India aim to seal series as Tilak Varma looks for quality batting time
Keeping a lid on emotion will be nearly as important as executing gameplans for both India and Australia when the world's top two teams continue their captivating series with the third Test in Ranchi on Thursday.
Adam Gilchrist has called upon the struggling Marnus Labuschagne to stop overthinking his approach and advised him to bat more freely in the second Test against India.
Soon after the BCCI banned the duo from the upcoming Indian Premier League, Smith and Warner were each hit with 12-month bans by the national body for their roles in ball-tampering scandal during the Cape Town Test against South Africa last month.
Captain Steve Smith raised a composed century to push Australia to a 22-run first innings lead in the second Test against Pakistan but the home side's hopes of pushing their advantage were washed away by rain on day four on Thursday.
'I had a good two months in India with the Indian Premier League and we are really excited about this tournament'
Kohli's reponse came via a cryptic Instagram Story and urged individuals to develop the ability to be disliked in order to free themselves from the influence of others' opinions.
Uncapped in T20Is, Fraser-McGurk was included in Australia's World Cup squad as a reserve player but never got a chance to shine on the global stage.
Captain Aaron Finch will lead an equally strong batting line-up also featuring the talents of David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell.
A concussed Smith was ruled out of the third Test, starting at Headingley on Thursday, after being struck in the neck by a vicious bouncer from England paceman Jofra Archer.
Rain is expected early on Tuesday before drier conditions and, with Australia requiring a further 174 runs and England needing seven wickets, a classic is brewing.
Australia are already without another regular all-rounder in Cameron Green, who was ruled out of the India series after opting to have surgery on a stress fracture in his lumbar spine.
Heading into the third and fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia will see a series of changes and Peter Handscomb discusses whether the side will benefit from the withdrawals.
Steve Smith and David Warner may wake with some relief on Thursday as they greet the final day of their ball-tampering bans
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan, in Brisbane, on Thursday.
How the world reacted to Smith, Bancroft and Lehmann
The Perth Test marks Bumrah's second stint as a stand-in captain, having also led his country against England in 2022, and he could not have been dealt a tougher hand.
After escaping a 39-run victory over Pakistan in the Gabba Test, Australian skipper Steve Smith on Monday said the "game was a bit close for his liking". The hosts struck Pakistan's last two wickets quickly to clinch win before tea on day five of the opening day and night Test of the three-match. "I've lost all my fingernails, I think," Smith was quoted as saying by news.com.au. "It was a bit too close for my liking. Some game of cricket wasn't it?"
'Not taking away any credit from India, but when they won in Australia, there is no doubt that Australian cricket was going through a turmoil and there were problems in their dressing room'.
'Any time Smith and Stoinis are there there's a chance. They are both quality players and given the opportunity, they would have taken the match closer.'
'The past few days I have found something ... I have found my hands which I am extremely excited about.'
Opener David Warner and all-rounder Mitch Marsh will be rested for the five-match Twenty20 International series against Sri Lanka next month to prepare for the upcoming tour of Pakistan.
Australia's Steve Smith, on Friday, felt Ajinkya Rahane will do a good job as skipper in the probable absence of Virat Kohli.
Talking to broadcasters after the India innings, Starc said he did not really visualise Jaiswal's dismissal.
Aaron Finch has been dumped as Australia's captain in the shorTest form of the game and replaced by Test skipper Steve Smith just a month before the start of the World Twenty20.
David Warner's lifetime leadership ban rescinded by Cricket Australia
It was the wicket-keeper's second Test and it must have been pure joy to be there at that glorious moment when victory was achieved.
The 37-year-old spat blood and was feeling his jaw before leaving the ground.
Former Australia captain Steve Waugh is annoyed in the manner a section of people are being critical of Michael Clarke's captaincy.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between South Africa and Australia in Durban on Thursday.
Australia captain Steve Smith shook off a sickening blow to the back of his head and notched up his 14th test century, earning the praise of his team mates and New Zealand opponents at the end of the second day of the second test on Sunday. Smith was on 78 shortly before tea when he was hit by a Neil Wagner bouncer and dropped to his knees, immediately prompting gasps from the crowd at Hagley Oval. Australia are still mindful of the death of their team mate Phillip Hughes, who was killed in late 2014 after being hit by a bouncer in a first class match, and fellow centurion Joe Burns said there was real concern when his captain dropped to the pitch. "It certainly always a concern when you see someone get hit in the head, it got him quite flush as well," Burns told reporters after Australia finished the second day on 363 for four, just seven runs adrift of New Zealand. "Fortunately the medical staff was out there very quickly, they gave him the all clear. Luckily the tea break was around the corner so he could sit down for 20 minutes and let the shock settle."
There seems to be no love lost between India and Australia players as visiting skipper Steve Smith, on Monday, appeared to have used cuss words against Murali Vijay after the home team opener claimed to have taken a catch that was deemed not clean.
'We had one hour of chaos there and that cost us that Test match when we'd played pretty good cricket. We came here and doubled down on what we'd set out to achieve at the start of the tour.'
After several losses in the early years of the new century, a resurgent India notched up two consecutive series wins in Australia to become the Aussies' nemesis.
Though Australia have dominated the rain-hit Test, time will most likely deny the hosts.
Former Australian captain Smith underwent an operation in January to repair a ligament in his right elbow while he was serving his 12-month international ban for ball tampering that ended last month.
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.
Finch is happy that both Smith and David Warner have done incredible work during their time off the field which is showing off
Virat Kohli may have stepped away from Test cricket, but he leaves behind a faster, leaner, hungrier Indian team.
