Anshul Gupta

India will be up against Australia in what promises to be a tough five-match Test series Down Under. India will be under pressure coming off a 3-0 series defeat at home and with the WTC points at stake, it's all-or-nothing time for the visitors and hence have picked a jumbo squad for the same.

India will be playing only their second Test match at the Optus Stadium in Perth and don't have good memories from the 2018 fixture when Australia won comfortably. The visitors are coming off a 3-0 hammering at home and will be without three of their first-choice players for the opening game.

Tilak Varma became only the fifth batter in T20I history to smash consecutive centuries in the format as he ended the four-match series against South Africa with 280 runs. Sanju Samson, the other big gainer for India, also scored a couple of centuries in the series.

IPL 2025 mega auction is scheduled for November 24 and 25 in Jeddah. Even though its timing doesn't clash with the first Test between India and Australia in Perth, however, a few former cricketers are involved with the IPL teams as well as the Test series as coaches or commentators.

Ishant Sharma, who last played a first-class game in February earlier this year, is set to return to domestic cricket after being picked in the jumbo 24-member squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Ayush Badoni will continue to lead the side after taking over the reigns from Himmat Singh in Ranji.

This was Sri Lanka's third consecutive ODI series win at home this year having beaten India and West Indies previously. New Zealand had their moments in the series, especially in the second game, however, they dearly missed a few of their first-choice players.

India picked three uncapped players in the Test squad for the Australia tour but there are a few regulars as well, who are yet to play the longest format of the game against the World Test Champions. Take a look-

Hardik Pandya last played for Baroda in the 2018-19 season in the Ranji Trophy and his previous appearance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was in 2016. Baroda begin their campaign in the domestic T20 tournament against local rivals Gujarat on November 23 in Indore.

Rafael Nadal's legendary career came to an end after Spain's 1-2 defeat to the Netherlands in the Davis Cup finals. It was an emotional farewell for Nadal, who had had enough of his injuries and had already announced that Davis Cup at home will be his last international tournament.

Roger Federer poured his heart out for his 'old friend' Rafael Nadal ahead of his farewell tournament, Davis Cup. Federer called himself a fan before going on and on about how he challenged him as a player and that Nadal helped him reimagine his game.

With Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh retired and Nic Maddinson making a move over to the Sydney Thunder, the Melbourne Renegades have witnessed quite a few changes in the personnel and the Victorian all-rounder was the next in line to lead the side.

Nathan Lyon recalled an interesting anecdote from the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy that marked the emergence of Virat Kohli the captain and the batter in Australian conditions. Lyon vs Kohli could be the series-defining battle this time around as well.

Temba Bavuma passed the fitness test after recovering from an elbow injury that ruled him out of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Aiden Markram was retained despite the slump in form across formats while Senuran Muthusamy too stayed in the side after a good show in Bangladesh.

It was the first anniversary of the heartbreaking defeat of India in the World Cup 2023 final, after a scintillating campaign that saw the hosts win 10 matches in a row. Social media was flooded with reactions from fans on November 19, 2024 as for some it still hasn't sunk in.

Sri Lanka have already sealed the three-match ODI series taking a 2-0 unassailable lead and would want a whitewash against the New Zealand. After a 3-0 Test series win in India, the younger crop hasn't been able to impress in the white-ball setup for the Kiwis.

Rishabh Pant was one of the high-profile names released ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Pant has opened up for the first time after the retention announcement as he is set to go under the hammer for the first time in eight years. Pant is part of the first marquee list at the auction.

Shafali Verma, who last scored a half-century in ODIs in July 2022, was omitted from India's squad for the Australia series. Indian women will be going on a short tour of Australia for three 50-over matches, which would serve as an ideal preparation for next year's World Cup.