Australia's search for a successor to Shane Warne is yet to bear fruit nearly a decade after he retired, so Adam Zampa is naturally wary about comparisons with the leg-spinning great.
Virat Kohli might have come under sharp criticism from various quarters for his on-field aggressive behaviour but former Australia spinner Brad Hogg defended the India captain, saying the visiting team derives energy from him.
Australia captain more relieved than happy after his first win as Test captain
Images from Day 5 of the 3rd Ashes Test played at the WACA in Perth on Monday
It's still a good two years away, but Australia coach Justin Langer says he has started building a battle-hardened and mature squad that would be able to challenge a formidable-at-home India in the 2022 Test series.
'I think our bowlers' efforts were really good. If they can do the same thing tomorrow, get a couple edges first up, it could be totally different'
'We just let them off the hook there and probably didn't build pressure the way we wanted to.'
Ajinkya Rahane's India have a mountain to climb, even if a draw would be enough to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy two years after their breakthrough 2-1 win in the 2018/19 series in Australia.
Captain Steve Smith frustrated England with a fighting half-century and pushed Australia to 165 for four at the close of a see-sawing day two, rescuing the hosts after a top order collapse in the series-opening Ashes Test in Brisbane on Friday.
Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell may be rested from the first One-day international against Pakistan as the tourists recover from a stomach bug that has hit the team in the United Arab Emirates.
Kusal Mendis remained unbeaten on a match-high 86 to help Sri Lanka weather a wobbly morning and reach 116 for four at lunch on the third day of the bowler-dominated first Test against Australia on Thursday.
Babar Azam fell one run short of his maiden century as Pakistan set Australia a mammoth victory target of 538 on day three of the second and final Test.
Rohit has joined an upbeat Indian team for the last two matches and Lyon is aware of the threat the batsman can pose with his wide range of strokes.
'Whatever he does, it will be the right thing because he knows what lies ahead'
Opening the innings, Shubman Gill scored a 65-ball 45 on debut before he nicked an outswinger from Pat Cummins.
Member boards from England and Australia are open to the idea while BCCI boss Sourav Ganguly has said that 'it is too early' to talk about it.
Australia repelled a brief England fightback led by Alastair Cook and Ben Stokes to remain firmly in control of the second Ashes Test on the third day at Lord's on Saturday.
ICC's proposal to introduce four-day Tests has met with stiff opposition
Day 4 in the first Test was dominated by Australian performances. First, spinner Nathan Lyon bagged his sixth five-wicket haul as India were dismissed for 444 in the first innings. Then, opener David Warner continued in his sublime form and struck his second century of the match as the home side put up 290 for five in their second innings, an overall lead of 363 runs. Here are images from Friday's play at the Adelaide Oval.
Pakistan, who briefly topped the Test rankings last year, have now lost six straight Tests, one to West Indies in Sharjah, two in New Zealand and three in Australia.
'There's an innings to go and I'm looking forward to the entire Test series. It's a great opportunity for me.'
Younus Khan led Pakistan's fightback with a dogged century after the hosts made a terrible start to the first Test against Australia in Dubai on Wednesday. After opting to bat first, Pakistan put up 219 for four wickets at stumps on the first day, with captain Misbah-ul-haq (34) and Asad Shafiq (9) at the crease.
India will eye revenge for their defeat in one-day series as they meet fierce rivals Australia in three Twenty20 Internationals, starting on Tuesday, January 26 at Adelaide Oval. Games will also be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (January 29) and Sydney Cricket Ground (January 31). The matches will see some of the world's explosive batsmen in action, while the series is also tipped as a much-needed preparatory ground ahead of the crucial World T20 scheduled to be held in March in India.
Back in the Australian ODI fold after more than a year, off-spinner Nathan Lyon says he cannot wait to challenge the Indian batsmen in the fourth one-dayer in Canberra, a venue he knows inside out after being a part of Manuka Oval's ground staff. Life has come a full circle for the 28-year-old, whose work as a curator took him from Canberra to Adelaide, and he is looking forward to not only extend his eight-match ODI career but also make a foray on the international Twenty20 stage. "I have got the opportunity and I will perform. I am very grateful and thankful to the selectors for giving me the opportunity, but I am just looking to go out there and hopefully keep winning games for Australia," Lyon told reporters. "I am feeling confident. I have enjoyed my time at the Sydney Sixes. I had some good performances there. As a team we didn't do too well, but I was pretty happy personally with the way the ball was getting off the hand.
Australia coach Darren Lehmann has turned the blowtorch on Nathan Lyon, saying the spinner had not "delivered" in second innings spells to drive the Test team to victory.
Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis were left out of the Australia squad for next month's limited overs tour of India while Labuschagne comes into the squad on the back of some fine form in Test cricket.
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.
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.
India would eye nothing less than a clean sweep when they take on an Australian side significantly weakened by injury blows, in the third and final T20 International, in Sydney, on Tuesday.
The Decision Review System was again mired in controversy on Saturday (November 28) during the second day's play between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide after Nathan Lyon was controversially given a reprieve off an appeal for a catch despite HotSpot clearly indicating an edge.
'Last night we talked quite heavily about the day, more because we thought it was a really disappointing day and we just wanted to get our point across'
Travis Head, D' Arcy Short and Chris Lynn have been dropped, while the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have been rested.
'They have got so much talent. And in the last 10 years when they have not been playing home Test matches (for security reasons), they have done a remarkable job to be as competitive as they have and continue to bring on the level of talented players they have.'
'It's a long series, our bowlers have had a really big workload and we feel we're going to need Mitch's bowling at some point.'
Brad Haddin equalled the record for most dismissals in a Test innings by an Australian wicketkeeper during India's first innings score of 408 in the ongoing second cricket Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday.
Since the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, Australia's on-field histrionics had been toned down under the leadership of the wicketkeeper-captain.
'We've tried to bounce Pujara, we've tried wide of the stumps, we've tried at the stumps, Nathan Lyon's been over and around ... and he's been too good for us'
Paceman Mitchell Starc retains his place in the side despite what was perceived to be a sub-par performance in Adelaide, and will be looking for a strong performance in conditions which are expected to favour his skills at the new Perth Stadium.
Virat Kohli is the quickest among all subcontinent players to score 1,000 runs in Australia. Rajneesh Gupta has all the numbers.
India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is confident that senior spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be able to change their style of bowling that suits South African pitches during their upcoming tour, starting on January 5.
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