Images from Day 1 of the fifth Test between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
Rohit Sharma has certain choices to make in the best interests of the Indian team heading into the fifth and final Test against Australia.
2024 saw some of the most competitive and captivating cricket being played on the field.
Will India drop Rohit for the Sydney Test and put Kohli on notice? Or will the team management grant the senior pros a final chance to redeem themselves?
Lavishing praise on young Sam Konstas, former opener David Warner has urged Australia's senior players to adopt a similar aggressive approach when facing Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah
'We just wanted to have that extra bit of cushion in the bowling.'
Images from Day 3 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the MCG on Saturday.
Nitish Kumar Reddy showcased his mettle on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Images from Day 2 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the MCG on Friday.
Virat Kohli booed by home fans after bumping shoulders with Konstas on the pitch after the 19-year-old smashed India's bowlers around the park early on.
Images from Day 1 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
Jasprit Bumrah has reached an impressive milestone in the ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, sitting at 904 rating points
Former coach Ravi Shastri has backed India to win the Boxing Day Test, saying the visitors have exploited Australia's "brittle" top order to have their "nose ahead" in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
Out-of-form skipper Rohit Sharma's batting position will be in focus against a dangerous Australia
Sunil Gavaskar has advised India's flamboyant wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant to "respect" the conditions before launching into his attacking strokes
'I wanted people to know me for who I am, because a lot of times, Ashwin's picking up a wicket and Virat Kohli is all over the place.'
'He's just jumping about, and people very often tend to believe that Ashwin's the one that's absolutely serious and Virat's the one that's having all the fun.'
Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal are in same boat; don't want to tamper their mindset: Rohit Sharma
Having a left-arm quick of Singh's calibre gives the bowling attack the much-needed heft and variety. It's like having another bow in Team India's quiver, notes Vishal Menon.
Shubman Gill has made far too many changes in his batting approach, which is hindering his run-scoring ability on away tours, feels former Australian captain Ricky Pointing
India captain Rohit Sharma has backed Virat Kohli to overcome his problems
Travis Head was a notable absentee in Australia's net session on Monday
The photo, captioned "Harrison's first smile," melted hearts across social media as fans celebrated the tender moment.
Kohli, Kohli.... the chants from 90,000 fervent fans still reverberate in the ear when you step into the fabled MCG, even two years after the former Indian skipper pulled off a stunning heist against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022.
'We all knew he was dangerous, but that first shot he played off Jasprit Bumrah, that cover drive, off the front foot.' 'It told me that this is a player in prime, prime form.'
India pace bowler Akash Deep played down concerns over skipper Rohit Sharma's knee injury in the build-up to the fourth Test against Australia this week after the batsman was hit during a practice session on Sunday.
In a video that surfaced on social media, Rahul was seen holding the right hand while receiving treatment.
Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has called for an improved performance from India's batting unit in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, saying the lack of runs from the top-order builds pressure on the lower-order.
Ravichandran Ashwin's wife Prithi Narayanan penned a heartfelt tribute for her husband following his recent retirement from international cricket, saying "it is time to set the burden of being you down" and embrace life beyond the game.
For Shastri, India's recent successes in Test cricket have often been defined by the stubbornness and resilience of the tail-enders.
Rookie Australia opener Nathan McSweeney admitted feeling "devastated" after being dropped for the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India, but vowed to work hard to reclaim his spot in the national team.
Michael Clarke feels the Australian selectors have erred by dropping Nathan McSweeney mid-series against India
Nathan McSweeney, who opened in the first three Tests with little success, has been dropped.
Just-retired R Ashwin's father Ravichandran kicked up a controversy on Thursday by claiming that "humiliation" could have been a reason for his son's decision to call it quits but the veteran off-spinner made light of the "dad comment", blaming it on lack of media training.
Ravichandran, father of veteran off-spinner Ashwin, said he was caught off guard by his son's sudden retirement from international cricket, but stunningly hinted that there could be underlying reasons for it, including him feeling "humiliated".
Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is "frustrated" by the timing of his injury after being ruled out of the remaining two Tests against India due to a right calf strain, sustained during the drawn third match at the Gabba.
'Maybe he got some indication from the team management that he is no longer in the scheme of things.'
India managed to keep the five-Test series level at 1-1 heading into the Boxing day Test in Melbourne, the fragility of their top order remains a major concern for the tourists.
Ashwin's legacy, marked by his intellect and dominance on the field, will resonate for years to come.
If one has to analyse Ashwin the cricketer, it is very difficult to ignore Ashwin, the person, who had a very independent mind and a brain that probably ticked 24x7. He believed in de-construction of his art and became craftier one ball at a time.
'Normally, you tend to look at the end of the series. That's it. In the middle, it is not usual.'
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