Sydney, Jan 6 (IANS) Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith raised his 37th Test hundred on Day 3 of the fifth and final Ashes match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and moved up in record books on Tuesday.Smith brought up his 100 after running three off a shot to fine leg off the bowling of Jocob Bethell. It made for great scenes at the SCG, a happy hunting ground, as he took off his helmet, raised his bat and soaked up all the applause. His wife in the crowd applauded him. He is currently …
Latest Ashes News & Updates
Sydney, Jan 4 (IANS) Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has mapped out his vision for the next Ashes battle in England in 2027, backing a largely familiar core after Australia comfortably retained the urn at home against England.Speaking on 7 Cricket, the 51-year-old made only minimal changes to the current Test setup, placing his faith in the experience and durability of senior campaigners Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon.Both endured injury setbacks during the ongoing 2025–26 Ashes, with Lyon…
Sydney, Jan 4 (IANS) Australia’s spin bowling coach, Daniel Vettori, has defended the side’s decision to field an all-seam attack in the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) but insisted that spin bowling remains very important in the longer format.With veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon sidelined by a hamstring injury, Australia opted not to select a frontline spinner for the Test match in Sydney, the first time since 1888. It’s also the third time Australia has fielded an all…
Sydney, Jan 3 (IANS) Australian stand-in captain Steve Smith is ready to relinquish captaincy to a younger candidate in the absence of captain Pat Cummins if that is what the selectors wish to do. With Usman Khawaja hanging up his cricket boots on Sunday after the Sydney Test, Nathan Lyon has already been ruled out due to injury. Smith will now be the oldest player in the Australian XI, side by side with Scott Boland. When asked about possibly being involved in the 2027 Ashes series in England, …
Sydney, Jan 2 (IANS) Retiring veteran batter Usman Khawaja has hit out at racial stereotypes in Australian cricket, claiming he has been treated differently across his career because of his race and religion.Khawaja, who was born in Pakistan and was the first Muslim to play Test cricket for Australia, in a 50-minute press conference at the SCG while announcing his international retirement, declared he wanted to make life easier for “the next Usman Khawaja”.The veteran batter said he is still…
Sydney, Jan 2 (IANS) Veteran Australia batter Usman Khawaja announced on Friday that he will retire from international cricket after the fifth Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground.Khawaja called a press conference and made the announcement with his family by his side two days out from the match, ahead of the team’s net session with the Aussies aiming to claim another 12 World Test Championship points and finish the series as 4-1 victors.“I’m here to announce today that I w…
Sydney, Jan 1 (IANS) Australia have named an unchanged squad from the Boxing Day Test for the upcoming final Test of the Ashes series, though conditions at the SCG could still prompt changes to the final XI. The match is set to begin on January 4 here at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The announcement was made on Thursday afternoon as the Australian team assembled in Sydney for their first training session following last week’s four-wicket defeat to England. The Melbourne Test ended inside two day…
Dubai, Dec 31 (IANS) Harry Brook’s gritty effort at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has reshaped the Test Rankings, as the England batter moved three places to be ranked second in the latest ICC rankings, while Mitchell Starc edged closer to India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s top spot following a standout bowling display throughout the series.Brook, who scored a total of 59 runs in a low-scoring match, has moved to second position. The 26-year-old English star has surpassed the Austral…
New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS) Australia opener Travis Head expressed hope that England and Australia will revive their tradition of meeting for a drink after the Ashes. This practice was somewhat disrupted in 2023 due to deteriorating relationships over the series. Australia currently lead the series 3-1 and have already secured victory, marking their fifth consecutive Ashes series victory and their ongoing hold on the urn.Relations between the two sides worsened significantly during the second Test …
Melbourne, Dec 29 (IANS) England’s batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell said his stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year helped him cope with the pressure of making his Ashes debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where England won by four wickets in a two-day game. Bethell, 22, came in for Ollie Pope and struck a composed 40 in England chasing down 175 to win the traditional Boxing Day match and end England’s 18-match winless streak in Tests in Australia. He was a member of the Roya…