Australia's government on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into allegations that police, customs and immigration officials illegally smoothed the way for a prominent casino group to attract Chinese high rollers.

Crown casinos have been in the spotlight since Sunday when a series of media reports alleged it used junket operators with links to Asian triad gangs, that drug traffickers laundered money through the company, and that government employees gave special treatment to wealthy Chinese gamblers.

Attorney-General Christian Porter said on Tuesday he had referred the allegations raised by the Nine News investigation to the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity.

"It's my view that there are sufficient concerns raised at least to warrant further investigations," he told the Australian parliament.

Officials are accused of waving Chinese VIP gamblers through customs, issuing fast-track visas to high rollers and moonlighting for a VIP visitor to the casino.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie told parliament that in one instance some gamblers stepped off a plane and travelled directly to the casino, stopping only to pick up a sex worker en route.

The high rollers who are alleged to have visited the casino on junkets from China include Ming Chai - the cousin of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying rejected the allegations against Ming.

"I don't know where these media outlets dig out these rumours from to make such groundless accusations," Hua said at a regular briefing.

"These sensational claims are an attempt to discredit China. I think such tactics are despicable."

Porter stressed that beyond the media reports he did not have "any other obvious evidence otherwise available that supports allegations against law enforcement, immigration or customs authorities".

The commission would now decide whether or not to launch a full investigation, Porter said.

Crown said it would work with any investigation and denied wrongdoing.

"Crown absolutely rejects allegations of illegality made in Parliament today and in recent media reporting. We believe these allegations are ill-informed and an attempt to smear the company," a statement said.

The Department of Home Affairs told AFP it has a series of arrangements with large international organisations to quickly process short-stay visas.

Such an agreement existed with Crown between 2003 and 2016.

The department said there was "no reduced vetting in certain locations or for certain applicants" and there was "no discretion" to waive legislative requirements for such visas.

Crown has casinos in Melbourne and Perth and is building another in Sydney.

Australia's government on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into allegations that police, customs and immigration officials illegally smoothed the way for a prominent casino group to attract Chinese high rollers.

Australia's government on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into allegations that police, customs and immigration officials illegally smoothed the way for a prominent casino group to attract Chinese high rollers. Crown casinos have been in the spotlight since Sunday when a series of media reports alleged it used junket operators with links to Asian triad gangs, that drug traffickers laundered money through the company, and that government employees gave special treatment to wealthy Chinese gamblers. Attorney-General Christian Porter said on Tuesday he had referred the allegations raised by the Nine News investigation to the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity. "It's my view that there are sufficient concerns raised at least to warrant further investigations," he told the Australian parliament. Officials are accused of waving Chinese VIP gamblers through customs, issuing fast-track visas to high rollers and moonlighting for a VIP visitor to the casino. Independent MP Andrew Wilkie told parliament that in one instance some gamblers stepped off a plane and travelled directly to the casino, stopping only to pick up a sex worker en route. The high rollers who are alleged to have visited the casino on junkets from China include Ming Chai - the cousin of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying rejected the allegations against Ming. "I don't know where these media outlets dig out these rumours from to make such groundless accusations," Hua said at a regular briefing. "These sensational claims are an attempt to discredit China. I think such tactics are despicable." Porter stressed that beyond the media reports he did not have "any other obvious evidence otherwise available that supports allegations against law enforcement, immigration or customs authorities". The commission would now decide whether or not to launch a full investigation, Porter said. Crown said it would work with any investigation and denied wrongdoing. "Crown absolutely rejects allegations of illegality made in Parliament today and in recent media reporting. We believe these allegations are ill-informed and an attempt to smear the company," a statement said. The Department of Home Affairs told AFP it has a series of arrangements with large international organisations to quickly process short-stay visas. Such an agreement existed with Crown between 2003 and 2016. The department said there was "no reduced vetting in certain locations or for certain applicants" and there was "no discretion" to waive legislative requirements for such visas. Crown has casinos in Melbourne and Perth and is building another in Sydney.

Australia orders probe into treatment of Chinese high rollers

Terminally ill Australians can for the first time apply to end their own life after new laws went into effect in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bushfires-destroy-more-than-30-houses-in-australias-victoria-state-202119">the state of Victoria</a> Wednesday. &nbsp;

The country's second most populous region made voluntary euthanasia legal under closely specified circumstances, a first for the country.&nbsp;

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, who supported the bill after his father's death from cancer in 2016, said the laws were about giving patients a "dignified option at the end of their life".

"We've taken a compassionate approach," Andrews told commercial broadcaster Channel Nine, adding that he hoped it would bring people the dignity of a "good death."

Assisted suicide is illegal in most countries and in Australia until Victoria state introduced laws to legalise the practice in 2017.

