Germany&#39;s Angelique Kerber beat Australia&#39;s Ashleigh Barty in straight sets to win the Sydney International for her ninth consecutive win of the new season on Saturday.

With this win Kerber cracks top 20 again, going to the 14th place. She will definitely be among the ones to watch at the Australian Open.

The former world No.1 was too strong for Barty, winning the final 6-4, 6-4 to give her a massive confidence boost for next week&#39;s Australian Open in Melbourne.

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...that winning feeling ???????????????? <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyTennis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SydneyTennis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamAngie?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamAngie</a> #????11 <a href="https://t.co/YNpKdUh1sM">pic.twitter.com/YNpKdUh1sM</a>
&mdash; Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) <a href="https://twitter.com/AngeliqueKerber/status/952095249907830785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It was Kerber&#39;s second win over the 19th-ranked Barty in three meetings.

Kerber, who began last year as No.1 before finishing at No.22, continued her 2018 resurgence and remains unbeaten this year.

Kerber won her four matches at last week&#39;s mixed teams Hopman Cup in Perth before her five victories in Sydney.

It was the first time an Australian woman featured in the Sydney International final since 2005 when Alicia Molik took the title over Sam Stosur.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Kerber defeated Australia's Barty in straight sets, 6-4 6-4 after an hour and 11 minutes long rally

Germany's Angelique Kerber beat Australia's Ashleigh Barty in straight sets to win the Sydney International for her ninth consecutive win of the new season on Saturday. With this win Kerber cracks top 20 again, going to the 14th place. She will definitely be among the ones to watch at the Australian Open. The former world No.1 was too strong for Barty, winning the final 6-4, 6-4 to give her a massive confidence boost for next week's Australian Open in Melbourne. ...that winning feeling ???????????????? @SydneyTennis #TeamAngie #????11 pic.twitter.com/YNpKdUh1sM — Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) January 13, 2018 × It was Kerber's second win over the 19th-ranked Barty in three meetings. Kerber, who began last year as No.1 before finishing at No.22, continued her 2018 resurgence and remains unbeaten this year. Kerber won her four matches at last week's mixed teams Hopman Cup in Perth before her five victories in Sydney. It was the first time an Australian woman featured in the Sydney International final since 2005 when Alicia Molik took the title over Sam Stosur.

Angelique Kerber beats Ashleigh Barty to win Sydney International

Optimism mingled with an eagerness to know what lies ahead as India&#39;s potential future stars geared up to lock horns with Australia in their big- ticket campaign opener of the ICC U-19 World Cup here tomorrow.

Coached by the distinguished Rahul Dravid, there is no dearth of talent in the sqaud, and the former India captain&#39;s sprightly boys would have got acclimatised to the conditions by now having arrived many days prior to the start of the tournament.

India are three-time champions, the last triumph coming in 2014.

While Dravid, who has been at the helm of U-19 and India A squad for some time, may not like to focus on individuals, it is very difficult to not see the likes of skipper Prithvi Shaw as the a vital cog in the team&#39;s batting wheel.

Alongside Shaw, who has created ripples with his exploits in the domestic circuit for Mumbai, there is Himanshu Rana, who has also amased plenty of runs in Youth ODIs.

Punjab&#39;s Shubhman Gill at number three is one of the most exciting young batsmen going around, and with a few impressive first-class games this Ranji Trophy season, he will have gained in confidence.

The top-order&#39;s performance is likely to be crucial to India&#39;s chances in the tournament. The middle-order is likely to be manned by Anukul Roy and Abhishek Sharma, and they would certainly want to make heir presence felt.

Another exciting name doing the rounds is Bengal pacer Ishan Porel. With Mohammed Shami rarely turning up for his state team owing to national commitments, Porel has caught the eye in the limited opportunities that came his way.

Porel is set to spearhead the pace attack and he could be complemented by Shivam Mavi, who will be aided by the seaming conditions in this part of the world.

Mavi attracted the attention of the selectors after his performance in the zonal level &#39;Challengers&#39; tournament where he bagged nine wickets in four matches.

His right-arm fast-medium bowling helped India whitewash England in England last year.

Shaw said he is happy with the team&#39;s preparations.

&quot;We&#39;ve been here a week now, played a couple of games. Everything has gone well, the preparation of the team has been good. Our goal is obviously to win the World Cup but at the same time we are looking forward to our first game,&quot; he said.

Asked if there are any Indian players in particular he thinks could have a lot of success at this tournament, Dravid said, We don&#39;t like to focus too much on the individuals. We believe we&#39;ve got a very good squad together and the opportunities for us to play well as a team are there.

&quot;We&#39;ve been playing some very good cricket of late, so rather than focusing on individuals and naming a few people, at this age we really believe that every one of these kids is talented.

&quot;...They&#39;ve got the ability to go on and do well in this tournament, and not only in this tournament but also to go on and play professional cricket and do well there.&quot;

In the last edition of the tournament in 2016, India finished runner-up after losing to the West Indies in the final.

Like his counterpart from India, Australia captain Jason Sangha has also made a mark in the domestic scene and adding to the tournament flavor will be the son of Steve Waugh, Austin. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland&#39;s son Will is also in the national squad.

 
Teams (from)

India: Prithvi Shaw (C), Shubman Gill, Aryan Juyal, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Harvik Desai, Manjot Kalra, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pankaj Yadav, Riyan Parag, Ishan Porel, Himanshu Rana, Anukul Roy, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh.

Australia: Jason Sangha (C), Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Jack Edwards, Zak Evans, Jarrod Freeman, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Nathan McSweeney, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope, Jason Ralston, Param Uppal, Austin Waugh.

India are three-time champions, the last triumph coming in 2014.

Optimism mingled with an eagerness to know what lies ahead as India's potential future stars geared up to lock horns with Australia in their big- ticket campaign opener of the ICC U-19 World Cup here tomorrow. Coached by the distinguished Rahul Dravid, there is no dearth of talent in the sqaud, and the former India captain's sprightly boys would have got acclimatised to the conditions by now having arrived many days prior to the start of the tournament. India are three-time champions, the last triumph coming in 2014. While Dravid, who has been at the helm of U-19 and India A squad for some time, may not like to focus on individuals, it is very difficult to not see the likes of skipper Prithvi Shaw as the a vital cog in the team's batting wheel. Alongside Shaw, who has created ripples with his exploits in the domestic circuit for Mumbai, there is Himanshu Rana, who has also amased plenty of runs in Youth ODIs. Punjab's Shubhman Gill at number three is one of the most exciting young batsmen going around, and with a few impressive first-class games this Ranji Trophy season, he will have gained in confidence. The top-order's performance is likely to be crucial to India's chances in the tournament. The middle-order is likely to be manned by Anukul Roy and Abhishek Sharma, and they would certainly want to make heir presence felt. Another exciting name doing the rounds is Bengal pacer Ishan Porel. With Mohammed Shami rarely turning up for his state team owing to national commitments, Porel has caught the eye in the limited opportunities that came his way. Porel is set to spearhead the pace attack and he could be complemented by Shivam Mavi, who will be aided by the seaming conditions in this part of the world. Mavi attracted the attention of the selectors after his performance in the zonal level 'Challengers' tournament where he bagged nine wickets in four matches. His right-arm fast-medium bowling helped India whitewash England in England last year. Shaw said he is happy with the team's preparations. "We've been here a week now, played a couple of games. Everything has gone well, the preparation of the team has been good. Our goal is obviously to win the World Cup but at the same time we are looking forward to our first game," he said. Asked if there are any Indian players in particular he thinks could have a lot of success at this tournament, Dravid said, We don't like to focus too much on the individuals. We believe we've got a very good squad together and the opportunities for us to play well as a team are there. "We've been playing some very good cricket of late, so rather than focusing on individuals and naming a few people, at this age we really believe that every one of these kids is talented. "...They've got the ability to go on and do well in this tournament, and not only in this tournament but also to go on and play professional cricket and do well there." In the last edition of the tournament in 2016, India finished runner-up after losing to the West Indies in the final. Like his counterpart from India, Australia captain Jason Sangha has also made a mark in the domestic scene and adding to the tournament flavor will be the son of Steve Waugh, Austin. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland's son Will is also in the national squad. Teams (from) India: Prithvi Shaw (C), Shubman Gill, Aryan Juyal, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Harvik Desai, Manjot Kalra, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pankaj Yadav, Riyan Parag, Ishan Porel, Himanshu Rana, Anukul Roy, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh. Australia: Jason Sangha (C), Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Jack Edwards, Zak Evans, Jarrod Freeman, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Nathan McSweeney, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope, Jason Ralston, Param Uppal, Austin Waugh.

Rahul Dravid's India team faces Australia in U-19 World Cup opener

Daniil Medvedev fought off tigerish Australian youngster Alex de Minaur to win his first ATP Tour title at the Sydney International on Saturday.

Medvedev completed an all-conquering week to hit back from losing the opening set to extinguish de Minaur, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

It was 21-year-old Medvedev&#39;s seventh win this week, giving him solid preparation for next week&#39;s Australian Open in Melbourne where he faces another Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round.

&quot;I&#39;m the kind of person, the more emotions I feel, the less I show them, actually, especially if they are good ones,&quot; Medvedev said.

&quot;After the match, I didn&#39;t fall down or anything, but I&#39;m really happy. I mean, to make it through the quallies, there were so many circumstances.&quot;

Looking ahead to the Australian Open he added: &quot;I need to be humble with this because to win this tournament is good, but I want to win some rounds in Australia.

&quot;And it&#39;s going to be very tough to get back again on the court, especially against Thanasi, I&#39;m sure the crowd will be crazy in Melbourne for him.

&quot;It&#39;s a five-set match, so I just need to do my best at recovery to be good on Tuesday.&quot;

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/DaniilMedwed?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DaniilMedwed</a> is the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SydneyTennis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SydneyTennis</a> champion! 
 
Incredibly gutsy three set win 1-6 6-4 7-5 over de Minaur. <a href="https://t.co/RpPiXmF4Sb">pic.twitter.com/RpPiXmF4Sb</a>
&mdash; Sydney International (@SydneyTennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/SydneyTennis/status/952124588359495680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Medvedev struggled in the opening set as the 167th-ranked de Minaur grew in confidence and was willed on by a supportive home crowd.

The longer the rallies the more dangerous de Minaur became and he claimed the opening set after winning six games on the trot.

But Medvedev found his way back in the second set, breaking serve in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead and went on to level the match at a set apiece.

Winners flowed from the Russian&#39;s racquet with a running backhand crosscourt passing shot he played for a 3-0 lead an outstanding moment.

Down 4-1, the young Aussie appeared well out of the contest, but two double-faults handed de Minaur a break point and Medvedev surrendered serve when he sprayed a forehand long.

Fired up young de Minaur worked away at Medvedev&#39;s lead amid the din inside Ken Rosewall Arena.

Medvedev held a match point in the ninth game, but when serving for the title at 5-4, de Minaur broke serve to send the crowd roaring.

But with the match beyond two hours, the 18-year-old Aussie began to show signs of fatigue and it was his errors that handed Medvedev another chance to serve out for the title at 6-5.

The 84th-ranked Medvedev also came back from a set down to upset Italian fourth seed Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the tournament.

It has been a sensational fortnight for 18-year-old de Minaur. He beat Frenchman Benoit Paire to reach the Sydney final after upsetting Milos Raonic to advance to the Brisbane International semi-finals last week before losing to American Ryan Harrison.

&quot;It&#39;s been a roller coaster, and I honestly wouldn&#39;t have it any other way,&quot; de Minaur said.

&quot;I have enjoyed every second of it. It&#39;s been a thrill, and I just want it to keep on going.

&quot;I&#39;m tremendously proud. I put in all the hard yards, and it&#39;s great to see the results coming through.&quot;

&nbsp;

Daniil defeated Alex de Minaur, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 to claim the ATP Tour in the Sydney International finals

Daniil Medvedev fought off tigerish Australian youngster Alex de Minaur to win his first ATP Tour title at the Sydney International on Saturday. Medvedev completed an all-conquering week to hit back from losing the opening set to extinguish de Minaur, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. It was 21-year-old Medvedev's seventh win this week, giving him solid preparation for next week's Australian Open in Melbourne where he faces another Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round. "I'm the kind of person, the more emotions I feel, the less I show them, actually, especially if they are good ones," Medvedev said. "After the match, I didn't fall down or anything, but I'm really happy. I mean, to make it through the quallies, there were so many circumstances." Looking ahead to the Australian Open he added: "I need to be humble with this because to win this tournament is good, but I want to win some rounds in Australia. "And it's going to be very tough to get back again on the court, especially against Thanasi, I'm sure the crowd will be crazy in Melbourne for him. "It's a five-set match, so I just need to do my best at recovery to be good on Tuesday." .@DaniilMedwed is the #SydneyTennis champion! Incredibly gutsy three set win 1-6 6-4 7-5 over de Minaur. pic.twitter.com/RpPiXmF4Sb — Sydney International (@SydneyTennis) January 13, 2018 × Medvedev struggled in the opening set as the 167th-ranked de Minaur grew in confidence and was willed on by a supportive home crowd. The longer the rallies the more dangerous de Minaur became and he claimed the opening set after winning six games on the trot. But Medvedev found his way back in the second set, breaking serve in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead and went on to level the match at a set apiece. Winners flowed from the Russian's racquet with a running backhand crosscourt passing shot he played for a 3-0 lead an outstanding moment. Down 4-1, the young Aussie appeared well out of the contest, but two double-faults handed de Minaur a break point and Medvedev surrendered serve when he sprayed a forehand long. Fired up young de Minaur worked away at Medvedev's lead amid the din inside Ken Rosewall Arena. Medvedev held a match point in the ninth game, but when serving for the title at 5-4, de Minaur broke serve to send the crowd roaring. But with the match beyond two hours, the 18-year-old Aussie began to show signs of fatigue and it was his errors that handed Medvedev another chance to serve out for the title at 6-5. The 84th-ranked Medvedev also came back from a set down to upset Italian fourth seed Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the semi-finals of the tournament. It has been a sensational fortnight for 18-year-old de Minaur. He beat Frenchman Benoit Paire to reach the Sydney final after upsetting Milos Raonic to advance to the Brisbane International semi-finals last week before losing to American Ryan Harrison. "It's been a roller coaster, and I honestly wouldn't have it any other way," de Minaur said. "I have enjoyed every second of it. It's been a thrill, and I just want it to keep on going. "I'm tremendously proud. I put in all the hard yards, and it's great to see the results coming through."

