March 27, 2026 11:14 AM

BCCI snubs traditional venues for Border-Gavaskar Trophy

India will host Australia in a marquee five-match series early next year but several of the country's traditional test venues have not been selected to stage one of cricket's fiercest rivalries in this format of the game. Nagpur will host the first match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from January 21, followed by tests in Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi and Ahmedabad, the Indian cricket board said on Thursday. Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru were not allotted matches despite being established test cent...

February 24, 2026 4:05 PM

Australia’s Test team to play in Cape Town for first time since ‘Sandpaper-gate’

Australia's test team will return to Cape Town for the first time since the 2018 'Sandpaper-gate' ball-tampering scandal when they meet South Africa in the final fixture of a three-match series from October 27. Though having played white-ball games in South Africa, Australia have not toured the nation for a test series since the scandal at Newlands which resulted in long bans for Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. Warner has retired from international cricket and Bancroft has not ...

February 24, 2026 4:03 PM

South Africa confirm fixtures for England, Australia Test tours

World champions South Africa have confirmed home test series against England, Australia and Bangladesh in their 2026/27 summer season, but a proposed Twenty20 series against the English has been postponed. Australia will visit South Africa for three tests starting on October 9 in Durban, their first five-day cricket in the country since the infamous 2018 series when then captain Steve Smith admitted the side had used sandpaper to tamper with the ball. They will also play tests in Gqeberha and ...

January 5, 2026 4:46 PM

Joe Root says offering thanks, not bidding farewell, after Sydney century

England's Joe Root paused as he left the field to salute all four corners of the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday after making a fine 160 in the fifth Ashes test, but the 35-year-old does not want to consider if this is his final bow in Australia. Root showed all of his qualities of composure, technique, timing and patience to compile his second century of this series having headed out to Australia never having made three figures in the country. Asked about his gesture to the crowd after he was...

January 5, 2026 4:44 PM

Ashes 5th Test: Root ton fires England before Head strikes back for Australia

Joe Root contributed a magnificent 160 to England's first-innings tally of 384 but Travis Head drove Australia to 166 for two in response on the second day of the fifth and final Ashes test on Monday. England's hopes of winning the urn are long gone after defeats in the first three tests of the series but they continued to show the spirit, lacking in previous beaten touring sides, that was evident in their victory in Melbourne last week. Until Australia took the second new ball, Root looked in...

January 4, 2026 4:23 PM

Ashes: Harry Brook finally shows the patience and control his critics have demanded

England batsman Harry Brook struck his highest score of the Ashes series on Sunday, ending the first day of the fifth test on 78 not out after showing the kind of patience and discipline that he has too often lacked on a disappointing tour. Brook still rode his luck at times, particularly when he was tempted into pull shots by Australia's short-pitched bowling, but his 154-run partnership with fellow Yorkshireman Joe Root left England in a good position at 211 for three when bad light and rain ...

January 4, 2026 12:58 PM

Ashes: Root, Brook lift England to 211/3 as bad weather forces early stumps on Day 1 at SCG

England enjoyed one of their better days of the Ashes series on Sunday when a 154-run stand between Joe Root and Harry Brook drove them to 211 for three before the opening day of the fifth test was brought to a premature end at Sydney Cricket Ground. Play was stopped for bad light 20 minutes before tea with storm clouds threatening, and abandoned to boos from the remnants of the 49,574 crowd some 90 minutes before the scheduled close of play. At 3-1 down in what has been a mostly miserable ser...

December 26, 2025 4:42 PM

Ashes: Michael Neser savours dream Boxing Day debut on nightmare pitch for batters

After a four-wicket haul in front of a record Melbourne Cricket Ground and Australia's top score on a tough pitch, little wonder Michael Neser found day one of his maiden Boxing Day test a dream come true. The recalled seamer was dropped for the series-deciding third Ashes test in Adelaide but was back in action on Friday in front of a whopping crowd of 94,199 that saw 20 wickets tumble on a manic day one. Neser scored a vital 35 as Australia were skittled for 152 in the first innings, then to...

December 26, 2025 3:08 PM

Ashes: Batters run for cover on manic day one in fourth Test in Melbourne

Australia finished marginally on top at the end of a chaotic opening day of the fourth Ashes test after an extraordinary 20 wickets fell in front of a record crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. Australia nightwatchman Scott Boland was four not out with Travis Head yet to score as the hosts went to stumps at four for no loss in their second innings, carrying a 46-run lead over England. With England bowled out for 110 in reply to Australia's first innings 152, it was the highest num...

December 22, 2025 12:12 PM

Experience the key for Australia’s Ashes win: Mitchell Starc

The wealth of experience in Australia's ranks helped them remain calm in a difficult lead-up to the Ashes, fast bowler Mitchell Starc said after they defeated England on Sunday to win the series with two matches to spare. Australia wrapped up an 82-run win on day five of the third test in Adelaide to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series and retain the urn, putting an end to the criticism of the team's age profile that dominated the pre-Ashes discussion. Starc said it was Australia's kno...