Australia has a massive psychological advantage heading into Brisbane, with a Travis Head hitting exhibition knocking out England clean in two days at Optus Stadium in Perth, as the left-hander's 83-ball 123 helped them chase down 205 runs in a low-scoring contest dominated by pacers.
Joe Root faced a left-handed thrower during England's first training session at The Gabba in Brisbane, ahead of the second Ashes Test, a pink-ball match, as he worked on strategies to counter Australia's Mitchell Starc, who has frequently troubled the England batter, according to ESPNcricinf
Veteran Indian opener Rohit Sharma has returned to the No. 1 spot in the latest ICC ODI batting rankings ahead of the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting November 30 in Ranchi.
The pink-ball Test has historically favoured the pacers. During the first Ashes Test at Perth, Lyon bowled just two overs for 10 runs and went wicketless while Mitchell Starc, Brendan Doggett and Scott Boland wreaked havoc on England on what was a bouncy, extremely fast surface at the Optus
The 35-year-old Mitchell Starc's recent mastery of the wobble seam delivery, which relies more on purchase from the pitch than movement through the air, has helped him a lot during the opening Test against England in Perth, which the hosts won by eight wickets.
Australian skipper Steve Smith praised Mitchell Starc's "incredible" seven-wicket haul against England in the first innings of the Ashes opening fixture in Perth, calling the left-arm pacer's performance "incredible".
Australia's opening batter Travis Head described the past two days of the first Ashes Test as "unbelievable" with emotions running high and praised England's resilience, but emphasised the importance of seizing the opportunity.
Australia's star opening batter Travis Head smashed the second-fastest century in Ashes history, reaching 100 in just 69 balls on Day 2 of the first Test against England in Perth on Saturday.
After taking a devastating 7/58 in the first innings, the best-ever bowling figures at the Optus Stadium, Starc started from where he had left, dismissing Zak Crawley for another duck with a brilliant one-handed grab, showcasing his remarkable athleticism in his mid 30s. He also managed to g