Tennis player Medvedev claims first ATP Tour title in Sydney

Novak Djokovic returned after six months with a bang. He defeated&nbsp;Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4 in straight sets. He was suffering from an elbow injury and has not played since Wimbledon in July, where he was ruled out by&nbsp;Tomas Berdych&nbsp;in the quarterfinals.

The exhibition match at Kooyong was his first match of the year. His performance showed no signs of injury. He&nbsp;was in good form and full of optimism&nbsp;as he played exceptionally well.

The Serbian 12-time Grand Slam winner&nbsp;could not control his smile after the winning the match and in the post-match presentation, said that&nbsp;he felt &quot;great&quot; after defeating world number five Dominic Thiem.

Djokovic has dropped to number 14 in the world ranking but seemed fit enough to chase his&nbsp;record seventh Australian Open crown next week.

&quot;I feel great, I was eager to get onto the court,&quot; he said after playing with a flesh-coloured sleeve on his right arm.

&quot;I had a great opponent, it was a test for me to see where I am, how the work we did pays off on the court. It worked pretty well.&quot;

&quot;There was a doubt, especially after I pulled out of the first week of the year,&quot; he admitted.&nbsp;

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Really looking forward to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TieBreakTens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TieBreakTens</a> Melbourne Jan 10. Excited to try out this new fast paced format. It&rsquo;s a great line up and I can&rsquo;t wait to get out on court! Are you ready? <a href="https://twitter.com/RafaelNadal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RafaelNadal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/stanwawrinka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stanwawrinka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tomasberdych?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tomasberdych</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ThiemDomi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThiemDomi</a>.. ???? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryPointCounts?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryPointCounts</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZSc3bUkICA">pic.twitter.com/ZSc3bUkICA</a>
&mdash; Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/status/950599664923037701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;I personally didn&#39;t know what&#39;s going to happen. We did some treatment and obviously gave it a lot of thought. Luckily for me, I&#39;m here and so I&#39;m hoping in the next four, five days everything will go well and I&#39;ll be ready for the Open.&quot;

&quot;I don&#39;t want to be over-confident, but I&#39;m very, very happy with how it went today,&quot; added the 30-year-old.

&quot;I don&#39;t say I&#39;m at 100 percent, I can only say that when I get the feel of a tournament. Ideally, I would have had another tournament before the start of the Open,&nbsp;&nbsp;but it was not meant to be.

&quot;I&#39;ll take whatever I can -- one or two matches here will be good preparation.&quot;

&quot;Especially the serve &ndash; that was the biggest question mark because of the elbow, that shot in my game was compromised.&quot;

Thiem, who only arrived in Melbourne on Monday night from Doha after four days in bed with a virus, presented only a minimal challenge to the recharged Serb.

&quot;I&#39;m free of fever and healthy again,&quot; the Austrian said. &quot;I&#39;m still jet-lagged and was slow at the beginning of the match. I&#39;ll sleep, eat and train and not do too much. I&#39;ll be fine for the Open.&quot;

&quot;The most important thing is to feel the conditions, to get comfortable,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s important to find a good rhythm.

&quot;Overall, I&#39;m quite happy with my level. I was feeling the ball well and hitting cleanly from both sides.&quot;

&quot;I&#39;m hoping in the next four or five days everything will go well and I&rsquo;ll be ready for the Open.&quot;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Djokovic has not played since Wimbledon 2017 due to an elbow injury, now he will chase a record 7th Australian Open crown next week

Novak Djokovic returned after six months with a bang. He defeated Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4 in straight sets. He was suffering from an elbow injury and has not played since Wimbledon in July, where he was ruled out by Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. The exhibition match at Kooyong was his first match of the year. His performance showed no signs of injury. He was in good form and full of optimism as he played exceptionally well. The Serbian 12-time Grand Slam winner could not control his smile after the winning the match and in the post-match presentation, said that he felt "great" after defeating world number five Dominic Thiem. Djokovic has dropped to number 14 in the world ranking but seemed fit enough to chase his record seventh Australian Open crown next week. "I feel great, I was eager to get onto the court," he said after playing with a flesh-coloured sleeve on his right arm. "I had a great opponent, it was a test for me to see where I am, how the work we did pays off on the court. It worked pretty well." "There was a doubt, especially after I pulled out of the first week of the year," he admitted. Really looking forward to #TieBreakTens Melbourne Jan 10. Excited to try out this new fast paced format. It’s a great line up and I can’t wait to get out on court! Are you ready? @RafaelNadal @stanwawrinka @tomasberdych @ThiemDomi.. ???? #EveryPointCounts pic.twitter.com/ZSc3bUkICA — Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 9, 2018 × "I personally didn't know what's going to happen. We did some treatment and obviously gave it a lot of thought. Luckily for me, I'm here and so I'm hoping in the next four, five days everything will go well and I'll be ready for the Open." "I don't want to be over-confident, but I'm very, very happy with how it went today," added the 30-year-old. "I don't say I'm at 100 percent, I can only say that when I get the feel of a tournament. Ideally, I would have had another tournament before the start of the Open, but it was not meant to be. "I'll take whatever I can -- one or two matches here will be good preparation." "Especially the serve – that was the biggest question mark because of the elbow, that shot in my game was compromised." Thiem, who only arrived in Melbourne on Monday night from Doha after four days in bed with a virus, presented only a minimal challenge to the recharged Serb. "I'm free of fever and healthy again," the Austrian said. "I'm still jet-lagged and was slow at the beginning of the match. I'll sleep, eat and train and not do too much. I'll be fine for the Open." "The most important thing is to feel the conditions, to get comfortable," he said. "It's important to find a good rhythm. "Overall, I'm quite happy with my level. I was feeling the ball well and hitting cleanly from both sides." "I'm hoping in the next four or five days everything will go well and I’ll be ready for the Open."

Very happy with return ahead of Australian Open: Djokovic

Ricky Ponting will be an assistant coach during Australia&#39;s Twenty20 international series against England and New Zealand next month, Cricket Australia said on Tuesday.

The former Australia captain will work under head coach Darren Lehmann, while Troy Cooley and Matthew Mott will help out during the series.

They have been brought on board while&nbsp;regular support staff Graeme Hick, David Saker and Brad Haddin are in South Africa to assist in preparations for Australia&#39;s four-Test tour from March.

Lehmann has previously said he will not seek to renew his contract when his current deal expires at the end of 2019, with Ponting seen as a potential successor.

Ponting undertook the T20 role last year when he worked with the Australia squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka.

He has extensive experience of the shortest form of the game, captaining his country in the first ever T20 international against New Zealand in 2005, and then leading the side in the first two editions of the ICC World Twenty20 in 2007 and 2009.

&quot;I loved working with the squad last year against Sri Lanka and I can&rsquo;t wait to be working alongside Darren, Troy and Matthew this time around,&quot; Ponting said.

&quot;Watching the Big Bash League in my role as a commentator has shown me we have a wealth of talent available to us in this format and a tri-series like this will give us a great chance to establish a pattern of play that works best for the players.&quot;

The T20 series will involve matches against New Zealand in Sydney (February 3) and Auckland (February 16) and England in Hobart (February 7) and Melbourne (February 10).

&nbsp;

Australia's current coach Darren Lehmann will retire in 2019, Ricky Ponting is considered as a potential successor

Ricky Ponting will be an assistant coach during Australia's Twenty20 international series against England and New Zealand next month, Cricket Australia said on Tuesday. The former Australia captain will work under head coach Darren Lehmann, while Troy Cooley and Matthew Mott will help out during the series. They have been brought on board while regular support staff Graeme Hick, David Saker and Brad Haddin are in South Africa to assist in preparations for Australia's four-Test tour from March. Lehmann has previously said he will not seek to renew his contract when his current deal expires at the end of 2019, with Ponting seen as a potential successor. Ponting undertook the T20 role last year when he worked with the Australia squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka. He has extensive experience of the shortest form of the game, captaining his country in the first ever T20 international against New Zealand in 2005, and then leading the side in the first two editions of the ICC World Twenty20 in 2007 and 2009. "I loved working with the squad last year against Sri Lanka and I can’t wait to be working alongside Darren, Troy and Matthew this time around," Ponting said. "Watching the Big Bash League in my role as a commentator has shown me we have a wealth of talent available to us in this format and a tri-series like this will give us a great chance to establish a pattern of play that works best for the players." The T20 series will involve matches against New Zealand in Sydney (February 3) and Auckland (February 16) and England in Hobart (February 7) and Melbourne (February 10).

Ricky Ponting named Australia assistant coach for T20s

Australia maintains its winning streak by claiming an innings victory over England in fifth Ashes Test and whitewashed England by completing a 4-0 series.

Nathon Lyon took three wickets for 54 off 35 overs.&nbsp;Pat Cummins struck twice just after the lunch break. He took&nbsp;Jonny Bairstow leg before wicket for 38 and having Stuart Broad caught behind off a short ball for four. For his outstanding performance, he got Man of the Match also he was the leading wicket-taker in the series by taking 23 wickets.

&quot;To get through the five Tests and end the series here at home. I couldn&#39;t&nbsp;ask&nbsp;for much more,&quot; said Cummins.

Australian captain Steve Smith seemed exponentially happy after&nbsp;winning the series and receiving the honour of Man of the Series on which he said,&nbsp;&quot;It has been a great couple of months. The cricket that we have played in the last couple of months has been outstanding&quot;

&quot;We have just been able to get on top and win those key moments and not let them back in the game which is crucial,&quot; he added.

England finished at 180 for nine off 88.1 overs as Australia won by an innings and 123 runs.&nbsp;

Joe Root did not come out to bat after lunch as he continued to experience discomfort after his overnight stomach bug.

England&#39;s remote chances of saving the Test disappeared when Root failed to appear at the crease after lunch.

Australian bowlers struck hard, Aussie took a grip on the final Test with a massive 303-run innings lead and then reduced the battle-weary tourists to 93 for four at the close on the fourth day.

Scoreboard:

England first innings 346 (J. Root 83, D. Malan 62; P. Cummins 4-80)

Australia first innings 649 for 7 declared (U. Khawaja 171, S. Marsh 156, M. Marsh 101; M. Ali 2-170)

England second innings (overnight 93 for 4)

A. Cook&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; b Lyon&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;10

M. Stoneman&nbsp; lbw b Starc&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;0

J. Vince&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;c Smith b Cummins&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;18

J. Root&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; retired ill&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;58

D. Malan&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;lbw b Lyon&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;5

J. Bairstow&nbsp; lbw b Cummins&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 38

M. Ali&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;lbw b Lyon&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;13

T. Curran&nbsp; &nbsp; not out&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 23

S. Broad&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;c Paine b Cummins&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;4

M. Crane&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;c Paine b Cummins&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2&nbsp;

J. Anderson&nbsp; c Paine b Hazlewood&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2&nbsp;&nbsp;

Total (all out; 88.1 overs)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 180

Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Stoneman), 2-15 (Cook), 3-43 (Vince), 4-68 (Malan), 5-121 (Ali), 6-144 (Bairstow), 7-148 (Broad), 8-156 (Crane), 9-180 (Anderson)

Bowling: Starc 16-4-38-1, Hazlewood 17.1-6-36-1, Lyon 35-12-54-3, Cummins 17-4-39-4, Smith 2-0-6-0, M. Marsh 1-1-0-0

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Australians took a grip on the final Test with a massive 303-run innings lead and then reduced the battle-weary tourists to 93 for four at the close on the fourth day.