The scheme will be accessible only to terminally ill adult patients with fewer than six months to live, or one year left to live for sufferers of conditions such as motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis.

Multiple restrictions will be put in place, including residency requirements and assessments from multiple doctors, meaning around 12 people are expected to use the law this year.

Andrews said that up to 150 might use the law each year after that. An independent review board and a coroner will track and monitor all deaths.

Other states in Australia have debated assisted dying in the past, but the proposals have always been defeated.

But experts said other states will now be watching closely to see how the law is implemented and whether they should follow suit.

"Although over forty attempts to change the law in Australia have failed in the past, more recent reform efforts appear to be getting closer to laws changing," Ben White from Queensland University of Technology's Australian Centre for Health Law Research said.

"Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia (states) all have inquiries considering a change."&nbsp;

The law has been criticised for being both too permissive and too stringent.

Prominent Australian euthanasia activist Philip Nitschke told Melbourne's The Age that the safeguards were "too strict and onerous" and could result in "challenges to the law pressing to broaden access".

The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne said in a statement that the law was a &nbsp;"new and deeply troubling chapter of health care in Victoria".

"Pope Francis has encouraged ordinary Catholics everywhere to resist euthanasia and to protect the old, the young and the vulnerable from being cast aside in a 'throw-away culture'," the Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli and three other Victoria bishops said.

Terminally ill Australians can for the first time apply to end their own life after new laws went into effect in the state of Victoria Wednesday. The country's second most populous region made voluntary euthanasia legal under closely specified circumstances, a first for the country.

Terminally ill Australians can for the first time apply to end their own life after new laws went into effect in the state of Victoria Wednesday. The country's second most populous region made voluntary euthanasia legal under closely specified circumstances, a first for the country. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, who supported the bill after his father's death from cancer in 2016, said the laws were about giving patients a "dignified option at the end of their life". "We've taken a compassionate approach," Andrews told commercial broadcaster Channel Nine, adding that he hoped it would bring people the dignity of a "good death." Assisted suicide is illegal in most countries and in Australia until Victoria state introduced laws to legalise the practice in 2017. The scheme will be accessible only to terminally ill adult patients with fewer than six months to live, or one year left to live for sufferers of conditions such as motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis. Multiple restrictions will be put in place, including residency requirements and assessments from multiple doctors, meaning around 12 people are expected to use the law this year. Andrews said that up to 150 might use the law each year after that. An independent review board and a coroner will track and monitor all deaths. Other states in Australia have debated assisted dying in the past, but the proposals have always been defeated. But experts said other states will now be watching closely to see how the law is implemented and whether they should follow suit. "Although over forty attempts to change the law in Australia have failed in the past, more recent reform efforts appear to be getting closer to laws changing," Ben White from Queensland University of Technology's Australian Centre for Health Law Research said. "Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia (states) all have inquiries considering a change." The law has been criticised for being both too permissive and too stringent. Prominent Australian euthanasia activist Philip Nitschke told Melbourne's The Age that the safeguards were "too strict and onerous" and could result in "challenges to the law pressing to broaden access". The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne said in a statement that the law was a "new and deeply troubling chapter of health care in Victoria". "Pope Francis has encouraged ordinary Catholics everywhere to resist euthanasia and to protect the old, the young and the vulnerable from being cast aside in a 'throw-away culture'," the Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli and three other Victoria bishops said.

Euthanasia becomes legal in the Australian state of Victoria

Shooting outside Melbourne night club leaves several injured. Watch complete video to know more.

Breaking News: Shooting outside Melbourne night club leaves several injured

Sebastian Vettel won the first round of what could be a long and lively Formula One title fight with Lewis Hamilton on Sunday but the Ferrari driver may be the one with more to worry about as they leave Australia.

Champions Mercedes messed up in Melbourne, their mistake denying Hamilton what had looked a nailed-on victory from pole position, but they also left rivals in no doubt about their pace.

"At the moment we`re a bit worse off," Vettel told reporters after repeating last year`s opening win thanks to a pitstop during a virtual safety car period that wrong-footed Mercedes, whose data wrongly indicated Hamilton had him covered.

"Last year we had more pace at this point. If you look at the gaps the whole weekend, we`re not yet a true match," added the German, who is vying with Hamilton to become a five-times champion.

"I think if you look, and you are fair, then Lewis was fastest whereas last year I think we were fastest and it was very, very close."

Last year, Vettel led from Melbourne to Monza before his challenge imploded.&nbsp;

Hamilton took pole on Saturday with one of the great qualifying laps of his career, lapping a massive 0.664 quicker than Ferrari`s Kimi Raikkonen.

