of Rs 2 crore (approx $298,000) for IPL-10 player auction.
Australia recorded its largest one-day victory over West Indies to claim a 5-0 sweep of their international series on Sunday.
Pacer Mitchell Johnson returns to the Australian team after a fortnight's rest for the third one-dayer against South Africa at the SCG on Friday. Johnson, who was rested after the 1-2 Test series loss against the Proteas, replaces Ben Hilfenhaus in the 12-man squad for the third match of the five-game series, which is locked 1-1.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul carried his bat for the third consecutive innings but once again lacked support from his team mates as West Indies were dismissed for 216 on the second day of the third Test on Friday.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith will be out of action for six weeks after he broke his left little finger on the second day of the third and final Test against Australia in Sydney on Sunday. Smith, who was set to miss the one-day series in Australia and fly home after the third Test to inject his own blood on his injured right elbow, was surprised by a Mitchell Johnson delivery and was struck on the knuckle on his little finger.
The two Aussie players allegedly incited the crowd during the seventh ODI in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Ricky Pointing struck an outstanding 158 as Australia dominated West Indies to finish at 301 for four on the opening day of the first Test.
Left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson's brilliant spell of bowling helped Australia make a strong comeback and seize the initiative by the end of Day 2 in the first Test against South Africa at the WACA in Perth on Thursday. Johnson registered his best figures in Test cricket as he claimed seven for 42 to leave South Africa reeling at 234 for 8 at close.
Michael Clarke's 130 saw Australia amass 307 for 7 before rain intervened and washed out the first ODI against India.
Mitchell Johnson claimed his maiden five-wicket haul as Australia beat New Zealand by 149 runs in the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday morning. Johnson finished with five wickets for 39 runs to claim his maiden five-wicket haul. His impressive match figures of 9 for 69 earned him the man-of-the-match award as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.
As the Australian bowlers worked on adjustments to catch up Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, pacer Mitchell Johnson has been identified as the front man to prepare the ball to extract reverse-swing early in the game.
Former captain Sunil Gavaskar says the Indian team has an advantage in the upcoming five-match ODI series against Australia as the home team's bowling attack looks thin in the absence of the 'Two Mitchells' -- Johnson and Starc.
India made two changes to their side with opener Virender Sehwag recalled for Praveen Kumar and S Sreesanth replacing Munaf Patel.