Australia maintains its winning streak by claiming an innings victory over England in fifth Ashes Test and whitewashed England by completing a 4-0 series. Nathon Lyon took three wickets for 54 off 35 overs. Pat Cummins struck twice just after the lunch break. He took Jonny Bairstow leg before wicket for 38 and having Stuart Broad caught behind off a short ball for four. For his outstanding performance, he got Man of the Match also he was the leading wicket-taker in the series by taking 23 wickets. "To get through the five Tests and end the series here at home. I couldn't ask for much more," said Cummins. Australian captain Steve Smith seemed exponentially happy after winning the series and receiving the honour of Man of the Series on which he said, "It has been a great couple of months. The cricket that we have played in the last couple of months has been outstanding" "We have just been able to get on top and win those key moments and not let them back in the game which is crucial," he added. England finished at 180 for nine off 88.1 overs as Australia won by an innings and 123 runs. Joe Root did not come out to bat after lunch as he continued to experience discomfort after his overnight stomach bug. England's remote chances of saving the Test disappeared when Root failed to appear at the crease after lunch. Australian bowlers struck hard, Aussie took a grip on the final Test with a massive 303-run innings lead and then reduced the battle-weary tourists to 93 for four at the close on the fourth day. Scoreboard: England first innings 346 (J. Root 83, D. Malan 62; P. Cummins 4-80) Australia first innings 649 for 7 declared (U. Khawaja 171, S. Marsh 156, M. Marsh 101; M. Ali 2-170) England second innings (overnight 93 for 4) A. Cook b Lyon 10 M. Stoneman lbw b Starc 0 J. Vince c Smith b Cummins 18 J. Root retired ill 58 D. Malan lbw b Lyon 5 J. Bairstow lbw b Cummins 38 M. Ali lbw b Lyon 13 T. Curran not out 23 S. Broad c Paine b Cummins 4 M. Crane c Paine b Cummins 2 J. Anderson c Paine b Hazlewood 2 Total (all out; 88.1 overs) 180 Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Stoneman), 2-15 (Cook), 3-43 (Vince), 4-68 (Malan), 5-121 (Ali), 6-144 (Bairstow), 7-148 (Broad), 8-156 (Crane), 9-180 (Anderson) Bowling: Starc 16-4-38-1, Hazlewood 17.1-6-36-1, Lyon 35-12-54-3, Cummins 17-4-39-4, Smith 2-0-6-0, M. Marsh 1-1-0-0

Ashes: Oz beat England in final Test, seal series by 4-0

Once again Australia snatched the driver&#39;s seat from England in the fifth and final Ashes Test after declaring their first innings with a massive lead of 303 runs before reducing the tourists to 25 for 2 in their second essay, at Tea on Day 4 at the SCG.

The Marsh brothers&#39; Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Marsh&nbsp;celebrated their emotional centuries which was enough to deflate a mentally and physically tired English side. 
&nbsp; 
Australia&#39;s bowlers too helped the hosts strengthen their grip on the game by taking out the openers early.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Alastair Cook, who scored 244 not out in the fourth test in Melbourne last week, passed the 12,000 Test run milestone after being dropped on five by Shaun Marsh at first slip.

The batsman received a standing ovation for becoming just the sixth man in the sport&#39;s history to achieve this feat.&nbsp;

The celebrations were minimal for the former captain as he knew he had a task at hand.&nbsp;

The drop by marsh did not cost the team much after Nathan Lyon bowled the in-form Cook for just 10 runs to further dent England&#39;s faint hopes of getting a consolation win.&nbsp;

At the close of day four, the tourists trail Australia by 210 runs, with Joe Root at 42 and Jonny Bairstow at 17.

The Marsh brothers' celebrated their centuries which was enough to deflate a mentally and physically tired England

Once again Australia snatched the driver's seat from England in the fifth and final Ashes Test after declaring their first innings with a massive lead of 303 runs before reducing the tourists to 25 for 2 in their second essay, at Tea on Day 4 at the SCG. The Marsh brothers' Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Marsh celebrated their emotional centuries which was enough to deflate a mentally and physically tired English side. Australia's bowlers too helped the hosts strengthen their grip on the game by taking out the openers early. Meanwhile, Alastair Cook, who scored 244 not out in the fourth test in Melbourne last week, passed the 12,000 Test run milestone after being dropped on five by Shaun Marsh at first slip. The batsman received a standing ovation for becoming just the sixth man in the sport's history to achieve this feat. The celebrations were minimal for the former captain as he knew he had a task at hand. The drop by marsh did not cost the team much after Nathan Lyon bowled the in-form Cook for just 10 runs to further dent England's faint hopes of getting a consolation win. At the close of day four, the tourists trail Australia by 210 runs, with Joe Root at 42 and Jonny Bairstow at 17.

Ashes, Day 4: England 93/4 at stumps, trail Australia by 210 runs

Usman Khawaja went big at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on the 3rd day of the fifth and final Ashes Test, putting Australia in the box seat for a 4-0 series win.

The left-handed batsman hit a mammoth 171 guided Australia to 479 for the loss of four wickets at stumps on Saturday.

Khawaja&#39;s 171 was vital as Australia overtook England&#39;s first innings total and established a lead at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Khawaja shared a stand of 188 with captain Steve Smith, who was dismissed just before lunch at 83, and another of 101 with Marsh, who just missed out on his second hundred of the series in the over before stumps.

Khawaja&#39;s 381-ball innings was finally ended when he skipped down the wicket to Mason Crane, missed the ball and was stumped by Jonny Bairstow.

However, Marsh will resume on 98 on day four with his brother Mitchell, who was 63 not out.

England dismissed just two Australians on the third day with one of them being Steve Smith and the other was Usman Khawaja, despite its strong rally on Friday morning by their lower order which lifted the tourists to a competitive 346.

Khawaja's knock was vital as Australia overtook England's first innings total in Sydney

Usman Khawaja went big at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on the 3rd day of the fifth and final Ashes Test, putting Australia in the box seat for a 4-0 series win. The left-handed batsman hit a mammoth 171 guided Australia to 479 for the loss of four wickets at stumps on Saturday. Khawaja's 171 was vital as Australia overtook England's first innings total and established a lead at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Khawaja shared a stand of 188 with captain Steve Smith, who was dismissed just before lunch at 83, and another of 101 with Marsh, who just missed out on his second hundred of the series in the over before stumps. Khawaja's 381-ball innings was finally ended when he skipped down the wicket to Mason Crane, missed the ball and was stumped by Jonny Bairstow. However, Marsh will resume on 98 on day four with his brother Mitchell, who was 63 not out. England dismissed just two Australians on the third day with one of them being Steve Smith and the other was Usman Khawaja, despite its strong rally on Friday morning by their lower order which lifted the tourists to a competitive 346.

Ashes: Usman Khwaja's 171 help Aussies build 133 run lead on Day 3

In reply to England&#39;s 346, Australia managed to scale a total of 277 for three wickets at lunch.

Australia trailed England&nbsp;on day third&nbsp;of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney on Saturday.

Usman Khawaja slammed his maiden Ashes Test century and was unbeaten on 132 with Shaun Marsh on two.

Khawaja faced 222 balls and scored an impressive ton in under 385 minutes.

The 31-year-old left-handed batsman has already scored two half-centuries earlier in the series

This one is Khawaja&#39;s first hundred of the series and sixth century scored in the Test Match format.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Usman Khawaja raised his maiden Ashes Test century

In reply to England's 346, Australia managed to scale a total of 277 for three wickets at lunch. Australia trailed England on day third of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney on Saturday. Usman Khawaja slammed his maiden Ashes Test century and was unbeaten on 132 with Shaun Marsh on two. Khawaja faced 222 balls and scored an impressive ton in under 385 minutes. The 31-year-old left-handed batsman has already scored two half-centuries earlier in the series This one is Khawaja's first hundred of the series and sixth century scored in the Test Match format. (With inputs from agencies)

Ashes Test: Australia 277 for 3 against England's 346 at lunch?

Ukraine&#39;s Elina Svitolina laid down her marker as a serious contender for the Australia Open when she demolished Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-1 in the Brisbane International final on Saturday.

Svitolina won five titles on the WTA tour last year, more than any other woman.

She ended the year ranked sixth in the world, but will climb two places when the new rankings are released on Monday and will go into the year&#39;s first Grand Slam as the fourth seed.

Svitolina said she had worked hard in the offseason to improve her game and that work was now paying off.

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A special moment: Evonne Goolagong Cawley presents <a href="https://twitter.com/ElinaSvitolina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ElinaSvitolina</a> with the Evonne Goolagong Cawley trophy ??<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BrisbaneTENnis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BrisbaneTENnis</a> <a href="https://t.co/YLix8Mypoc">pic.twitter.com/YLix8Mypoc</a>
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&quot;I&#39;ve started to play more consistently and there are lots of things that changed,&quot; she said.

&quot;I&#39;m stronger physically. I have a different look at my game.&quot;

The 23-year-old had a tough path to the decider, having to overcome top-10 players Johanna Konta and Karolina Pliskova and former world number six Carla Suarez Navarro along the way.

&quot;I didn&#39;t have any expectations for this week -- I was just trying to take it one match at a time,&quot; she said.

&quot;The first match was quite tough against Suarez Navarro. And I had a very tough draw.

&quot;It was very important to use what I was working on during the offseason, and it was working.&nbsp;

&quot;I was playing better and better and my serve worked really good during this week.&quot;

Svitolina was far too strong for Sasnovich, who struggled to cope both with the Ukrainian&#39;s serve and her relentless barrage of groundstrokes from the back of the court.

Sasnovich was playing in her first final on the WTA tour and her nerves showed in the early stages as Svitolina broke her early and raced away to a 3-1 lead.

The Belarusian steadied the ship but she was always under pressure and serving at 2-5, she cracked.

Svitolina pounced, breaking her again and wrapping up the set in 31 minutes.

Sasnovich was also playing her eighth match in nine days and her movement around the court appeared slightly slower than in her previous outings.

Svitolina was even more dominant in the second set, racing to a 5-0 lead before Sasnovich even got on the board.

However, it was a minor reprieve as Svitolina held serve to love to claim her 10th title in just 65 minutes.

Sasnovich refused to blame her busy schedule for her performance.

&quot;I don&#39;t know why it&#39;s like this, why I played so bad,&quot; she said.

&quot;I don&#39;t know, to be honest. Sometimes it happens. I played some good matches and this one was bad.&quot;

But the Belarusian, who will rise 35 places in the world ranking to 53rd, said her efforts in making the final had made her reevaluate her goals for Melbourne.

&quot;I have time to prepare for Australia Open,&quot; she said.

&quot;I hope to be ready mentally, physically, to be good there.&quot;

&nbsp;

Svitolina crushes Aliaksandra Sasnovich in Brisbane final in straight sets 6-2, 6-1

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina laid down her marker as a serious contender for the Australia Open when she demolished Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-1 in the Brisbane International final on Saturday. Svitolina won five titles on the WTA tour last year, more than any other woman. She ended the year ranked sixth in the world, but will climb two places when the new rankings are released on Monday and will go into the year's first Grand Slam as the fourth seed. Svitolina said she had worked hard in the offseason to improve her game and that work was now paying off. A special moment: Evonne Goolagong Cawley presents @ElinaSvitolina with the Evonne Goolagong Cawley trophy ??#BrisbaneTENnis pic.twitter.com/YLix8Mypoc — #BrisbaneTennis (@BrisbaneTennis) January 6, 2018 × "I've started to play more consistently and there are lots of things that changed," she said. "I'm stronger physically. I have a different look at my game." The 23-year-old had a tough path to the decider, having to overcome top-10 players Johanna Konta and Karolina Pliskova and former world number six Carla Suarez Navarro along the way. "I didn't have any expectations for this week -- I was just trying to take it one match at a time," she said. "The first match was quite tough against Suarez Navarro. And I had a very tough draw. "It was very important to use what I was working on during the offseason, and it was working. "I was playing better and better and my serve worked really good during this week." Svitolina was far too strong for Sasnovich, who struggled to cope both with the Ukrainian's serve and her relentless barrage of groundstrokes from the back of the court. Sasnovich was playing in her first final on the WTA tour and her nerves showed in the early stages as Svitolina broke her early and raced away to a 3-1 lead. The Belarusian steadied the ship but she was always under pressure and serving at 2-5, she cracked. Svitolina pounced, breaking her again and wrapping up the set in 31 minutes. Sasnovich was also playing her eighth match in nine days and her movement around the court appeared slightly slower than in her previous outings. Svitolina was even more dominant in the second set, racing to a 5-0 lead before Sasnovich even got on the board. However, it was a minor reprieve as Svitolina held serve to love to claim her 10th title in just 65 minutes. Sasnovich refused to blame her busy schedule for her performance. "I don't know why it's like this, why I played so bad," she said. "I don't know, to be honest. Sometimes it happens. I played some good matches and this one was bad." But the Belarusian, who will rise 35 places in the world ranking to 53rd, said her efforts in making the final had made her reevaluate her goals for Melbourne. "I have time to prepare for Australia Open," she said. "I hope to be ready mentally, physically, to be good there."

Tennis: Elina Svitolina clinches Brisbane title

England were 233 for five at the close on the opening day of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Dawid Malan was unbeaten on 55 with Jonny Bairstow out in the day&#39;s final over for five.

England skipper Joe Root again missed out on an elusive first century in the series as Australia fought back with two late wickets on the opening day of the fifth Test on Thursday.

Root was out to a superb diving catch by Mitchell Marsh at square leg for 83 in the day&#39;s penultimate over before Jonny Bairstow was caught behind in the final over.

Root slumped to his haunches after missing out on a hundred following his fourth half-century of the series.

&quot;It was great to get the late reward as a bowling group for our hard toil,&quot; Marsh said.

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Australia roar back late in the day with two wickets with the new ball to leave England 233/5 at Stumps on Day 1 of the 5th Test. 
 
SCORECARD: <a href="https://t.co/zIa7LHi9S8">https://t.co/zIa7LHi9S8</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvENG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashes</a> <a href="https://t.co/SI4eae33vQ">pic.twitter.com/SI4eae33vQ</a>
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Root and Malan recovered England&#39;s first innings with a 133-run stand after the tourists had slumped to 95 for three following the loss of Melbourne double-centurion Alastair Cook.

At the close, England were 233 for five with Malan left unbeaten on 55 off 160 balls when Bairstow was caught behind off Josh Hazlewood for five.

&quot;It sort of sums up where we&#39;ve been in on this tour, we&#39;ve been on top for so long in games and then make a couple of mistakes and let the Aussies back in,&quot; Malan said.

Malan, on 28, cut towards backward point and there was confusion over the run but the throw from wicketkeeper Tim Paine was off target and bowler Nathan Lyon was unable to affect the run out with Malan well out of his ground. He also survived on 34 when&nbsp;Smith dropped a sharp ankle-high chance at slip off Lyon.

Only last week in Melbourne Smith put down two catches in Alastair Cook&#39;s unbeaten double century.

Cook, who carried his bat through the England first innings in the fourth Test for an unbeaten 244, looked on his way to another big score until Hazlewood struck in the 33rd over.

Hazlewood&#39;s leg before wicket appeal was turned down on-field, but on review, the ball was found to be just pitching in line and Cook was given out for 39 off 104 balls.

It was the third time in the series Cook has fallen lbw and it left him just five runs short of 12,000 career Test runs in his 152nd Test match.

Fellow opener Mark Stoneman earlier hit some nice drives before he nicked a rising Pat Cummins delivery to Tim Paine for a run-a-ball 24 in the 10th over.

James Vince looked set after 82 minutes at the crease before he shaped for a square cut at a Cummins delivery only to be caught behind for 25 in the 29th over.

Australia has already clinched the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series.

&nbsp;

Joe Root gave a terrific start but falls short of elusive century, late wickets hand Australia advantage on day 1 of the final Test

England were 233 for five at the close on the opening day of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. Dawid Malan was unbeaten on 55 with Jonny Bairstow out in the day's final over for five. England skipper Joe Root again missed out on an elusive first century in the series as Australia fought back with two late wickets on the opening day of the fifth Test on Thursday. Root was out to a superb diving catch by Mitchell Marsh at square leg for 83 in the day's penultimate over before Jonny Bairstow was caught behind in the final over. Root slumped to his haunches after missing out on a hundred following his fourth half-century of the series. "It was great to get the late reward as a bowling group for our hard toil," Marsh said. Australia roar back late in the day with two wickets with the new ball to leave England 233/5 at Stumps on Day 1 of the 5th Test. SCORECARD: https://t.co/zIa7LHi9S8 #AUSvENG #Ashes pic.twitter.com/SI4eae33vQ — ICC (@ICC) January 4, 2018 × Root and Malan recovered England's first innings with a 133-run stand after the tourists had slumped to 95 for three following the loss of Melbourne double-centurion Alastair Cook. At the close, England were 233 for five with Malan left unbeaten on 55 off 160 balls when Bairstow was caught behind off Josh Hazlewood for five. "It sort of sums up where we've been in on this tour, we've been on top for so long in games and then make a couple of mistakes and let the Aussies back in," Malan said. Malan, on 28, cut towards backward point and there was confusion over the run but the throw from wicketkeeper Tim Paine was off target and bowler Nathan Lyon was unable to affect the run out with Malan well out of his ground. He also survived on 34 when Smith dropped a sharp ankle-high chance at slip off Lyon. Only last week in Melbourne Smith put down two catches in Alastair Cook's unbeaten double century. Cook, who carried his bat through the England first innings in the fourth Test for an unbeaten 244, looked on his way to another big score until Hazlewood struck in the 33rd over. Hazlewood's leg before wicket appeal was turned down on-field, but on review, the ball was found to be just pitching in line and Cook was given out for 39 off 104 balls. It was the third time in the series Cook has fallen lbw and it left him just five runs short of 12,000 career Test runs in his 152nd Test match. Fellow opener Mark Stoneman earlier hit some nice drives before he nicked a rising Pat Cummins delivery to Tim Paine for a run-a-ball 24 in the 10th over. James Vince looked set after 82 minutes at the crease before he shaped for a square cut at a Cummins delivery only to be caught behind for 25 in the 29th over. Australia has already clinched the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series.

Ashes: Root, Malan keep Australia at bay on Day 1

England won the toss and chose to bat against Australia in the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. After a rain delay and an early lunch, the play was started a bit late.

&quot;It looks a good wicket, there is a bit of weather about but if we bat well enough in the first few sessions I expect the pitch to deteriorate and spin will come in the game later on,&quot; England captain Joe Root said.

Seamer Chris Woakes has been ruled out with a side strain, opening the way for young leg-spinner Mason Crane to make his debut for England.

&quot;Mason is a very excited young man and we expect him to do really well in his first Test,&quot; Root said.

Australia captain Steve Smith said he was in two minds about what he would have done if he had won the toss. &quot;I&#39;m not too bothered and not too disappointed to lose the toss,&quot; Smith said.

&quot;There&#39;s a bit of moisture in the wicket coupled with overhead conditions and the wicket is a pretty good one.&quot;

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England have won the toss and elected to bat as the 5th and final <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashes</a> Test finally gets underway. 
 
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Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc returns to Australia&#39;s bowling line-up. Left-arm Starc is the leading wicket-taker in the series with 19 despite only playing three Tests.

Australia has already clinched the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series ahead of the Sydney finale.

England is bidding to save face in Sydney, where they have won twice in the last four Ashes Tests.

England were 122&nbsp;for three&nbsp;at tea on the opening day of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

&nbsp;

England won the toss and chose to bat against Australia in the final Ashes Test, England were 122-3?at tea

England won the toss and chose to bat against Australia in the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. After a rain delay and an early lunch, the play was started a bit late. "It looks a good wicket, there is a bit of weather about but if we bat well enough in the first few sessions I expect the pitch to deteriorate and spin will come in the game later on," England captain Joe Root said. Seamer Chris Woakes has been ruled out with a side strain, opening the way for young leg-spinner Mason Crane to make his debut for England. "Mason is a very excited young man and we expect him to do really well in his first Test," Root said. Australia captain Steve Smith said he was in two minds about what he would have done if he had won the toss. "I'm not too bothered and not too disappointed to lose the toss," Smith said. "There's a bit of moisture in the wicket coupled with overhead conditions and the wicket is a pretty good one." England have won the toss and elected to bat as the 5th and final #Ashes Test finally gets underway. Follow LIVE: https://t.co/zIa7LHi9S8 #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/QvMRupT1C3 — ICC (@ICC) January 4, 2018 × Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc returns to Australia's bowling line-up. Left-arm Starc is the leading wicket-taker in the series with 19 despite only playing three Tests. Australia has already clinched the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series ahead of the Sydney finale. England is bidding to save face in Sydney, where they have won twice in the last four Ashes Tests. England were 122 for three at tea on the opening day of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.

Cricket: England is bidding to break through in the final Ashes Test

A buoyant Angelique Kerber beat a battling Eugenie Bouchard to lead Germany to a 3-0 win over Canada at the mixed-teams Hopman Cup on Wednesday.

Former world number one Kerber notched her second straight-sets wins in Perth to start the new year, while Bouchard - once ranked fifth but now 83rd - was testy after yet another comprehensive defeat.

Kerber&#39;s win gave the Germans a perfect start to the Group A tie. Young gun Alexander Zverev then ensured they remained unbeaten after two outings with an emphatic win over Vasek Pospisil.

In the dead mixed doubles, the Germans completed a clean sweep with a straight-sets win.

If the Germans beat Australia on Friday they will be guaranteed a berth in Saturday&#39;s final.

As was the case in her 6-1, 6-4 loss to Australian Daria Gavrilova on Monday, Bouchard barely fired a shot against Kerber in the first set but resurrected her game in the second.

Bouchard opened the match by holding to love. She then had Kerber break point down in the next game before the German veteran steadied.

Kerber steamrolled Bouchard from there to close out the set in just 22 minutes.

At 3-3 in the second set, Bouchard held four break points. But Kerber staved them off, held serve and then strolled through the last two games comfortably to win 6-1, 6-3 in 57 minutes.

The contrasting moods of Kerber and Bouchard told the story, with the former rapidly regaining confidence in her own game after a frustrating 2017 in which she slipped from number one in the rankings to 21st.

&quot;I was feeling very good from the first point,&quot; she said. &quot;I was trying to be aggressive and play my game. It is not so easy to play against Eugenie but today it was a good match. It&#39;s (her own game) feeling a little bit better than one week ago.&quot;

But Bouchard could barely contain her frustration, complaining about match scheduling and the off-court activities in Perth after an error-riddled performance.

The 23-year-old said she was trying not to be consumed by the pressure to climb back up the rankings.

Also, World number four Zverev cruised past the 108th-ranked Pospisil in a 6-4, 6-2 win. The German called it his reward for putting in extra practice after his disappointing singles loss to Belgium&#39;s David Goffin on Monday.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamGermany?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamGermany</a> bring it home in the mixed doubles 4-3(2) 4-3(2) ?? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HopmanCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HopmanCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/30BhefLYyS">pic.twitter.com/30BhefLYyS</a>
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The 20-year-old was delighted to have kept his team on track for the final of a tournament which Germany has won twice, most recently through Boris Becker and Anke Huber in 1995.

&quot;We have two wins now in the group, hopefully, we can get one more,&quot; he said.

&quot;It is a team competition and we are in a good spot.&quot;

Tennis: Hopman Cup scores (Group A)

Germany bt Canada 3-0

Women&#39;s singles: Angelique Kerber (GER) bt Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 6-1, 6-3

Men&#39;s singles: Alexander Zverev (GER) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-4, 6-2

Mixed doubles: KerberZverev (GER) bt Bouchard/Pospisil (CAN) 4-3 (5/2), 4-3 (5/2)

&nbsp;

Bouchard held many break points but Kerber staved them off, held serve and then strolled through the last two games comfortably to win 6-1, 6-3 in 57 minutes

A buoyant Angelique Kerber beat a battling Eugenie Bouchard to lead Germany to a 3-0 win over Canada at the mixed-teams Hopman Cup on Wednesday. Former world number one Kerber notched her second straight-sets wins in Perth to start the new year, while Bouchard - once ranked fifth but now 83rd - was testy after yet another comprehensive defeat. Kerber's win gave the Germans a perfect start to the Group A tie. Young gun Alexander Zverev then ensured they remained unbeaten after two outings with an emphatic win over Vasek Pospisil. In the dead mixed doubles, the Germans completed a clean sweep with a straight-sets win. If the Germans beat Australia on Friday they will be guaranteed a berth in Saturday's final. As was the case in her 6-1, 6-4 loss to Australian Daria Gavrilova on Monday, Bouchard barely fired a shot against Kerber in the first set but resurrected her game in the second. Bouchard opened the match by holding to love. She then had Kerber break point down in the next game before the German veteran steadied. Kerber steamrolled Bouchard from there to close out the set in just 22 minutes. At 3-3 in the second set, Bouchard held four break points. But Kerber staved them off, held serve and then strolled through the last two games comfortably to win 6-1, 6-3 in 57 minutes. The contrasting moods of Kerber and Bouchard told the story, with the former rapidly regaining confidence in her own game after a frustrating 2017 in which she slipped from number one in the rankings to 21st. "I was feeling very good from the first point," she said. "I was trying to be aggressive and play my game. It is not so easy to play against Eugenie but today it was a good match. It's (her own game) feeling a little bit better than one week ago." But Bouchard could barely contain her frustration, complaining about match scheduling and the off-court activities in Perth after an error-riddled performance. The 23-year-old said she was trying not to be consumed by the pressure to climb back up the rankings. Also, World number four Zverev cruised past the 108th-ranked Pospisil in a 6-4, 6-2 win. The German called it his reward for putting in extra practice after his disappointing singles loss to Belgium's David Goffin on Monday. #TeamGermany bring it home in the mixed doubles 4-3(2) 4-3(2) ?? #HopmanCup pic.twitter.com/30BhefLYyS — Hopman Cup (@hopmancup) January 3, 2018 × The 20-year-old was delighted to have kept his team on track for the final of a tournament which Germany has won twice, most recently through Boris Becker and Anke Huber in 1995. "We have two wins now in the group, hopefully, we can get one more," he said. "It is a team competition and we are in a good spot." Tennis: Hopman Cup scores (Group A) Germany bt Canada 3-0 Women's singles: Angelique Kerber (GER) bt Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 6-1, 6-3 Men's singles: Alexander Zverev (GER) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-4, 6-2 Mixed doubles: KerberZverev (GER) bt Bouchard/Pospisil (CAN) 4-3 (5/2), 4-3 (5/2)

Hopman Cup: Angelique Kerber defeats Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets

Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Wade were axed from Australia&#39;s squad on Wednesday for the&nbsp;one-day international (ODI) series against England which is starting from January 14.

Squad: Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Patrick Cummins, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

Chief selector Trevor Hohns said ODI specialist Maxwell was omitted over consistency concerns, while Tim Paine takes the wicketkeeping gloves from Wade following his outstanding form in the Ashes Test series.