The time may have flattered him, with the Briton producing a near-perfect lap while Vettel would doubtless have been closer had he not made a mistake.

But rivals also pointed to Mercedes` qualifying `party mode` engine setting with concern.

"Mercedes is playing with everyone... with that engine, no one can beat Mercedes. They`re in a different world," Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko was quoted as saying after qualifying.

Despite the pessimism, and the absence of Red Bull drivers from the year`s first podium, Melbourne did not dispel hopes of a three-way team battle.&nbsp;

Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who finished fourth after starting eighth following a grid penalty, set the fastest lap of the race for Red Bull and was right on the tail of Raikkonen.

"We are convinced that we had a better car than Ferrari, though the Mercedes still probably had something in hand," said Red Bull principal Christian Horner.

Melbourne is a hard track to overtake on but Bahrain is next up and more open. Vettel won there last year when it was the third race of the season but Hamilton will also fancy his chances.

"We still got second. It feels like a dark cloud but it`s not," the Briton had said on Sunday. "We have a great car, we are still the world champions and with a couple of adjustments we can win the next race."

Champions Mercedes messed up in Melbourne

Sebastian Vettel won the first round of what could be a long and lively Formula One title fight with Lewis Hamilton on Sunday but the Ferrari driver may be the one with more to worry about as they leave Australia. Champions Mercedes messed up in Melbourne, their mistake denying Hamilton what had looked a nailed-on victory from pole position, but they also left rivals in no doubt about their pace. "At the moment we`re a bit worse off," Vettel told reporters after repeating last year`s opening win thanks to a pitstop during a virtual safety car period that wrong-footed Mercedes, whose data wrongly indicated Hamilton had him covered. "Last year we had more pace at this point. If you look at the gaps the whole weekend, we`re not yet a true match," added the German, who is vying with Hamilton to become a five-times champion. "I think if you look, and you are fair, then Lewis was fastest whereas last year I think we were fastest and it was very, very close." Last year, Vettel led from Melbourne to Monza before his challenge imploded. Hamilton took pole on Saturday with one of the great qualifying laps of his career, lapping a massive 0.664 quicker than Ferrari`s Kimi Raikkonen. The time may have flattered him, with the Briton producing a near-perfect lap while Vettel would doubtless have been closer had he not made a mistake. But rivals also pointed to Mercedes` qualifying `party mode` engine setting with concern. "Mercedes is playing with everyone... with that engine, no one can beat Mercedes. They`re in a different world," Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko was quoted as saying after qualifying. Despite the pessimism, and the absence of Red Bull drivers from the year`s first podium, Melbourne did not dispel hopes of a three-way team battle. Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who finished fourth after starting eighth following a grid penalty, set the fastest lap of the race for Red Bull and was right on the tail of Raikkonen. "We are convinced that we had a better car than Ferrari, though the Mercedes still probably had something in hand," said Red Bull principal Christian Horner. Melbourne is a hard track to overtake on but Bahrain is next up and more open. Vettel won there last year when it was the third race of the season but Hamilton will also fancy his chances. "We still got second. It feels like a dark cloud but it`s not," the Briton had said on Sunday. "We have a great car, we are still the world champions and with a couple of adjustments we can win the next race."

Formula One: Advantage Vettel, but Hamilton can feel confident

A five-year-old Formula One fan, Louis Pope, has no idea that he is ruling the internet with a funny reference to his favourite F1 racer.&nbsp;

The 29-year-old <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/daniel-ricciardo-joins-renault-f1-team-on-two-year-deal-156798">Daniel Ricciardo</a>, who transferred from Red Bull to Renault in the off-season, got a strange nickname after the kid referred to him as "Daniel Avocado".&nbsp;

Ahead of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-takes-pole-at-australian-grand-prix-203692">Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix</a> in Melbourne, a reporter asked Louis&nbsp;his&nbsp;favourite F1 driver, on which he replied, "Daniel Avocado".&nbsp;

The video went viral and the fans started the trend of giving funny names to&nbsp;their favourite racer. Like Ferrari driver&nbsp;Sebastian Vettel became Sebastian "Pretzel" and McLaren driver Lando Norris was named as "Mango" Norris.&nbsp;

Even the official F1 Twitter handle mentioned Ricciardo as "Mr Avocado" in their tweets sharing info that Renault's new recruit Ricciardo might be lining up on the grid alongside "Kiwi" Raikkonen.&nbsp;

One of their tweets read, "Daniel Avocado. We just love it. Lining up on the grid with Kiwi Raikkonen...?"&nbsp;

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Yeah him and Sebastian Pretzel😂
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Ricciardo thanked Louis in person and gave him a new Renault cap adorned with his signature.&nbsp;

Watch the video:&nbsp;

