Joe Burns will bat at number six when he makes his debut for Australia in the third Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, starting on Friday. The 25-year-old, regarded as one Australia's most promising young batsmen, replaced injured all-rounder Mitch Marsh in one of two changes to the Australian team that won last week's second Test in Brisbane. Paceman Ryan Harris, who missed the second Test because of a thigh problem, returns at the expense of Mitchell Starc.
Kings XI Punjab spinner Axar Patel knows he can be predictable after a couple of seasons at the highest level and that is why he will be seen tossing up the odd ball during the upcoming IPL and not rely only on flatter deliveries. "You expect top batsmen to read you well after two three seasons at this level and that is why I felt the need to add more variety to my bowling. I am tossing up the odd ball in training but it doesn't mean I will only do that. I will continue bowling the flatters ones and try to mix it with the odd flighted ball," Patel told PTI from Mohali where he is training alongside his Kings XI Punjab teammates. The season starting on April 9 is crucial for Patel, who has been sidelined from the Indian team after the return of senior pro Ravindra Jadeja and another left-arm spinner Pawan Negi getting the selectors' nod over him for the recently concluded World T20. Though the 22-year-old was part of India's 50-over squad in Australia, he did not get a game and last played for the country in October. But the spinner, who is often criticised for not turning the ball enough, is not perturbed by the selectors' snub.
India cricketers' stance on the Decision Review System (DRS) seem to be softening with the national team director Ravi Shastri saying that the technology can be used in the event of "howlers".
Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of this week's third Test against India in Melbourne with uncapped batsman Joe Burns coming into the 13-man squad to replace him.
Kings XI Punjab owner Ness Wadia said the spot-fixing scandal that rocked the Indian Premier League last year has made a dent on brand IPL.
Injured pacer Harris sidelined; Siddle dropped.
Controversial England batsman Kevin Pietersen will be one of the first players to go under the hammer, along with senior India discards Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh, when the two-day auction for the cash-rich IPL commences in Bangalore on February 12. The initial list of 651 players was pruned to 514, including 219 capped players, by the IPL governing council.
Rediff.com recaptures these and other exciting sporting moments from the week gone by....
Statistical highlights from the day's play
With 10 points from 11 games, it is a must-win encounter for Dinesh Karthik and his men if they want to keep their play-off chances alive.
Steve Smith smashed a brilliant century to lead Australia to a series-clinching three-wicket win over South Africa in their fourth one-day international on Friday. Smith hit a career-best ODI total of 104 from 112 deliveries as the Australians passed South Africa's 267-8 with six balls to spare at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
South Africa paceman Morne Morkel thrived on a fast WACA pitch to capture five wickets but the tourists made hard work of a three-wicket victory over Australia in the second one-day international in Perth on Sunday.
Paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile took four wickets to fire Australia to a 32-run victory over South Africa in the first one-day international in Perth on Friday.
India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named captain of ICC's ODI Team of the Year, but none of the Indian players found berth in governing body's Test Team of the Year, led by Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews.
Virat Kohli is the lone Indian male cricketer to be shortlisted for the LG ICC Awards 2014 after he was nominated for the ODI Cricketer of the Year category.
Dhoni has turned back the clock with his last three innings, two of them half centuries, adding to the fine run of imposing all-rounder Shane Watson.
The players auctions for this year's IPL is scheduled for this weekend. Rajneesh Gupta looks at the players retained and released by the teams for IPL 2017.
England still blinking after perfect Ashes start.
Joe Root plundered a superb century to defy Australia as England recovered from a poor start to post 343 for seven on the first day of the first Ashes Test on Wednesday.
Factbox on the Ashes series between England and Australia played this century.
Sunday night's dramatic one-run victory in Abu Dhabi and the cancellation of the third ODI between India and the West ensured top billing for George Bailey's side as the race to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 heats up amongst some of the top-ranked sides.
'He's come off a second stress fracture in his back and while he's just starting to get up and running in the nets now -- I think he's played six white ball games in the last 18 months -- that's T20 and one-day cricket'
Australia's three most talented players made significant contributions to take their team to a 49-run victory in the deciding final one-dayer against England on a chilly evening at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Monday.
India's lower order put on a rock-solid show to help the hosts take a slender lead.
A struggling Kings XI Punjab will have to pull out all stops against in-form and unbeaten, Rajasthan Royals, when the two teams clash in an Indian Premier League match in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders would look to return to winning ways.
Batsmen have dominated Australia's series against New Zealand, but the pink ball and a green-tinged wicket should swing the balance of power back to the bowlers when Adelaide hosts Test cricket's inaugural day-night match.
Australia took the final seven wickets to dismiss New Zealand for 295 and win the first Test by 208 runs before lunch on the final day on Monday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Australian great Glenn McGrath says the handling of the 'homework gate' saga during the team's tour of India earlier this year was "pretty poor" and felt it "all blew up" in the middle of the 0-4 Test series drubbing.
After losing to New Zealand and taking just a point from their washed out match against Bangladesh, Australia probably need to beat Sri Lanka to ensure they finish in the top two in the pool and avoid India or South Africa in the last eight.
AB de Villiers reveals the worst sledging he's ever witnessed
Michael Clarke feels his fittest in five years for the World Cup clash against New Zealand.
A hostile crowd buoyed by New Zealand's perfect start to the World Cup is set to turn Eden Park into a bear pit for visiting Australia on Saturday, but all-rounder Shane Watson is "excited" by the prospect of a rancorous reception.
Rajneesh Gupta previews Game 6 in IPL 12: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab.
After making impressive debuts in their respective openers, Rising Pune Supergiants and GujaratLions will test each others' strengths when the two new entrants clash in the Indian Premier League (IPL), in Rajkot on Thursday. The two teams feature a lot of faces from the suspended Chennai Super Kings and at least six players, who played in the same side till last year, will now be in opposite camps. Close friends and CSK teammates Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina will now be devising strategies as rival captains. Both have admitted that playing in a jersey other than 'yellow' has been very "emotional" but have promised to give their all for their new teams. The Dhoni-led Pune Supergiants were very convincing and dominant when they handed defending champions Mumbai Indians a nine-wicket drubbing. They did not even require their middle order, packed with Dhoni himself and players such as Steven Smith, to come out with the top-order delivering it for them comfortably.
Batsman Shaun Marsh struck a fighting half-century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday to drive Australia to a commanding 326-run lead over India at the close of day four.
Shane Warne found himself at the centre of another one when he called pacer Mitchell Starc 'soft'.
The squad also sees the return of proven Test and one-day bowler James Pattinson, who joined Australia A in India after recovering from a string of injuries
Michael Clarke remained unbeaten on 161, one of the more heroic of his 27 Test hundreds, as Australia reached 494 for seven before rain brought an early tea on the second day of the series-deciding third Test against South Africa on Sunday.
Opting to field after Rohit Sharma won the toss, Mumbai bowled out Kolkata for a paltry 107 in 18.5 overs, and then chased down the target with 33 balls to spare at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
