Sitharaman has completed just 19 days as defence minister and is also pre-occupied with the Gujarat assembly election, notes Ajai Shukla.

Australia skipper Steve Smith has described Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as the best death bowlers around. His assessment came after Australia suffered a five-wicket defeat to India in the third One-Day International between the teams in Indore on Sunday.

Following his consistent performances, Pandya is expected to carry the weight of expectations like other star players of the team

Indian captain Virat Kohli, day said head coach Ravi Shastri was the brain behind promoting all-rounder Hardik Pandya up the order, which eventually paid rich dividends for the home side in the series-clinching five-wicket win over Australia in the third One-day International in Indore.

Chasing 294 for victory on a batting pitch, Hardik Pandya (78 off 72) and Manish Pandey (36 off 32) took India to the finish line after Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane had laid the platform for the victory with a 139-run opening stand.

A confident India will look to pile the misery on the a struggling Australia and seal the five-match series when the teams clash in the third One-Day International, in Indore, on Sunday.

'The only way in that scenario would have been a bat-pad opportunity. There was a slip in place so I chose the wrong 'un'

Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly led the applause for Kuldeep Yadav after his match-winning hat-trick against Australia in the second One-Day International at the Eden Gardens, in Kolkata, on Thursday.

Yadav had also picked a hat-trick in the U-19 World Cup against Scotland in the 2014 edition of the tournament, becoming the first Indian to achieve the feat in the competition.

Captain Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane struck sublime half-centuries before Australia staged a strong fightback to bowl India out for 252 in the second One-Day International, in Kolkata, on Thursday.

The Australians are struggling against India's new spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal and the hosts would like to ensure that it doesn't get any easy as the series progresses.

Virat Kohli's Indian team will be aiming for another comprehensive show against a depleted Australia when the two sides square-off in the opening encounter of the five-match series, in Chennai, on Saturday.

Will Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa both play the 1st ODI in Chennai on Sunday?

Australia's left-arm spinner Ashton Agar on Friday said wrist spinners will have a big role to play in the five-match ODI series against India starting on Sunday.

India's batting line-up poses a 'big threat' and Australia need to score huge runs to counter the hosts during the five-match ODI series beginning on September 17, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis said on Tuesday.

Australia warmed up for the limited-overs series against India in style by crushing Board President's (BP) XI by 103 runs in the lone practice match, in Chennai, on Tuesday.

Here are different scenarios depending on how the series pans out

The Australians, led by Steve Smith, arrived in Chennai from Bangladesh after drawing a two-Test series and the match tomorrow would give them opportunity to at least switch to the One-day format.

After heavy rain washed out more than a session of the day's play, Australia eclipsed Bangladesh's first innings total of 305 by tea before the hosts retaliated in the final session to reduce the tourists to 377-9.

David Warner made 88 not out and featured in two significant partnerships to lead Australia's robust reply to Bangladesh's first-innings total of 305 in the second and final Test on Tuesday.

Captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Sabbir Rahman shared a century stand to help Bangladesh fight back from Nathan Lyon's five-wicket haul and lead the hosts to 253 for six on the opening day of the second and final Test against Australia on Monday.

An Australia team that stared down the hardened bureaucrats and faceless money men of the nation's cricket board to strike a huge win in pay negotiations showed precious little unity when put under pressure by Bangladesh, the ninth-ranked Test team.

Bangladesh spun their way to a first Test victory over Australia on Wednesday, with Shakib Al Hasan's second five-wicket haul of the match securing a memorable 20-run win inside four days at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.

Shakib Al Hasan lit up his 50th test with all-round brilliance to help Bangladesh claim a handy first-innings lead over a listless Australia in the second Test on Monday.

Australia bowled out Bangladesh for 260 and then suffered a spectacular top-order collapse of their own to leave them reeling at 18 for three after the spin-dominated opening day of the first Test on Sunday.

All-rounder Cartwright gets call-up, recovering Starc still sidelined

These gals are laughing all the way the the bank!

Australia's Sally Pearson completed one of the great sporting comebacks when she overcame two years of injury agony to win the world 100 metres hurdles title at the age of 30.

Sebastian Vettel won a tense Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday in a Ferrari one-two that stretched his championship lead to 14 points after Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton sportingly surrendered third place to his teammate.

The US president's decision reverses the policy initially approved under Obama.

Defence Secretary Mattis said he cannot certify that Islamabad has taken 'sufficient actions' against the dreaded Haqqani terror network.

'If there's one administration that would be likely to put the squeeze on Pakistan, it's the Trump administration.' 'This is an administration that views terrorists as a black and white issue (kill them all, no questions asked), and will have little patience for Pakistan's selective policy toward terrorism.'

Australia have rested paceman Mitchell Starc and dropped left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe for the upcoming two-test series in Bangladesh, Cricket Australia said on Friday.

Indian captain Virat Kohli has been rendered a doubtful starter for the fourth and final cricket Test against Australia in Ranchi, a scenario that has put the hosts under immense pressure on the eve of the decider of the bitterly fought series.

Doval will meet US Defence Secretary James Mattis on March 24, Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis told reporters, adding that they are likely to discuss a wide range of bilateral security issues and those related to the defence relationship.

The four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy is locked at 1-1 and the match at Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA), which is organising it's first-ever Test, is set to be a make-or-break affair for both teams.

'I think they're feeling the pressure a little bit to be honest'

Ashton Agar and Usman Khawaja are the other two names doing the rounds, as the visitors grapple with injury issues ahead of the third Test starting in Ranchi on Thursday.

All-rounder Marcus Stoinis was called up for Australia's two remaining Tests in India on the strength of his bowling and previous performances in the region, interim chief selector Trevor Hohns said on Thursday.

Virat Kohli will face the toughest battle of his fledgling captaincy career when India take on a resurgent Australia in the second cricket Test.