&quot;No one is in any doubt about Glenn&#39;s ability or his potential to produce match-winning contributions with the bat,&quot; Hohns said.

He added that Maxwell was &quot;still absolutely in our thoughts&quot; but they opted for Lynn who is now back playing after a shoulder injury hampered him when he was picked against Pakistan 12 months ago.

&quot;What we have wanted from him is more consistency but in his past 20 matches in this format, he has averaged 22 and we need more than that from a player in the side&rsquo;s batting engine room.&quot;

Hohns said&nbsp;Tim&nbsp;Paine had seized his opportunity behind the stumps during the Ashes after being preferred to Wade.

&quot;Tim forced his way into the Twenty20 International squad last summer, and after coming back into the Test squad at the beginning of the Ashes series he has made a terrific contribution with bat and gloves,&quot; he said.

&quot;There will still be further opportunities for players to force their way into the reckoning for the squad to go to England and Wales in 2019. But the sooner we can settle on our best combination and get them playing together and inform on a regular basis then the better our chances will be of retaining the trophy.&quot;

Chief selector Trevor Hohns said Australian star Maxwell was omitted over consistency concerns

Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Wade were axed from Australia's squad on Wednesday for the one-day international (ODI) series against England which is starting from January 14. Squad: Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Patrick Cummins, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa. Chief selector Trevor Hohns said ODI specialist Maxwell was omitted over consistency concerns, while Tim Paine takes the wicketkeeping gloves from Wade following his outstanding form in the Ashes Test series. "No one is in any doubt about Glenn's ability or his potential to produce match-winning contributions with the bat," Hohns said. He added that Maxwell was "still absolutely in our thoughts" but they opted for Lynn who is now back playing after a shoulder injury hampered him when he was picked against Pakistan 12 months ago. "What we have wanted from him is more consistency but in his past 20 matches in this format, he has averaged 22 and we need more than that from a player in the side’s batting engine room." Hohns said Tim Paine had seized his opportunity behind the stumps during the Ashes after being preferred to Wade. "Tim forced his way into the Twenty20 International squad last summer, and after coming back into the Test squad at the beginning of the Ashes series he has made a terrific contribution with bat and gloves," he said. "There will still be further opportunities for players to force their way into the reckoning for the squad to go to England and Wales in 2019. But the sooner we can settle on our best combination and get them playing together and inform on a regular basis then the better our chances will be of retaining the trophy."

Aus vs Eng: Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Wade snubbed for upcoming ODI series

With 2017 coming to end, Indian skipper Virat Kohli remained at the second position as per the latest ICC Test rankings released today following the conclusion of the Melbourne and Port Elizabeth Tests.

Australian skipper Steve Smith continues to be at the top of the table.

However, former captain of the England Test and One Day International teams Alastair Cook jumped nine places up to grab the eight spot. &nbsp;&nbsp;

A splendid double-century by Cook against Australia in the ongoing Ashes helped him finish the year inside the top 10 batsmen in Test rankings.

The 33-year-old scored unbeaten 244 to break the 45-year old record. Cook&#39;s score is the highest by any opener to have carried his bat through an innings surpassing New Zealand opener Glenn Turner&#39;s 223 not out against the West Indies in 1972.&nbsp;

Cook had begun the year in 15th position, while he had entered the Ashes in 10th position.

Meanwhile, Steve Smith&#39;s contributions of 76 and 102 not out has further strengthened his position.

England captain Joe Root improved his ranking, as he moved up one place to join his opposite number from New Zealand, Kane Williamson, in fourth place.&nbsp;

Root and Williamson had started 2017 in third and fourth positions, respectively.

In the bowlers&#39; rankings, there is no change in the top nine with&nbsp; 
the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Rangana Herath had started 2017 in the top three positions, and have finished at third, fourth and sixth places, respectively.

Australia&#39;s Josh Hazlewood started and finished at the fifth spot.

Australian skipper Steve Smith continues to be at the top of the table.

With 2017 coming to end, Indian skipper Virat Kohli remained at the second position as per the latest ICC Test rankings released today following the conclusion of the Melbourne and Port Elizabeth Tests. Australian skipper Steve Smith continues to be at the top of the table. However, former captain of the England Test and One Day International teams Alastair Cook jumped nine places up to grab the eight spot. A splendid double-century by Cook against Australia in the ongoing Ashes helped him finish the year inside the top 10 batsmen in Test rankings. The 33-year-old scored unbeaten 244 to break the 45-year old record. Cook's score is the highest by any opener to have carried his bat through an innings surpassing New Zealand opener Glenn Turner's 223 not out against the West Indies in 1972. Cook had begun the year in 15th position, while he had entered the Ashes in 10th position. Meanwhile, Steve Smith's contributions of 76 and 102 not out has further strengthened his position. England captain Joe Root improved his ranking, as he moved up one place to join his opposite number from New Zealand, Kane Williamson, in fourth place. Root and Williamson had started 2017 in third and fourth positions, respectively. In the bowlers' rankings, there is no change in the top nine with the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Rangana Herath had started 2017 in the top three positions, and have finished at third, fourth and sixth places, respectively. Australia's Josh Hazlewood started and finished at the fifth spot.

Virat Kohli remains 2nd in ICC Test rankings, Alastair Cook grabs 8th spot after double-ton

Batsman Dawid Malan will replace Ben Stokes in England&#39;s One-Day International squad for the upcoming five-match series in Australia.&nbsp;

The replacement comes as Stokes is unavailable following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

According to reports, the ECB has decided that the case against him is unlikely to be resolved before the ODI series, starting on January 14.

Stokes was arrested in Bristol in September and the 26-year-old spent the night in prison but was later released without any charge.&nbsp;

His case was handed over to the Criminal Prosecution Service by Avon and Somerset police in late November.

Meanwhile, Malan has had a good tour of Australia so far.&nbsp;

He made an impressive international debut in T20Is against &nbsp;South Africa scoring an aggressive 44-ball 78 runs.

He was awarded with a Test cap during the four-Tests against Proteas.&nbsp;

After the fifth and final Ashes Test, England will gear up for five ODIs and a T20I tri-series against Australia and New Zealand.

The replacement comes as Stokes is unavailable following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September

Batsman Dawid Malan will replace Ben Stokes in England's One-Day International squad for the upcoming five-match series in Australia. The replacement comes as Stokes is unavailable following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September. According to reports, the ECB has decided that the case against him is unlikely to be resolved before the ODI series, starting on January 14. Stokes was arrested in Bristol in September and the 26-year-old spent the night in prison but was later released without any charge. His case was handed over to the Criminal Prosecution Service by Avon and Somerset police in late November. Meanwhile, Malan has had a good tour of Australia so far. He made an impressive international debut in T20Is against South Africa scoring an aggressive 44-ball 78 runs. He was awarded with a Test cap during the four-Tests against Proteas. After the fifth and final Ashes Test, England will gear up for five ODIs and a T20I tri-series against Australia and New Zealand.

Dawid Malan to replace Ben Stokes in England's ODI squad

Former world number one Novak Djokovic today withdrew from next week&#39;s Qatar Open, casting doubt on his participation at the Australian Open later in January.

Qatar is the second tournament Djokovic has pulled out in as many days due to a niggling elbow injury.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion was the top seed in Doha, but in a statement, he said he would not be able to defend the title he won by beating Andy Murray last year.

His withdrawal comes just 24 hours after the injury forced him to drop out of an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi.

&quot;Unfortunately, the situation with the elbow has not changed for the better since yesterday,&quot; said Djokovic.

&quot;I still feel the pain. Therefore, I will have to withdraw from (the) ATP tournament in Doha.&quot;

The Serb added: &quot;Only when I&#39;m 100 per cent ready to play, I will be able to come back.

&quot;I hope it will be soon. I want to thank everyone for patience and understanding.&quot;

The latest announcement raises fresh doubts over the long-term future of the 30-year-old and more immediately his availability for the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open, which begins on January 15.

In recent years, Djokovic has used the Qatar tournament as a valuable warm-up for the Australian Open.

In 2016, after beating Rafa Nadal in the Qatar final he went on to claim his sixth Australian title.

Last year in Doha, he ended then world number one Murray&#39;s 28-match winning streak to claim his second Qatar title in a riveting final.

Djokovic was targeting Doha as his first match since his quarter-finals loss at Wimbledon in July this year.

Austria&#39;s Dominic Thiem, world ranked number five, has now been made the Qatar Open number one seed.

The draw for the tournament takes place later on Saturday.

Qatar Open tournament director admitted Djokovic &#39;will surely be missed&#39;.&nbsp;

It is the 2nd tournament Djokovic has pulled out in as many days due to a niggling elbow injury

Former world number one Novak Djokovic today withdrew from next week's Qatar Open, casting doubt on his participation at the Australian Open later in January. Qatar is the second tournament Djokovic has pulled out in as many days due to a niggling elbow injury. The 12-time Grand Slam champion was the top seed in Doha, but in a statement, he said he would not be able to defend the title he won by beating Andy Murray last year. His withdrawal comes just 24 hours after the injury forced him to drop out of an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi. "Unfortunately, the situation with the elbow has not changed for the better since yesterday," said Djokovic. "I still feel the pain. Therefore, I will have to withdraw from (the) ATP tournament in Doha." The Serb added: "Only when I'm 100 per cent ready to play, I will be able to come back. "I hope it will be soon. I want to thank everyone for patience and understanding." The latest announcement raises fresh doubts over the long-term future of the 30-year-old and more immediately his availability for the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open, which begins on January 15. In recent years, Djokovic has used the Qatar tournament as a valuable warm-up for the Australian Open. In 2016, after beating Rafa Nadal in the Qatar final he went on to claim his sixth Australian title. Last year in Doha, he ended then world number one Murray's 28-match winning streak to claim his second Qatar title in a riveting final. Djokovic was targeting Doha as his first match since his quarter-finals loss at Wimbledon in July this year. Austria's Dominic Thiem, world ranked number five, has now been made the Qatar Open number one seed. The draw for the tournament takes place later on Saturday. Qatar Open tournament director admitted Djokovic 'will surely be missed'.

Australia doubts as Novak Djokovic pulls out of Qatar Open

Selectors would have dropped me over poor form, says Alastair Cook&nbsp;

England opener Alastair Cook on Thursday said the situation for him was such where he could have been dropped for the final Ashes Test had he not performed.&nbsp;

Cook&#39;s masterful double-century has put England in a winning position.

England scored 491/9 at stumps, taking a 164-run lead against the hosts on the third day of the fourth Ashes Test match.&nbsp;

The former captain managed to score only 83 runs in six innings before making 244 not out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test.

&ldquo;(They) would have been entitled just because I literally hadn&#39;t scored a run since Edgbaston,&rdquo; Cook said, referring to his 243 against the West Indies in August.

&ldquo;I always feel I&#39;ve got the backing of the selectors but you&#39;ve still got to deliver the goods, I hadn&#39;t done that on this tour. It was very frustrating,&quot; the 33-year-old added.

With this score, Cook surpassed the highest score by a visiting batsman in a Melbourne Test, bettering the 208 by West Indian Viv Richards in 1984.

The home side had already regained the Ashes urn after they thrashed the visitors by an innings and 41 runs in Perth to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

The former captain managed to score only 83 runs in six innings before making 244 not out

Selectors would have dropped me over poor form, says Alastair Cook England opener Alastair Cook on Thursday said the situation for him was such where he could have been dropped for the final Ashes Test had he not performed. Cook's masterful double-century has put England in a winning position. England scored 491/9 at stumps, taking a 164-run lead against the hosts on the third day of the fourth Ashes Test match. The former captain managed to score only 83 runs in six innings before making 244 not out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test. “(They) would have been entitled just because I literally hadn't scored a run since Edgbaston,” Cook said, referring to his 243 against the West Indies in August. “I always feel I've got the backing of the selectors but you've still got to deliver the goods, I hadn't done that on this tour. It was very frustrating," the 33-year-old added. With this score, Cook surpassed the highest score by a visiting batsman in a Melbourne Test, bettering the 208 by West Indian Viv Richards in 1984. The home side had already regained the Ashes urn after they thrashed the visitors by an innings and 41 runs in Perth to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Selectors would have dropped me over poor form: Alastair Cook on his double-century

England opener Alastair Cook scored his fifth Test double century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test to steer his side to a dominating position.

The former Test captain remained unbeaten at 244*, at the close of play.

The thirty-three-year-old Cook joined the great Wally Hammond (England) and Brian Lara (West Indies) to become the third player to register two overseas double hundreds in Australia.England, who are playing for pride after having already lost the Ashes urn to Australia, bundled out the hosts for 327 in their first innings just after lunch of Day Two.

In reply, the Joe Root-led side were reduced to 80-2 after opener Mark Stoneman and James Vince were dismissed cheaply for 15 and 17 respectively.

However, Cook along with Joe Root (61) and Stuart Broad (56) put England in a rare position of strength.England lead by 164 runs with a wicket remaining at stumps on Day 3.

The home side had already regained the Ashes urn after they thrashed the visitors by an innings and 41 runs in Perth to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

England build a lead over Australia in the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

England opener Alastair Cook scored his fifth Test double century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test to steer his side to a dominating position. The former Test captain remained unbeaten at 244*, at the close of play. The thirty-three-year-old Cook joined the great Wally Hammond (England) and Brian Lara (West Indies) to become the third player to register two overseas double hundreds in Australia.England, who are playing for pride after having already lost the Ashes urn to Australia, bundled out the hosts for 327 in their first innings just after lunch of Day Two. In reply, the Joe Root-led side were reduced to 80-2 after opener Mark Stoneman and James Vince were dismissed cheaply for 15 and 17 respectively. However, Cook along with Joe Root (61) and Stuart Broad (56) put England in a rare position of strength.England lead by 164 runs with a wicket remaining at stumps on Day 3. The home side had already regained the Ashes urn after they thrashed the visitors by an innings and 41 runs in Perth to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Ashes, Day 3: England 491-9 at close in reply to Australia's 327

Alastair Cook completed a sparkling century in a stellar return to form as England savoured a rare day of domination in the fourth Ashes test against Australia on Wednesday.

Cook raised his 32nd Test ton with a pull-shot to the fence in the final over before stumps, and strode off the ground unbeaten on 104, having pushed England to 192 for two on day two at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

His successor as captain, Joe Root was 49 not out, the pair having reduced Australia`s lead to 135 runs.

English cheer has been in short supply this series after Australia took back the urn by winning the first three tests but Wednesday`s fightback thrilled sun-baked Britons in the raucous crowd of 67,882.

Stuart Broad, another Englishman under the microscope after playing a negligible part in the first three tests, captured 4-51 as Australia`s day one resistance melted in the morning heat.

The hosts started the day in a position of strength at 244 for three but were bowled out for 327, losing their last seven wickets for 67 runs.

After labouring on a slow and flat pitch on day one, England`s bowlers were transformed in the morning, with debutant paceman Tom Curran proving the unlikely catalyst.

The 22-year-old Surrey seamer bowled Steve Smith for 76 with the second ball of his first spell, having the skipper drag a wider, short delivery onto his stumps.

It not only secured Curran his first test wicket but ended Smith`s unbeaten reign at the MCG since his last dismissal in the Boxing Day test against India in 2014.

It was also a huge relief for Curran, who had opener David Warner caught on 99 on day one but missed out on the wicket for over-stepping his mark.

ACROBATIC DISMISSAL

Smith was one of three Australian batsmen out chopping onto the stumps, with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh (nine) and wicketkeeper Tim Paine (24) falling in the same fashion.

Shaun Marsh dug in to raise his third half-century of the series before being trapped leg before by Broad for 61, the wicket awarded after the bowler demanded a review.

James Anderson bowled Paine for his 520th test wicket, pulling past West Indies great Courtney Walsh to fifth on the all-time list, and grabbed a third victim for the innings by dismissing Nathan Lyon lbw for a duck.

Broad capped off a dominant morning for England by trapping tail-ender Jackson Bird lbw for four and having Pat Cummins caught at slip for four after lunch.

England`s rookie top order batsmen Mark Stoneman (15) and James Vince (17) fell cheaply but Cook carried the fight to Australia, riding his luck when Smith dropped him on 66 in the slips.

He and Root combined for a 112-run partnership to give England hope of mowing down Australia`s first innings total and taking a substantial lead.

Starting England`s response after lunch, Cook and Stoneman fended off Australia`s opening pace salvo before Lyon intervened with a brilliant caught and bowled.&nbsp;

The off-spinner coaxed a leading edge from Stoneman and leaped high to pull down a one-handed catch, reviving memories of his acrobatic dismissal of Moeen Ali during the second test at Adelaide Oval.

Vince was given out lbw when paceman Josh Hazlewood sent a full, straight ball thudding into his pads.

He neglected to review the decision and would have regretted it later, with the `snicko` technology showing he had nicked the ball with his bat.

Root and Cook then frustrated Australia for most of the final session, the hosts` task made heavier with sickly seamer Pat Cummins hampered by a stomach ailment.

Cook raised his 32nd Test ton with a pull-shot to the fence in the final over before stumps

Alastair Cook completed a sparkling century in a stellar return to form as England savoured a rare day of domination in the fourth Ashes test against Australia on Wednesday. Cook raised his 32nd Test ton with a pull-shot to the fence in the final over before stumps, and strode off the ground unbeaten on 104, having pushed England to 192 for two on day two at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. His successor as captain, Joe Root was 49 not out, the pair having reduced Australia`s lead to 135 runs. English cheer has been in short supply this series after Australia took back the urn by winning the first three tests but Wednesday`s fightback thrilled sun-baked Britons in the raucous crowd of 67,882. Stuart Broad, another Englishman under the microscope after playing a negligible part in the first three tests, captured 4-51 as Australia`s day one resistance melted in the morning heat. The hosts started the day in a position of strength at 244 for three but were bowled out for 327, losing their last seven wickets for 67 runs. After labouring on a slow and flat pitch on day one, England`s bowlers were transformed in the morning, with debutant paceman Tom Curran proving the unlikely catalyst. The 22-year-old Surrey seamer bowled Steve Smith for 76 with the second ball of his first spell, having the skipper drag a wider, short delivery onto his stumps. It not only secured Curran his first test wicket but ended Smith`s unbeaten reign at the MCG since his last dismissal in the Boxing Day test against India in 2014. It was also a huge relief for Curran, who had opener David Warner caught on 99 on day one but missed out on the wicket for over-stepping his mark. ACROBATIC DISMISSAL Smith was one of three Australian batsmen out chopping onto the stumps, with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh (nine) and wicketkeeper Tim Paine (24) falling in the same fashion. Shaun Marsh dug in to raise his third half-century of the series before being trapped leg before by Broad for 61, the wicket awarded after the bowler demanded a review. James Anderson bowled Paine for his 520th test wicket, pulling past West Indies great Courtney Walsh to fifth on the all-time list, and grabbed a third victim for the innings by dismissing Nathan Lyon lbw for a duck. Broad capped off a dominant morning for England by trapping tail-ender Jackson Bird lbw for four and having Pat Cummins caught at slip for four after lunch. England`s rookie top order batsmen Mark Stoneman (15) and James Vince (17) fell cheaply but Cook carried the fight to Australia, riding his luck when Smith dropped him on 66 in the slips. He and Root combined for a 112-run partnership to give England hope of mowing down Australia`s first innings total and taking a substantial lead. Starting England`s response after lunch, Cook and Stoneman fended off Australia`s opening pace salvo before Lyon intervened with a brilliant caught and bowled. The off-spinner coaxed a leading edge from Stoneman and leaped high to pull down a one-handed catch, reviving memories of his acrobatic dismissal of Moeen Ali during the second test at Adelaide Oval. Vince was given out lbw when paceman Josh Hazlewood sent a full, straight ball thudding into his pads. He neglected to review the decision and would have regretted it later, with the `snicko` technology showing he had nicked the ball with his bat. Root and Cook then frustrated Australia for most of the final session, the hosts` task made heavier with sickly seamer Pat Cummins hampered by a stomach ailment.

Alastair Cook grabs ton as England savour dominant day

With 2017 coming to an end, let&#39;s look back at the 10 most precious moments where Indian sportspersons made the country proud and captured the hearts and minds of the people.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli-led team India became World No. 1 in both ODIs, Tests&nbsp;

Following their 5-wicket victory against Australia in September this year, India surged to the top of the International Cricket Council&#39;s (ICC) official rankings. Virat Kohli&#39;s troops became the first ever Indian team to reach the number one position in both Test and ODI rankings since the ICC team rankings began in 2002.

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Virat Kohli-led Team India (Zee News Network)
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Mirabai Chanu won gold at World Weightlifting Championships

On November 30, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu became the first Indian in over two decades to win a gold medal at the World weightlifting championships. Chanu lifted 85kg in snatch and 109kg in clean and jerk, to total an impressive 194 kg, in the women&rsquo;s 48kg, in the process of setting a new national record. She is only second Indian weightlifter after Olympic bronze medallist Karnam Malleswari to achieve this feat. Karnam had won the top prize in the Worlds twice in 1994 and 1995.&nbsp;

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Mirabai Chanu (Zee News Network)
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Indian women&rsquo;s hockey team won 2017 Asia Cup title

Indian Women&rsquo;s Hockey team won the 2017 Asia Cup hockey title In November. India defeated China by 5-4 goals in a penalty shootout in the final match held in Japan. With this victory, India qualified for the 2018 World Cup. It was India&rsquo;s second Women&rsquo;s Asia Cup title. The first one was won in 2004.

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Indian women&rsquo;s hockey team (Zee News Network)
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Sundar Singh Gurjar clinched gold medal at World Para Athletics

21-year old Sundar Singh Gurjar made India proud after he grabbed a gold medal in the men&rsquo;s javelin throw event at World Para Athletics Championships in London, United Kingdom in July 2017. In the F46 category, Sundar recorded his personal best effort of 60.36m ahead of Dinesh Priyantha Herath (Sri Lanka) who emerged second with 57.93m, followed by defending champion Guo Chunliang (China) with 56.14m.

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Sundar Singh Gurjar (Zee News Network)
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Mary Kom claimed gold in Asian Women&rsquo;s Boxing Championships

Five-time world champion Mary Kom won a gold medal in Asian Women&rsquo;s Boxing Championships in Light Flyweight (48 kg) category in November. Kom defeated North Korea&rsquo;s Kim Hyang Mi in the final bout 5-0 by unanimous judges&rsquo; decision, in the final match which held in Vietnam. This was Mary Kom&rsquo;s first international gold medal since 2014 Asian Games.&nbsp;

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Mary Kom (Zee News Network)
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Sushil Kumar clinched gold at Commonwealth Wrestling Championships

Sushil Kumar secured a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Johannesburg, South Africa in December 2017. The Double Olympic medalist returned to international wrestling after a gap of almost three years. The Indian wrestler defeated New Zealand&#39;s Akash Khullar in the final of the men&#39;s 74-kilogram freestyle category. It was Sushil&rsquo;s first international medal since his gold medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

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Sushil Kumar (Zee News Network)
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Gopi Thonakal became 1st Indian man to win gold at Asian Marathon Championships

In November, Gopi Thonakal clinched gold to become the first Indian man to win Asian Marathon Championships in Dongguan. Gopi clocked 2 hours 15 minutes and 48 seconds to grab the medal in the 16th edition of the event. After formation of separate Asian Marathon Championships, Gopi became the first Indian man to win the title. Earlier, Asha Agarwal won the women&#39;s title when it was part of the biennial Asian Track and Field Championships.

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Gopi Thonakal (Zee News Network)
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Indian men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s teams claimed 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championships &nbsp; &nbsp;

The Indian men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s kabaddi teams were both crowned the champions of Asia after beating Pakistan and South Korea in Gorgan, Iran, in November. Star raider Ajay Thakur led from the front in the men&rsquo;s final, as India beat their arch-rivals Pakistan 36-22, winning the match by a comfortable 14-point margin. Meanwhile, the women&rsquo;s team defeated South Korea 42-20 in their finals. At half-time, India had a seven-point lead at 19-12 before breaking away in the second, eventually winning by a 22-point margin.

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Asian Kabaddi Championships (Zee News Network)
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PV Sindhu wins silver at World Badminton Championships

This year in August, Indian Badminton player PV Sindhu settled with a silver medal at the World Badminton Championships. She lost the women&rsquo;s singles final to Japan&rsquo;s Nozomi Okuhara 19-21, 22-20, 20-22 in the final of the competition held at Glasgow, Scotland. The ace shuttler made a fine comeback after losing the first game to win the next two against Okuhara.

