Allrounder Shane Watson has been ruled out of the first Test against South Africa with a calf strain in a huge blow for Australia's hopes of upsetting the top-ranked visitors.
Australia paceman Peter Siddle has wasted little time throwing a psychological dagger at India's stand-in skipper Virat Kohli, saying the batsman could expect a harsh reception from players and fans on tour Down Under.
Australia will be without five players for next week's first Test against New Zealand after they failed to overcome injuries, Cricket Australia said, on Friday.
'I couldn't even hold my bat, but I still wanted to carry on batting despite the amount of pain because me staying there was important for the team.' 'It was tough, but if you want to win matches for your team, if you want to contribute, then you will have to overcome such challenges.'
England all-rounder Moeen Ali is a doubt for the second Ashes Test against Australia as he struggles to recover from a cut on his index finger, captain Joe Root said.
Australia is set to play two day-night Tests against South Africa and Pakistan next southern summer in a revamp of home international scheduling, according to reports.
After a stellar day with the bat and in the field on Sunday, South Africa's Jacques Kallis declared himself fit and ready to play his part with the ball in the last two days of the first Test against Australia.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday backed the team's rotation policy in the top order, saying the top three batsmen were not playing each game because they are slow on the field.
Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson has admitted that he considered calling it quits after four of his closest teammates retired from the Test arena following the team's failure to retain the Ashes series against England.
Shaun Marsh will replace injured Australia captain Michael Clarke for the second Test match against India, starting at Brisbane from December 17, Cricket Australia said on Saturday.
Given the resounding success of their pacers against the Indian batting line up, Australia are expected to play four fast bowlers in the Perth Test by drafting quick Ryan Harris into the playing XI.
Lasith Malinga has been taken to the cleaners for the second time in three games, but skipper Mahela Jayawardene backed the express bowler after his eight overs cost Sri Lanka 74 runs in the first final of the tri-series in Brisbane.
New Zealand's hopes of recording their first victory over Australia in almost 20 years have been boosted after a raft of injuries forced their trans-Tasman neighbours to pick a rookie trio of pace bowlers and an opener untried in Test cricket.
India are grappling with a selection dilemma and a prolonged form slump of their batsmen as they go into the crucial tri-series match against Sri Lanka in Brisbane without the services of their in-form captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Ben Hilfenhaus took five wickets as Australia's pacemen ripped through India's top order to secure an emphatic 110-run victory in the one-day Tri-series on a steamy night at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday.
India have set an aggressive tone to the ongoing four-match Test series.
Injured pacer Harris sidelined; Siddle dropped.
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.
Australia flew pacer Ryan Harris to Sydney to join his teammates rather than letting him play for Brisbane Heat in Friday's Big Bash match at the Gabba.
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has revealed that he will quit all forms of competitive cricket after the end of the Big Bash Twenty20 tournament to draw curtains on his illustrious career spanning 20 years.
Australia are likely to start the second Test against New Zealand unchanged after uncapped all rounder Dan Christian was added to the squad in place of injured 12th man Ben Cutting on Monday.
Explosive opening batsman David Warner is set to earn his first Test cap after he was named in the Australia squad, on Saturday, to face New Zealand in the first Test starting at the Gabba in Brisbane, on Thursday.
Ahead of their departure, the skipper shared a picture on Twitter and captioned it as: "Next stop, New Zealand."
West Indies captain Jason Holder will miss the third and final Test against England after being banned by the International Cricket Council because of his team's slow over rate during the second match in Antigua.
'He knows that cricket has given him an identity without which nobody will care about who Shardul Thakur is.'
When he had Jonny Bairstow (5) caught behind on the second day of the third Test at Edgbaston, the 33-year-old reached the milestone, in what is his 69th Test.
Left arm quick Mitchell Starc will replace injured seamer Mitchell Johnson in Australia's lineup for the fourth and final dead rubber Test against India starting on Tuesday.
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur heaped lavish praise on his batsman Asad Shafiq and also compared him with India's legend Sachin Tendulkar. Shafiq, 30, posted a crucial century in the fourth Test against England at The Oval, a result that secured Pakistan a historic 2-2 draw and catapulted them to the top of the ICC's rankings for the first time. Arthur, who has coached Australia and South Africa in the past, has called Shafiq Pakistan's best batsman and said that the diminutive right-hander is so technically correct that he reminds him of Tendulkar.
Williamson's departure for 59 helped reduce New Zealand to 142 for three at the break -- 361 runs in arrears -- but a rain storm wiped out the final session and ensured the match would go into a fifth day.
Australia's Josh Hazlewood is a 'genius' with line and length and will have no trouble being ready for next week's Ashes opener against England
England march into the second battle of their Ashes campaign at another bastion of Australian cricket on Friday buoyed by the knowledge they have already spiked one of the enemy's big guns.
England must keep their feet firmly on the ground despite having effectively batted Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson out of the Ashes series, skipper Andrew Strauss said on Thursday.
Blame, not credit, was the bitter medicine required after England saved the first Ashes Test at the Gabba with a record-breaking second innings, Australia's media decreed on Tuesday.
Australia have named Michael Clarke in a 12-man squad for the first Test against India starting in Brisbane next week, but the hamstrung captain must prove his fitness in a tour match starting on Friday.
Burns, who had scored the last of his three Test hundreds against New Zealand in early 2016, was batting on 107, the first century by an Australian batsman since Usman Khawaja's 141 in the drawn Dubai Test against Pakistan last October.
England are relishing the prospect of ending Australia's 22-year unbeaten run at the Gabba in the first Ashes Test to make the best possible start to their campaign to retain the urn, captain Andrew Strauss said.
Australia wrapped up a morale-boosting one-day series victory over England with two games to spare after a 51-run win in the fifth match at the Gabba on Sunday.
Australia wrapped up a morale-boosting one-day series victory over England with two games to spare after a 51-run win in the fifth match at the Gabba on Sunday.
A bellicose Mike Hussey hit 81 not out to lead Australia to 220 for five when play was abandoned early on the second day of the first Ashes Test against England on Friday.
Australian middle-order batsman Michael Hussey led a counter-attack for the home team after England dominated the second session of Day 2 of the opening Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances