The 19-year-old Sam Konstas made an electrifying start to his international cricket career. The world took cognizance of his gutsy batting abilities when he made a dream debut against India in front of a full-house MCG and bashed the likes of Bumrah, Siraj, and Akash Deep to announce his arrival on the big stage.

But his blossoming career may soon encounter an unexpected halt as the Australian think tank is mulling over altering their opening combination ahead of the Sri Lanka Test series. 

See also: "Virat Kohli was very.." Sam Konstas praises Virat Kohli

Travis Head likely to open for Australia in the Sri Lanka Test series

As per reports from Yahoo Sports, the Australian management is reportedly eyeing to push Travis Head up the order and make him open the batting on subcontinent tracks. In his earlier tour to the subcontinent, Head performed poorly while batting in the middle order and recorded only 23 runs in three innings at a dismal average of 7.67.  The management believes that the 31-year-old is best suited to open the batting and dominate the new ball attack.

During the 2023 BGT Test tour to India, Head and Renshaw formed the opening combination when Warner got injured. In three innings, Head amassed 235 runs at an impressive average of 47 whilst marinating a commendable strike rate of 69. One of the most famous innings that he played on that tour at the top of the order was his counter-attacking 90* which helped Australia triumph in the Indore Test.

So what the future holds for young Konstas?

After a rollicking start to his international career, Konstas certainly comes across as a reliable opener instead of an out-of-sorts McSweeney who was axed mid-way through the series. But a drastic change in conditions in Sri Lanka will prompt the management to reconsider their opening combination before the start of the tour. 

Besides, Usman Khawaja is also likely to play a key role in helping Konstas adapt during the transition process. The Pakistani-born opener's place is highly valued in the side and his prior experience in subcontinent conditions will surely help the young Konstas shape his cricketer career a long way.

As the dust settled on the enthralling five-match Border Gavaskar Test series (2024-25), the ICC conducted an in-depth assessment of the pitches used in the series. Their pitch ratings were made public by the ICC on Wednesday with Optus Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Gabba, and the MCG, receiving a "very good" rating. The SCG on the other hand, was given the second-best category rating of "satisfactory". 

ICC's pitch rating model underwent a slight overhaul in 2023 and the number of ratings was slashed from six to four — very good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, and unfit. Test venues around the world are issued demerit points if they are deemed unsatisfactory or unfit ratings.

See also: Rohit and Kohli to play England Test series despite a horrid show in BGT: Reports

Peter Roach pleased with the quality of the pitches that were produced in the series

CA Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling Peter Roach was extremely delighted with the fact that the curators worked tirelessly to produce one of the best decks in world cricket. He expressed his gratitude and lauded them for not compromising on quality. At Cricket Australia, Roach strives to ensure that the pitches have the unique properties to make them stand out from the rest of the venues in the country.   

“We are delighted by the quality of pitches produced for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and grateful for all the hard work of the curators and venues across the country. We encourage pitches that bring out the unique characteristics of that venue and this has long been a feature of Australian cricket. We strongly believe that this is one of the reasons that Test cricket is so popular in Australia."

Furthermore, he also adds that the pitch is prepared in such a way as to ensure a balanced battle between the bat and the ball. Unlike the case with India, Pakistan, or any other subcontinent team, CA does not prioritize facilitating home advantage and have some of the most skillful curators with them who can operate in harsh weather conditions.    

“We don’t look to prepare wickets that favor the home side or suit our situation in a series. What we seek is a good contest between bat and ball and pitches that are likely to produce a result. Weather obviously plays a significant part in preparation and we know that even our most skilled curators are challenged at times by adverse weather.” 

SCG gets a "satisfactory" rating from the ICC

The SCG Test was the deciding Test of the series and the game ended in a little over three days with Australia winning triumphantly by six wickets. The pitch had an unusually high amount of grass covering which baffled several cricketing gurus which also included the likes of Allan Border and Sunny Gavaskar. Additionally, the pitch also offered a lot of variable bounce which made batting quite tricky at times. 

Nevertheless, the venue got away with a healthy "satisfactory" rating and Roach was once again pleased with what the venue had to offers in terms of pace and bounce.

“The SCG has been striving to bring out their unique characteristics of early pace and bounce before the pitch wears and spins. This year was a step in the right direction to achieving this which provided an exciting finish to the Border Gavaskar Trophy series and bodes well for the Ashes summer in 2025-26.” 

South Africa and Australia have booked their berth for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final which is scheduled to be held on June 11, 2025, at the Lord's Cricket Ground in the UK. While Australia have already made it to the summit once and conquered it too in the process, it is a grand occasion for South Africa as they look to make their maiden WTC final appearance. 

South Africa exceeded everyone's expectations by enduring a dominating run, both at home and overseas. South African head coach Shukri Conrad's presence helped the team immensely and ever since Bavuma took over the captaincy, South Africa went on a roll winning 10 out of 14 Tests whilst remaining undefeated.

See also: Usman Khawaja Praises Yashasvi Jaiswal After His Great Performance in BGT 2024-25

Rabada threatens Australia ahead of the WTC clash

It goes without saying that the WTC final clash between South Africa and Australia will be an absolute box office. The presence of world-class pacers and in-form batters on both sides will make the summit clash all the more enthralling to watch. 

One of the world's renowned pacers Kagiso Rabada will spearhead South Africa's bowling attack in the upcoming WTC final and has warned Cummins and his men to not take them lightly as they have already beaten them before.

“South Africa vs Australia has always been an intense rivalry. We play hard and they are going to come hard at us, and we know that. But we also know how to beat them.”

Throughout countless generations, the rivalry between South Africa and Australia has always been a closely-contested affair. Australia are currently the defending champions and they will leave no stone unturned to secure their second WTC title on the bounce.

How did the two teams make it to the WTC Final?

South Africa and Australia endured enormous hardship in their quest to fulfill their WTC final aspirations. In some instances, they also rode their luck to prevail during nervy times. But when it mattered the most, both teams gave it their all and brought their A-game to the fore to come on top.

South Africa needed one win against Pakistan to go through but a breezy run chase soon turned out to be a nightmare when they were reduced to 99-8 during the second innings at Centurion. Fortunately, Rabada and Jansen came to their rescue and helped South Africa get over the line by a slim margin of two wickets. 

Australia on the other hand, came on top in the recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy series despite being blown away in Perth. They successfully fended off a one-man army spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah and clinched the series 3-1 to power themselves to second straight WTC final.

The two-match Test series ended on a disappointing note for Pakistan. It was a show of brute force from South Africa as they rolled over the tourists and won the second Test by 10 wickets. However, after being skittled for 194 in the first innings, Pakistan stood tall and staged a gutsy fightback to keep themselves alive in the match. 

Shan Masood led from the front and opened the batting in the absence of Sam Ayub. His monumental contribution of 145 powered Pakistan to 478. His double-century plus opening stand with Babar helped Pakistan erase the deficit and make South Africa bat again, albeit for only a few overs. 

See also: Watson Believes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Will Shine in Champions Trophy Despite Test Struggles

Pakistan create history by surpassing a rare 136-year-long record

Pakistan re-wrote the record books following the conclusion of the second Test on Monday. After being asked to bat again, the visitors responded with a lot of character and posted 478 in the second innings to eke out a paltry 57 runs. The score of 478 is now the highest score by any visiting team in South Africa while following on in nearly 136 years. 

In the process, Pakistan also succeeded in breaking another record which stood since 1902. They become the first touring team to cross a total of 400 while following on in South Africa. The previous best follow-on record of 372-7 in Johannesburg belonged to Australia. However, the only record that remained intact was South Africa's follow-on total of 572 against England in Durban in 1999 which remains the highest-ever follow-on total recorded on South African soil. 

South Africa in the midst of a golden run in Test cricket

Fortunes for the South African cricket team changed drastically ever since Temba Bavuma took over the captaincy responsibilities. In this World Test Championship cycle, they've been victorious in eight out of 12 matches. The win against Pakistan in Cape Town marked their seventh consecutive Test win. 

The victory assured that South Africa will secure the top position in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings for the 2023-25 cycle, regardless of the outcomes of other matches. The Proteas are set to compete in their inaugural WTC final against the current champions, Australia, at Lord's in June.

After losing the Melbourne Test, India are in danger of losing their hope for qualification for the ICC World Test Championship Final for the ongoing cycle (2023-2025). The Melbourne Test defeat has raised the question of whether India have any more chance to reach the WTC Final for the third straight time.

If India drew the Melbourne Test, they could have a better chance to qualify for the upcoming WTC Final. As they suffered a defeat, India are in a tricky situation for the WTC Final qualification chance.

Australia are leading the five-match Test series Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 by 2-1 with the last Test yet to be played. Sydney will host the last Test of the series, starting on December 3. It will be the must-win game for India to only level the Test series by 2-2. 

See Also: Rohit Sharma on Rishabh Pant: Balancing Flair with Responsibility

WTC Final Qualification: Sydney Test will be the must-win game for India

Forget about losing the Sydney Test, India will be straight out of the WTC Final contention if they even draw the last Test of the series. In this case, India will have only 51.75 percentage points.

So, India must have to win the Sydney Test to only stay in the WTC Final contention. By winning the series decider, India will earn 55.26 percentage points. 

South Africa qualify for the WTC Final

By winning the thrilling home Test series opener against Pakistan, South Africa have already confirmed their place in the upcoming WTC Final. They already have 66.67 percentage points and can’t lose their place in the WTC Final even after losing the second or last Test of the series. 

Only Sydney Test draw result can be helpful for Sri Lanka

On the other hand, Sri Lanka are hoping for only a draw result in the Sydney Test, as the Lankans can only stay in contention for the WTC Final with that result. After the Sydney Test draw result, which will make India’s points percentage 51.75, Sri Lanka must have to win both of the two-match home Test series against Australia. Only these combined results will help Sri Lanka reach their maiden WTC Final, as Sri Lanka (53.85) will be slightly ahead of Australia (53.51) to grab second place in the percentage points table.

Sydney Test win will be enough for the defending champions Australia

In the meantime, a Sydney Test victory will be enough for the baggy greens to advance to the WTC Final, even if they then lose a 2-0 away Test series against Sri Lanka. In the case of a draw result in the Sydney Test, India will be out, and Sri Lanka will remain in the contest for the WTC Final, but the defending champions Australia will secure their place for their second consecutive WTC Final with only one draw result in the two-match Test series against the hosts Sri Lanka. 

India's only WTC Final qualification: Australia can't win a Test in Sri Lanka after losing Sydney Test

If Australia lose the Sydney Test, they need to win at least one Test in Sri Lanka. In Australia’s Sydney Test defeat scenario, if they lose both Tests or draw both Tests or lose a Test and draw the other Test in Sri Lanka, only India will advance to the WTC Final for the straight third time.

WTC Final

Lord's will host the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship Final from June 11, 2025. 

Former India cricketer turned commentator Parthiv Patel has devised a solution for India's underperforming batting unit down under. The Indian batting unit has come under fire following their dismal show against the Black Caps at home. Similar batting woes have resurfaced in the ongoing BGT tour with the majority of the top order not being amongst the runs.  

Time and again, India's batting has experienced collapses which ultimately resulted in a heavy defeat in the Adelaide pink-ball Test. By looking at all of this, Parthiv has come up with a word of advice for the team on how to overcome the challenge while at the same time highlighting the team's major problem while facing spin. 

See also: Australian Media’s Mind Games: Targeting Kohli, Jadeja, and Now Akash Deep Before Boxing Day Test

Parthiv has his say on India's catastrophic batting collapses

While acknowledging the obvious problem, the former Indian cricketer feels that the downfall may not be solely attributed to just brute aggression but urges the entire batting unit to bat sensibly and apply themselves to different conditions with maturity. 

"There is no doubt that collapses have occurred, especially in home series. We have seen collapses on rank-turner pitches against New Zealand. When we toured Australia, the collapses continued there."

"I do not believe this has happened due to extreme aggression. If we respect the traditional style of Test cricket and bat with discipline, these are the same batters who have previously performed well. Indian batters need to apply themselves more because they have the ability. If they bat with discipline, they can succeed anywhere." 

A view of India's batting struggles in recent past

In October, India's batting stooped to an all-time low when they were bowled out for a record-low of 46 against New Zealand in testing seaming conditions. The Indian batting lineup has faltered under both spinning and swinging conditions in recent months. They were unable to counter the challenges posed by Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner during the home series against New Zealand.

Presently, in the ongoing BGT Test series, the Indian batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been severely short of runs. While Kohli managed to get a few runs under his belt, the Indian skipper has only managed to score 19 runs in the space of four Test innings. 

According to emerging reports, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is believed to have injured himself while playing in the nets on Sunday, December 22. As per the latest report published by Times of India, Rohit suffered a blow to his left knee while facing a warm-up delivery from throwdown specialist Daya during India’s second practice session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ahead of the fourth Test.  

After that blow, Rohit carried on for a little bit before holding up to receive medical attention from the physio.

See also: The Escalating Tensions Between Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and the Australian Media

What did the report say?

The report suggests that the Indian skipper did not suffer a very serious injury. The physio has adopted all the necessary precautionary measures to prevent Rohit's injury from aggravating any further.

“The blow didn’t look that serious, and the physio is taking precautions to ensure swelling, if any, subsides. There is still some time left for the Boxing Day Test to begin, and Rohit would hope the pain goes away."

Moreover, the report also described how Rohit reacted after getting hit on his left knee. The 38-year-old reacted in pain after getting hit. He removed his gear and sat on a chair with his left foot extended on another chair. The physio then applied the ice pack on the affected area to which Rohit responded with a certain degree of unpleasure. 

“The Indian captain removed his gear, settled into a chair, and the physio got the ice pack out. There was pain visible on the right-hander’s face when the pack was put on, and the physio later placed the left leg on a chair to get Rohit into a comfortable position."

Rohit's ongoing struggles in the BGT 2024-25

Rohit missed the first Test due to the birth of his second child. But his return to the series has not been an inspiring one. The T20 World Cup-winning captain has been woefully out of touch in the red-ball arena and has averaged just 6.33 in three Test innings down under.

In a surprising turn of events, emerging reports claim that Virat Kohli is preparing to leave with his family and settle in London along with his wife Anushka Sharma, and their two children, daughter Vamika and son Akaay. This astonishing revelation was made public by his childhood coach Rajkumar in an interview with the Hindi newspaper Dainik Jagran.  

The Indian legend is currently with the Indian Test squad for the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy (2024-25) tour but his frequent holiday visits to London have fueled rumors of a possible re-settlement plan. Kohli's possibility of settling with his family in the UK seems highly probable and the very possibility was confirmed by Rajkumar during his recent discussion with Dainik Jagran.

See also: Major shake-up in the Australian squad ahead of the Boxing Day Test

More about Kohli's desire to settle in London

Following the birth of his second child Akaay on February 15, Kohli's bond with London took a whole new shape. London, being the birthplace of Akaay holds a special place in Kohli's heart. After the birth of his son, Kohli made his return to India to play for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Subsequently, he played an instrumental role in India's victory at the T20 World Cup, which took place in the USA and the West Indies.

Over the course of the past few months, Kohli has frequently been spotted vacationing with his family in London and other parts of the UK. Moreover, at the same time, the Indian batting legend is constantly striving to balance his family life and professional responsibilities. Although Rajkumar stressed that the 37-year-old remains committed to cricket as of now, his move to the UK can soon turn into a reality in the days to come.

"Yes, Virat plans to move to London with his children and wife, Anushka Sharma. The move is expected very soon, although he remains focused on his cricketing commitments for now."

Kohli was last seen in London after the conclusion of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka between July and August before returning for the home Test Series against Bangladesh in September.  

Kohli's ongoing struggles in the Border Gavaskar Trophy

It is a no-brainer for anyone to assume that the run machine has been struggling to regain his lost glory. In recent times, Kohli has found himself severely short of runs and his technical flaw outside the off-stump channel has severely been exploited by the Australian bowlers in this series. Excluding his solitary century in Perth, Kohli has looked in awful form with the bat and has averaged only 6.5 in the remaining four innings of this tour.

As the dust settles on a rain-hit Gabba Test, the focus now shifts to Melbourne where both India and Australia will be jostling to get past each other to strengthen their foothold in the Border Gavaskar Trophy Series (2024-25). In a bid to consolidate their standing in the series as well as the WTC 2023-25 points table, Australia have announced a series of unprecedented changes to bolster their Test squad ahead of the all-important Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. 