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PV Sindhu (Zee News Network)
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Indian sports stature has grown immensely in world following a phenomenal 2017

With 2017 coming to an end, let's look back at the 10 most precious moments where Indian sportspersons made the country proud and captured the hearts and minds of the people. Virat Kohli-led team India became World No. 1 in both ODIs, Tests Following their 5-wicket victory against Australia in September this year, India surged to the top of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) official rankings. Virat Kohli's troops became the first ever Indian team to reach the number one position in both Test and ODI rankings since the ICC team rankings began in 2002. Virat Kohli-led Team India (Zee News Network) × Mirabai Chanu won gold at World Weightlifting Championships On November 30, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu became the first Indian in over two decades to win a gold medal at the World weightlifting championships. Chanu lifted 85kg in snatch and 109kg in clean and jerk, to total an impressive 194 kg, in the women’s 48kg, in the process of setting a new national record. She is only second Indian weightlifter after Olympic bronze medallist Karnam Malleswari to achieve this feat. Karnam had won the top prize in the Worlds twice in 1994 and 1995. Mirabai Chanu (Zee News Network) × Indian women’s hockey team won 2017 Asia Cup title Indian Women’s Hockey team won the 2017 Asia Cup hockey title In November. India defeated China by 5-4 goals in a penalty shootout in the final match held in Japan. With this victory, India qualified for the 2018 World Cup. It was India’s second Women’s Asia Cup title. The first one was won in 2004. Indian women’s hockey team (Zee News Network) × Sundar Singh Gurjar clinched gold medal at World Para Athletics 21-year old Sundar Singh Gurjar made India proud after he grabbed a gold medal in the men’s javelin throw event at World Para Athletics Championships in London, United Kingdom in July 2017. In the F46 category, Sundar recorded his personal best effort of 60.36m ahead of Dinesh Priyantha Herath (Sri Lanka) who emerged second with 57.93m, followed by defending champion Guo Chunliang (China) with 56.14m. Sundar Singh Gurjar (Zee News Network) × Mary Kom claimed gold in Asian Women’s Boxing Championships Five-time world champion Mary Kom won a gold medal in Asian Women’s Boxing Championships in Light Flyweight (48 kg) category in November. Kom defeated North Korea’s Kim Hyang Mi in the final bout 5-0 by unanimous judges’ decision, in the final match which held in Vietnam. This was Mary Kom’s first international gold medal since 2014 Asian Games. Mary Kom (Zee News Network) × Sushil Kumar clinched gold at Commonwealth Wrestling Championships Sushil Kumar secured a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Johannesburg, South Africa in December 2017. The Double Olympic medalist returned to international wrestling after a gap of almost three years. The Indian wrestler defeated New Zealand's Akash Khullar in the final of the men's 74-kilogram freestyle category. It was Sushil’s first international medal since his gold medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Sushil Kumar (Zee News Network) × Gopi Thonakal became 1st Indian man to win gold at Asian Marathon Championships In November, Gopi Thonakal clinched gold to become the first Indian man to win Asian Marathon Championships in Dongguan. Gopi clocked 2 hours 15 minutes and 48 seconds to grab the medal in the 16th edition of the event. After formation of separate Asian Marathon Championships, Gopi became the first Indian man to win the title. Earlier, Asha Agarwal won the women's title when it was part of the biennial Asian Track and Field Championships. Gopi Thonakal (Zee News Network) × Indian men’s and women’s teams claimed 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championships The Indian men’s and women’s kabaddi teams were both crowned the champions of Asia after beating Pakistan and South Korea in Gorgan, Iran, in November. Star raider Ajay Thakur led from the front in the men’s final, as India beat their arch-rivals Pakistan 36-22, winning the match by a comfortable 14-point margin. Meanwhile, the women’s team defeated South Korea 42-20 in their finals. At half-time, India had a seven-point lead at 19-12 before breaking away in the second, eventually winning by a 22-point margin. Asian Kabaddi Championships (Zee News Network) × PV Sindhu wins silver at World Badminton Championships This year in August, Indian Badminton player PV Sindhu settled with a silver medal at the World Badminton Championships. She lost the women’s singles final to Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara 19-21, 22-20, 20-22 in the final of the competition held at Glasgow, Scotland. The ace shuttler made a fine comeback after losing the first game to win the next two against Okuhara. PV Sindhu (Zee News Network) ×

Yearender: Sportspersons who made 'India proud' in 2017

Australian opener David Warner on Tuesday hit his 21st Test century to put Australia in a strong position over England on day one of the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne.

Warner, who scored 103 off 151 balls, reprieved on 99 by a no-ball from Tom Curran, before reaching his century off the next ball.

The batsman didn&#39;t stay for long at the crease, after his let-off, as he was caught behind off James Anderson. It was his 100th Ashes wicket.

The beleaguered tourists all though failed to pick wickets on the first day but Stuart Broad did end his wicket drought after dismissing Usman Khawaja

The hosts have already reclaimed the Ashes urn after taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series.&nbsp;

They are chasing a 5-0 whitewash over the depleted English side.&nbsp;

Skipper Steve Smith too posted an unbeaten half-century.&nbsp;

Australia ends Day 1 at 244/3 with Steve Smith (65) and Shaun Marsh &nbsp;(31) at the crease. 
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Warner, who scored 103 off 151 balls, reprieved on 99 by a no-ball from Tom Curran, before reaching his century off the next ball

Australian opener David Warner on Tuesday hit his 21st Test century to put Australia in a strong position over England on day one of the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne. Warner, who scored 103 off 151 balls, reprieved on 99 by a no-ball from Tom Curran, before reaching his century off the next ball. The batsman didn't stay for long at the crease, after his let-off, as he was caught behind off James Anderson. It was his 100th Ashes wicket. The beleaguered tourists all though failed to pick wickets on the first day but Stuart Broad did end his wicket drought after dismissing Usman Khawaja The hosts have already reclaimed the Ashes urn after taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series. They are chasing a 5-0 whitewash over the depleted English side. Skipper Steve Smith too posted an unbeaten half-century. Australia ends Day 1 at 244/3 with Steve Smith (65) and Shaun Marsh (31) at the crease.

4th Test, Day 1: David Warner's century leads Australia to 244/3 at stumps

The selection committee of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet again ignored star spinners Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin, while announcing India&#39;s ODI squad for South Africa.&nbsp;

The selectors decided to persist with the young wrist-spinning duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal along with left-arm orthodox Axar Patel.

The two last featured in the limited-overs team during India&rsquo;s tour of the West Indies, soon after the June ICC Champions Trophy.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, left paceman Umesh Yadav also did not find any place in the squad and is replaced by Mohammed Shami. &nbsp;

Shami last played an ODI against Australia in September 2017.

Meanwhile, KL Rahul, whose performance cannot be doubted if considered the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka, was also left out.&nbsp;

Middle-order batsman Kedar Jadhav and speedster Shardul Thakur have made a comeback into the Indian team.&nbsp;

Skipper Virat Kohli, who rested for the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka, will lead the side.

Ahead of the ODIs, India will start their tour with the three-Test series against the Proteas, starting January 5 in Capetown while the second (January 13-17) and third (January 24-28) Tests will be played in Centurion and Johannesburg, respectively.

The ODI series starts from February 1 in Durban, four days after the conclusion of the third Test. The second ODI will be played in Centurion on February 4, the third in Cape Town on February 7, while the fourth and fifth ODIs will be held on February 10 and 13 in Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth respectively.

The final ODI will be played in Centurion on February 16, followed by a three-match T20I series concluding on February 24.

The two last featured in the limited-overs team during India?s tour of West Indies

The selection committee of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet again ignored star spinners Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin, while announcing India's ODI squad for South Africa. The selectors decided to persist with the young wrist-spinning duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal along with left-arm orthodox Axar Patel. The two last featured in the limited-overs team during India’s tour of the West Indies, soon after the June ICC Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, left paceman Umesh Yadav also did not find any place in the squad and is replaced by Mohammed Shami. Shami last played an ODI against Australia in September 2017. Meanwhile, KL Rahul, whose performance cannot be doubted if considered the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka, was also left out. Middle-order batsman Kedar Jadhav and speedster Shardul Thakur have made a comeback into the Indian team. Skipper Virat Kohli, who rested for the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka, will lead the side. Ahead of the ODIs, India will start their tour with the three-Test series against the Proteas, starting January 5 in Capetown while the second (January 13-17) and third (January 24-28) Tests will be played in Centurion and Johannesburg, respectively. The ODI series starts from February 1 in Durban, four days after the conclusion of the third Test. The second ODI will be played in Centurion on February 4, the third in Cape Town on February 7, while the fourth and fifth ODIs will be held on February 10 and 13 in Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth respectively. The final ODI will be played in Centurion on February 16, followed by a three-match T20I series concluding on February 24.

Jadeja, Ashwin not included in India's ODI squad for South Africa

Australian air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria are soon to come to an end, Defence Minister Marise Payne said on Friday.

However, Australian operations in the region would continue.&nbsp;

The Australian government has decided to pull back its six Super Hornet planes after three years.

The fighter jet variants were deployed as part of the US-led coalition in the Middle East.

The decision followed the Iraqi declaration of victory over Islamic State.

Close to 80 personnel are part of the Special Operations Task Group in Iraq which includes the Australian special forces; these would continue to be deployed in the region.&nbsp;

&quot;Following discussions with Iraq and with members of the international coalition, the Australian government has determined that we will bring home our six Super Hornet strike aircraft from the Middle East,&quot; Payne told reporters.

Australia&#39;s presence in the Middle East dates back to 2014 as part of US-led efforts against Islamic State.

(With inputs from Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

Australia's presence in the Middle East dates back to 2014 as part of US-led efforts against Islamic State

Australian air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria are soon to come to an end, Defence Minister Marise Payne said on Friday. However, Australian operations in the region would continue. The Australian government has decided to pull back its six Super Hornet planes after three years. The fighter jet variants were deployed as part of the US-led coalition in the Middle East. The decision followed the Iraqi declaration of victory over Islamic State. Close to 80 personnel are part of the Special Operations Task Group in Iraq which includes the Australian special forces; these would continue to be deployed in the region. "Following discussions with Iraq and with members of the international coalition, the Australian government has determined that we will bring home our six Super Hornet strike aircraft from the Middle East," Payne told reporters. Australia's presence in the Middle East dates back to 2014 as part of US-led efforts against Islamic State. (With inputs from Reuters)

Australia to end air strikes in Iraq and Syria, pulls back Super Hornets

An Indian was among 19 people injured when a speeding SUV <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/australia-car-ramming-19-hurt-police-say-deliberate-act-but-not-terror-related-27387" target="_blank">ran down pedestrians</a> at a busy intersection in downtown Melbourne today, an incident described by Australia as &quot;act of evil and an act of cowardice&quot;.

A white Suzuki Grand Vitara with two men inside drove into the crowd at the intersection just after 4.30 pm local time (0530 GMT), injuring 19 people including Rohit Kaul, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir.

According to eyewitnesses, the car driver was waiting for the traffic signal to turn red before he drove his vehicle hitting pedestrians crossing the road.

However, the Victorian police maintained that it was not a terror attack but would continue to investigate.

Quoting eyewitnesses, the local media said that people were thrown through the air after being hit by the vehicle.

The attack was an &quot;act of evil and an act of cowardice&quot;, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters here.

He said the condition of four people hit was critical. Fifteen others were stable.

The 45-year-old Kaul was talking to his son while crossing the intersection when he was hit by the car.

&quot;My husband was talking to my son Avi and crossing the intersection. Suddenly, my husband&#39;s phone fell down and we could hear loud noises and people screaming on the other side before the line went dead,&quot; Kaul&#39;s wife told PTI.

&quot;We tried to call him on his mobile but there was no response. We soon got a call from a fellow Indian who said my husband was injured and was being taken to a hospital,&quot; she added.

Her husband suffered a tibia fracture and will undergo a surgery tomorrow. &quot;He is stable,&quot; she said.

&quot;The driver was waiting for the red light and when people started crossing the road, he jumped the red light and crashed into them,&quot; she said, adding that it was a &quot;deliberate act&quot;.

A pre-school child who suffered a head injury is not in a critical condition.

Acting Commissioner Shane Patton said that the police do not believe what happened is terror related but will continue to investigate.

He said police will allege the man &quot;intentionally drove into the pedestrians&quot;.

The driver of the car has been arrested and is receiving hospital treatment, Patton said.

The driver, identified as a 32-year-old of Afghan descent, was known to police in relation to minor traffic offences and a minor assault in 2010.

&quot;We believe he&#39;s driven down the tram tracks and he crashed into a tram-stop on the other side,&quot; Patton said.

A 24-year-old man was also detained at the scene after he was seen filming the incident on a phone. He was also carrying a bag that contained knives but police said it was probable that he had no links to the incident and say the driver was alone in the car, the Age reported.

The car was registered to a family member and police said was not stolen, it said.

Victoria police appealed to people to upload any images they might have of the incident to a cloud address to help assist with their probe.&nbsp;

An Indian was among 19 people injured when a speeding SUV ran down pedestrians at a busy intersection in downtown Melbourne today, an incident described by Australia as "act of evil and an act of cowardice". A white Suzuki Grand Vitara with two men inside drove into the crowd at the intersection just after 4.30 pm local time (0530 GMT), injuring 19 people including Rohit Kaul, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir. According to eyewitnesses, the car driver was waiting for the traffic signal to turn red before he drove his vehicle hitting pedestrians crossing the road. However, the Victorian police maintained that it was not a terror attack but would continue to investigate. Quoting eyewitnesses, the local media said that people were thrown through the air after being hit by the vehicle. The attack was an "act of evil and an act of cowardice", Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters here. He said the condition of four people hit was critical. Fifteen others were stable. The 45-year-old Kaul was talking to his son while crossing the intersection when he was hit by the car. "My husband was talking to my son Avi and crossing the intersection. Suddenly, my husband's phone fell down and we could hear loud noises and people screaming on the other side before the line went dead," Kaul's wife told PTI. "We tried to call him on his mobile but there was no response. We soon got a call from a fellow Indian who said my husband was injured and was being taken to a hospital," she added. Her husband suffered a tibia fracture and will undergo a surgery tomorrow. "He is stable," she said. "The driver was waiting for the red light and when people started crossing the road, he jumped the red light and crashed into them," she said, adding that it was a "deliberate act". A pre-school child who suffered a head injury is not in a critical condition. Acting Commissioner Shane Patton said that the police do not believe what happened is terror related but will continue to investigate. He said police will allege the man "intentionally drove into the pedestrians". The driver of the car has been arrested and is receiving hospital treatment, Patton said. The driver, identified as a 32-year-old of Afghan descent, was known to police in relation to minor traffic offences and a minor assault in 2010. "We believe he's driven down the tram tracks and he crashed into a tram-stop on the other side," Patton said. A 24-year-old man was also detained at the scene after he was seen filming the incident on a phone. He was also carrying a bag that contained knives but police said it was probable that he had no links to the incident and say the driver was alone in the car, the Age reported. The car was registered to a family member and police said was not stolen, it said. Victoria police appealed to people to upload any images they might have of the incident to a cloud address to help assist with their probe.

