The Sydney wicket for the fifth Test has been in the spotlight after the pitch for the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground recieved an unsatisfactory rating from the International Cricket Council (ICC) after England won the fourth Test in Melbourne by four wickets inside two days
Cricket Australia have announced a spin-heavy provisional squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in Sri Lanka and India on Monday. Veteran all-rounder Mitchell Marsh will lead the 15-member squad in the showpiece tournament.
The 22-year-old made his Test debut for England against New Zealand at the Christchurch Test in November 2024. Since then, Bethell has played five matches and 10 innings, scoring 312 runs at an average of 34.66. The England youngster has notched up three half-centuries.
Veteran Australian pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, are expected to be named in the provisional squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup despite injury worries, as per the ICC website.
The Ben Stokes-led England registered a memorable four-wicket win against Australia in the fourth Test on Saturday. The visitors registered their first victory on the tour as the five-match series now stands at 3-1, with Australia already having pocketed the Ashes.
Ahead of the fourth Ashes Test against England, Australia's stand-in captain has opened up about the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) surface, saying that the pitch will offer a lot to the fast bowlers.
Australia star batter Marnus Labuschagne has heaped praise on his teammates after the hosts retained the Ashes after an emphatic 82-run win against the Ben Stokes-led England in Adelaide, which helped the Aussies to take an unbeaten 3-0 lead in the ongoing five-match series.
ECB is investigating for verification of a video appearing to show England opener Duckett drunk and struggling to find his way back to the team hotel during the team's break to Noosa following a thumping loss in the second Test at Brisbane.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced its playing XI for the fourth Ashes Test against Australia on Wednesday. The fourth match of the five-match series will be the Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, starting on December 26.
On Tuesday morning, it was confirmed, as Cummins had flagged after Adelaide, that he would sit out in the fourth Test against England. Australia Head coach Andrew McDonald said a few hours later that Cummins' series was over after one appearance, which helped secure the Ashes.
Right-arm speedster Jhye Richardson is eyeing a comeback in Australia's squad for the upcoming Boxing Day Test in Melbourne against England following a successful recovery from shoulder surgery, according to ESPNcricinfo.
"That dream that we came here with is now over, which is obviously incredibly disappointing. Everyone is obviously hurting and quite emotional about it. But we've got two more games to go, and that's where the focus needs to switch to now," Stokes said.