On Friday, Australia unveiled a 15-member squad for the remainder of the BGT series featuring some surprise selections and omissions. As many as four changes were made by the Aussie management following the conclusion of the drawn third Test. Here is a closer look at some of the eye-popping changes made to Australia's Test squad for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests.

See also: India beat West Indies to win their first bilateral WT20I series at home after 5 years

Sam Konstas In and Nathan McSweeney Out

The 25-year-old Australian opener Nathan McSweeney has failed to fire in the series. Often being labeled as the puppet of Jasprit Bumrah, McSweeney could only manage paltry scores of 10, 0, 39, 10, 9 & 4 and averaged a shocking 12 across six innings. He has been dropped from the squad to make way for the 19-year Sam Konstas. 

The youngster showed a great degree of promise with the bat in the two-day game in Canberra by scoring an impressive century against a potent Indian bowling attack. The Chair of Selectors George Bailey revealed in an official statement that it was a tough call for the management to select Konstas over McSweeney but at the same time, he praised the former's batting style and looks forward to seeing his game evolve. 

“Sam gets a call up to the Test squad for the first time. His style of batting offers a point of difference and we look forward to watching his game develop further. We remain confident Nathan has the ability and temperament to succeed at Test level in the future. It was a difficult decision to leave him out."

Changes in the pace arsenal

Josh Hazlewood's injury for the second time in the series has cemented Scotty Boland's position in the squad. He is expected to feature as a second pace-bowling option along with Starc in the forthcoming Melbourne Test. In addition, Sean Abbott, Jhye Richardson, and Beau Webster have also been drafted to the Test squad. 

Abbott has yet to feature for Australia in the longest format but hasn't had much success playing against India in the limited-overs format managing only nice wickets in 12 matches. Jhye has played only three Tests for Australia but maintains a formidable average of 22.09 with 11 wickets to his name. Moreover, the young pacer scripted a memorable performance against India in the white-ball format by recording his career-best ODI bowling figures of 4-26 in the 2018-2019 ODI series. 

The uncapped Beau Webster has a reputation for his all-round abilities and is currently representing Melbourne Stars in the ongoing BBL tournament. Webster has a prolific record in FC cricket and averages nearly 38 with the bat whereas with the ball he has claimed 148 scalps in 93 matches which also included his career-best figures of 6-100. 

Australian squad for the last two Tests against India: 

Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Beau Webster, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Jhye Richardson, Alex Carey, Scott Boland, and Josh Inglis.
 

On December 18, 2024, the cricketing world was left stunned by the news of Ravi Ashwin's sudden announcement of retirement from international cricket following the conclusion of the Gabba Test. His retirement triggered an unprecedented wave of wishes that poured in from several corners of the cricket world, most notably from leading cricketing experts and former cricketers.

In a bid to pay a departing tribute to the spin-bowling wizard, Australian skipper Pat Cummins and top Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon gifted a signed Australian Test jersey on Wednesday. The indications of Ashwin's retirement became all too clear when he walked out with India captain Rohit Sharma and accompanied him during the press conference to address his international retirement.

See also: Travis Head doubtful for Melbourne Test? Cummins gives crucial update

Cummins and Lyon present the signed jersey

A video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), captured the very moment when the two Aussie players went up to Ashwin to hand a signed Australia Test jersey in the hallway of the iconic Gabba in Brisbane.

While giving him the signed shirt, Cummins was reportedly heard saying the following:

"Well done mate, thank you, you have been great."

Watch here:

A Legend Bids Adieu to International Cricket 👏👏

Hear what R Ashwin’s parting words were to the Indian dressing room 🎥🔽#TeamIndia | @ashwinravi99 https://t.co/6wtwdDOmzX

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 18, 2024

A peek into Ashwin's illustrious career

Ashwin started his Test journey in 2011 with a match against the West Indies, after which he established himself as a prominent player in red-ball cricket. Over the course of 106 Test matches, he bagged an impressive total of 537 wickets, which includes 37 instances of five-wicket hauls, while also accumulating 3,503 runs. 

Moreover, Ashwin's exploits with the bat also helped him evolve as a technically potent all-rounder across all formats. Ashwin currently holds the record of being the fastest Indian bowler to claim 350 Test wickets.