Indian among 19 injured in Australia as car deliberately hits crowd

Former Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson on Tuesday took a dig at England opener Alastair Cook and paceman Stuart Broad, saying Australia&#39;s star spinner Nathan Lyon&#39;s wish to see the end of some England careers after another Ashes whitewash will come true if the tourists&#39; struggling senior players fail to lift quickly.

Johnson took 37 wickets in the 5-0 sweep of Alastair Cook`s England in 2013-14 which sparked the exits of several senior players and staff. &nbsp;

Following the loss, England spinner Graeme Swann retired after the third test of that ill-fated series, while batsmen Michael Carberry and Kevin Pietersen were never seen again in test whites.

&quot;Going to the next test I think England will have to think about changes. &quot;I`m not sure if (paceman) Stuart Broad is up to it at the moment. There will be some question marks around him, (as) a senior player, Johnson said.

&quot;Alastair Cook is someone who I think has been thinking about retirement. I just wonder now with the scoreline being 3-0 whether that will take a bit of pressure off him and he`ll just go out there and score runs. I`m not sure,&quot; he added.

The 36-year-old further said that &quot;the scars are there from the last series.&quot;

Cook managed only 83 runs in the current campaign. While Broad has only five wickets from the three matches. &nbsp;

Cook managed only 83 runs in the current campaign while Broad has only five wickets from the three matches ?

Former Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson on Tuesday took a dig at England opener Alastair Cook and paceman Stuart Broad, saying Australia's star spinner Nathan Lyon's wish to see the end of some England careers after another Ashes whitewash will come true if the tourists' struggling senior players fail to lift quickly. Johnson took 37 wickets in the 5-0 sweep of Alastair Cook`s England in 2013-14 which sparked the exits of several senior players and staff. Following the loss, England spinner Graeme Swann retired after the third test of that ill-fated series, while batsmen Michael Carberry and Kevin Pietersen were never seen again in test whites. "Going to the next test I think England will have to think about changes. "I`m not sure if (paceman) Stuart Broad is up to it at the moment. There will be some question marks around him, (as) a senior player, Johnson said. "Alastair Cook is someone who I think has been thinking about retirement. I just wonder now with the scoreline being 3-0 whether that will take a bit of pressure off him and he`ll just go out there and score runs. I`m not sure," he added. The 36-year-old further said that "the scars are there from the last series." Cook managed only 83 runs in the current campaign. While Broad has only five wickets from the three matches.

Mitchell Johnson takes dig at Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad after Australia reclaims Ashes urn

Batsman Ben Duckett has been left out of the England Lions squad to tour the West Indies after pouring a drink over James Anderson in a Perth bar.

Batsman Duckett, 23, had already been fined and suspended from Lions&#39; matches on the Australia tour after the late-night incident ahead of the third Test which infuriated the team&#39;s management. 
&quot;Ben Duckett has not been selected as a result of the off-field incident which led to his suspension and fine in Australia,&quot; said an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman.

The Northamptonshire batsman, who has played four Test and three one-day internationals for England, has already received a reported $2,000&nbsp;fine and final written warning over his conduct.

The incident, the latest in a string of alcohol-related antics to generate headlines during England&#39;s Ashes tour, took place as players from the senior and development squads socialised together in Avenue bar in Perth on December 7.

It followed Ben Stokes&#39; arrest and omission from the Ashes squad after a fight outside a Bristol bar in September, and Jonny Bairstow&#39;s &quot;headbutt&quot; greeting to Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft in the same Perth bar on the first night of the tour.

The spotlight on the off-field antics of the England team, who trail 3-0 in the five-match Ashes series, led to them being labelled &quot;tourists masquerading as cricketers&quot; by the Australian press.

England coach Trevor Bayliss described Duckett&#39;s incident as &quot;trivial&quot; but &quot;not acceptable&quot;.

The Lions development side will play three four-day matches and three one-day games against West Indies A in Jamaica and Antigua in February and March.

The batsman poured a drink over James Anderson at a bar in Perth

Batsman Ben Duckett has been left out of the England Lions squad to tour the West Indies after pouring a drink over James Anderson in a Perth bar. Batsman Duckett, 23, had already been fined and suspended from Lions' matches on the Australia tour after the late-night incident ahead of the third Test which infuriated the team's management. "Ben Duckett has not been selected as a result of the off-field incident which led to his suspension and fine in Australia," said an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman. The Northamptonshire batsman, who has played four Test and three one-day internationals for England, has already received a reported $2,000 fine and final written warning over his conduct. The incident, the latest in a string of alcohol-related antics to generate headlines during England's Ashes tour, took place as players from the senior and development squads socialised together in Avenue bar in Perth on December 7. It followed Ben Stokes' arrest and omission from the Ashes squad after a fight outside a Bristol bar in September, and Jonny Bairstow's "headbutt" greeting to Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft in the same Perth bar on the first night of the tour. The spotlight on the off-field antics of the England team, who trail 3-0 in the five-match Ashes series, led to them being labelled "tourists masquerading as cricketers" by the Australian press. England coach Trevor Bayliss described Duckett's incident as "trivial" but "not acceptable". The Lions development side will play three four-day matches and three one-day games against West Indies A in Jamaica and Antigua in February and March.

Ben Duckett to miss England Lions tour after Perth bar incident

England was battling to save the Ashes at 132 for four in their second innings when play was abandoned due to rain on the fourth day of the third Test in Perth on Sunday.

Needing to avoid defeat to stay alive in the series, the tourists still trailed by 127 runs after Australia declared their first innings at 662 for nine in reply to England`s 403.

It is Australia&#39;s highest ever Ashes total at home, with captain Steve Smith finally dismissed for 239 from 399 balls.

Dawid Malan was on 28 and Jonny Bairstow on 14, with Josh Hazlewood claiming two wickets.

England&#39;s top-order once again crumbled under sustained pressure from an Australian blue chip attack honing in on a widening crack down the pitch.

At 2-0 down in the series, England must not lose at a ground where they have not won since 1978 to avoid surrendering the urn at the earliest.

Australia declared their first innings at 662 for nine in reply to England`s 403.

England was battling to save the Ashes at 132 for four in their second innings when play was abandoned due to rain on the fourth day of the third Test in Perth on Sunday. Needing to avoid defeat to stay alive in the series, the tourists still trailed by 127 runs after Australia declared their first innings at 662 for nine in reply to England`s 403. It is Australia's highest ever Ashes total at home, with captain Steve Smith finally dismissed for 239 from 399 balls. Dawid Malan was on 28 and Jonny Bairstow on 14, with Josh Hazlewood claiming two wickets. England's top-order once again crumbled under sustained pressure from an Australian blue chip attack honing in on a widening crack down the pitch. At 2-0 down in the series, England must not lose at a ground where they have not won since 1978 to avoid surrendering the urn at the earliest.

Australia inch closer to Ashes victory as England end 4th day at 132/4 after heavy downpour

The Australian Federal Police arrested a 59-year-old Korean man from Sydney for allegedly working as an economic agent for North Korea, reports said on Sunday.&nbsp;

Chan Han Choi was the first person in Australia charged with working as a black-market agent, brokering sales and discussing the supply of weapons of mass destruction.&nbsp;

He had reportedly been getting income from the North Korean government for sale of ballistic missile technology to foreign entities, reports further claimed.&nbsp;

Choi has broken the UN and Australian sanctions and has also been charged with attempts to brokering the sale of coal from North Korea to groups in Indonesia and Vietnam, media reports say.&nbsp;

The 59-year-old has been charged under the 1995 Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act for being in touch with top officials from North Korea.&nbsp;

The arrested man is facing six charges in connection with the acts.

There was no threat to Australians and that the man was not considered a &quot;spy&quot;, AFP assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan told the media in Sydney on Sunday.

&quot;This man was acting as a loyal agent for North Korea who believed he was acting to serve some higher patriotic purpose,&quot; he said.

&quot;At the end of the day, he would sell whatever he could to make money for the North Korean government&quot; and is believed to have endeavored to sell gemstones and other product as well.

The man who has been identified as Choi Han Chan, a 59-year-old from Sydney's Eastwood, allegedly breached United Nation's sanctions and Australian federal law, and has been charged with brokering sales and discussing the supply of weapons of mass destruction

The Australian Federal Police arrested a 59-year-old Korean man from Sydney for allegedly working as an economic agent for North Korea, reports said on Sunday. Chan Han Choi was the first person in Australia charged with working as a black-market agent, brokering sales and discussing the supply of weapons of mass destruction. He had reportedly been getting income from the North Korean government for sale of ballistic missile technology to foreign entities, reports further claimed. Choi has broken the UN and Australian sanctions and has also been charged with attempts to brokering the sale of coal from North Korea to groups in Indonesia and Vietnam, media reports say. The 59-year-old has been charged under the 1995 Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act for being in touch with top officials from North Korea. The arrested man is facing six charges in connection with the acts. There was no threat to Australians and that the man was not considered a "spy", AFP assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan told the media in Sydney on Sunday. "This man was acting as a loyal agent for North Korea who believed he was acting to serve some higher patriotic purpose," he said. "At the end of the day, he would sell whatever he could to make money for the North Korean government" and is believed to have endeavored to sell gemstones and other product as well.

Sydney man charged with acting as agent for North Korea

England&#39;s tail collapsed dramatically with the tourists losing their last six wickets for mere 35 runs on the second day of the third Ashes cricket Test.

It was the record fifth-wicket partnership by centurions Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow that gave England the ascendancy after the entire team was bowled out for 403.

With the tourists 2-0 down in the five-match series, it was Malan and Bairstow&#39;s partnership that help sail England after the two put on a dazzling display at the WACA Ground on Friday.

Having come together with England under pressure at 131 for four shortly after lunch Thursday, the pair breathed life back into their team&#39;s Ashes defence.

Malan&#39;s wicket was the first to fall, with his breakthrough innings finally coming to an end when he was brilliantly caught by substitute fielder Peter Handscomb. &nbsp;

His departure for 140 had England at 368 for five, and signalled a sudden collapse for the tourists, with Moeen Ali lasting just two balls for his duck and Chris Woakes making just eight runs.

Bairstow was then bowled by Mitchell Starc for 119 as the capitulation accelerated.

For Australia, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft have opened and the current score stands at 34 runs with no loss after 10 over. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Tourists lost their last six wickets for 35 runs on the 2nd day of third Ashes cricket Test

England's tail collapsed dramatically with the tourists losing their last six wickets for mere 35 runs on the second day of the third Ashes cricket Test. It was the record fifth-wicket partnership by centurions Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow that gave England the ascendancy after the entire team was bowled out for 403. With the tourists 2-0 down in the five-match series, it was Malan and Bairstow's partnership that help sail England after the two put on a dazzling display at the WACA Ground on Friday. Having come together with England under pressure at 131 for four shortly after lunch Thursday, the pair breathed life back into their team's Ashes defence. Malan's wicket was the first to fall, with his breakthrough innings finally coming to an end when he was brilliantly caught by substitute fielder Peter Handscomb. His departure for 140 had England at 368 for five, and signalled a sudden collapse for the tourists, with Moeen Ali lasting just two balls for his duck and Chris Woakes making just eight runs. Bairstow was then bowled by Mitchell Starc for 119 as the capitulation accelerated. For Australia, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft have opened and the current score stands at 34 runs with no loss after 10 over.

3rd Test, Day 2: Malan, Bairstow slam centuries, England 403 all out

The Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) on Tuesday informed that India will host newly-promoted Afghanistan for their first-ever Test match in 2018-2019.

The decision was taken considering the historic relations between the two nations.

As per reports, Afghans were scheduled to take on Australia in their first test in 2019, but India decided to host them first considering the ties two countries share.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
India to host <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a> for their first-ever Test match. The historic match that signifies strong bond that the two nations and their respective cricket Boards share will be held in upcoming home season (2018-19): BCCI <a href="https://t.co/V5sqWwvsPT">pic.twitter.com/V5sqWwvsPT</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940473055767248896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Earlier this year, Ireland and Afghanistan were given the Test status in June to become the 11th and 12th Test nations respectively in the list.

BCCI, in its latest Future Tours Programme (FTP) announced that Afghanistan, a team that has made rapid strides despite the constant troubles back home, will play its first ever Test against India.&nbsp;

Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi became the first two Afghanistan cricketers to be bought at the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. In fact, leg-spinner Rashid has already established himself as a global star.

The decision was taken considering the historic relations between the two nations.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) on Tuesday informed that India will host newly-promoted Afghanistan for their first-ever Test match in 2018-2019. The decision was taken considering the historic relations between the two nations. As per reports, Afghans were scheduled to take on Australia in their first test in 2019, but India decided to host them first considering the ties two countries share. India to host #Afghanistan for their first-ever Test match. The historic match that signifies strong bond that the two nations and their respective cricket Boards share will be held in upcoming home season (2018-19): BCCI pic.twitter.com/V5sqWwvsPT — ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2017 × Earlier this year, Ireland and Afghanistan were given the Test status in June to become the 11th and 12th Test nations respectively in the list. BCCI, in its latest Future Tours Programme (FTP) announced that Afghanistan, a team that has made rapid strides despite the constant troubles back home, will play its first ever Test against India. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi became the first two Afghanistan cricketers to be bought at the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. In fact, leg-spinner Rashid has already established himself as a global star.

India to host Afghanistan in first-ever cricket Test

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