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Daniel Avocado 🥑 <a href="https://twitter.com/danielricciardo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@danielricciardo</a> loved his new nickname so much he wanted to meet the boy who made it. <a href="https://twitter.com/10NewsFirst?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@10NewsFirst</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/10SportAU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@10SportAU</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/F1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@F1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ausgrandprix?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ausgrandprix</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RenaultF1Team?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RenaultF1Team</a> <a href="https://t.co/xx6K12u2sZ">pic.twitter.com/xx6K12u2sZ</a>
— Annie Kearney (@anniemaykearney) <a href="https://twitter.com/anniemaykearney/status/1106740035028541440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Nice to meet you, Mr Avocado 🥑 😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusGP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusGP</a> 🇦🇺 <a href="https://twitter.com/danielricciardo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@danielricciardo</a> <a href="https://t.co/HBeEXalqcY">pic.twitter.com/HBeEXalqcY</a>
— Formula 1 (@F1) <a href="https://twitter.com/F1/status/1106873690933858304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
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At the Australian Grand Prix, Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton to a record-extending eighth pole and sixth in succession.&nbsp;

While the Australian Daniel Ricciardo was a big casualty, finishing 12th in his first outing for new team Renault after moving from Red Bull.&nbsp;

A five-year-old Formula One fan, Louis Pope, has no idea that he is ruling the internet with a funny reference to his favourite F1 racer. The 29-year-old Daniel Ricciardo, who transferred from Red Bull to Renault in the off-season, got a strange nickname after the kid referred to him as "Daniel Avocado".

A five-year-old Formula One fan, Louis Pope, has no idea that he is ruling the internet with a funny reference to his favourite F1 racer. The 29-year-old Daniel Ricciardo, who transferred from Red Bull to Renault in the off-season, got a strange nickname after the kid referred to him as "Daniel Avocado". Ahead of Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne, a reporter asked Louis his favourite F1 driver, on which he replied, "Daniel Avocado". The video went viral and the fans started the trend of giving funny names to their favourite racer. Like Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel became Sebastian "Pretzel" and McLaren driver Lando Norris was named as "Mango" Norris. Even the official F1 Twitter handle mentioned Ricciardo as "Mr Avocado" in their tweets sharing info that Renault's new recruit Ricciardo might be lining up on the grid alongside "Kiwi" Raikkonen. One of their tweets read, "Daniel Avocado. We just love it. Lining up on the grid with Kiwi Raikkonen...?" Yeah him and Sebastian Pretzel😂 — F1Cyberman (@F1Cyberman) March 12, 2019 × Ricciardo thanked Louis in person and gave him a new Renault cap adorned with his signature. Watch the video: Daniel Avocado 🥑 @danielricciardo loved his new nickname so much he wanted to meet the boy who made it. @10NewsFirst @10SportAU @F1 @ausgrandprix @RenaultF1Team pic.twitter.com/xx6K12u2sZ — Annie Kearney (@anniemaykearney) March 16, 2019 × Nice to meet you, Mr Avocado 🥑 😂#F1 #AusGP 🇦🇺 @danielricciardo pic.twitter.com/HBeEXalqcY — Formula 1 (@F1) March 16, 2019 × At the Australian Grand Prix, Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton to a record-extending eighth pole and sixth in succession. While the Australian Daniel Ricciardo was a big casualty, finishing 12th in his first outing for new team Renault after moving from Red Bull.

Watch: Formula One racer Daniel Ricciardo meets a fan who gave him funny nickname, 'Daniel Avocado'

Egg smashed on Australian Senator Fraser Anning's head while speaking to media in Melbourne

Hosts Australia will take on Pakistan's men and India's women for the opening fixtures of the Twenty20 World Cups in 2020, organisers said Tuesday as the draw for the tournaments was announced.

The T20 World Cups are being held in the same year and in the same country for the first time, with the men's and women's finals to be played at one of the world's biggest stadiums, the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Ten women's teams will play in 23 matches from February 21 to March 8, with reigning champions Australia to clash with India in the opening game in Sydney.

The men's competition, from October 18 to November 15, will feature several qualifying matches before Australia kicks off the Super 12 group stages on October 24 against top-ranked Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Australia, Pakistan, the West Indies, New Zealand and two qualifiers make up one side of the draw, with defending champions the Windies starting their title defence against the Black Caps on October 25.

India, England, South Africa and Afghanistan and two qualifiers make up the other side of the draw.

For the women's fixtures,&nbsp;four-time winners Australia are in Group A with New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka and one qualifier, while West Indies and 2009 champions England join South Africa, Pakistan and a second qualifying team.

The women's final will be played&nbsp;on March 8 to coincide with International Women's Day, and the men's final will be held on November 15.

Women's group stages (February 21 - March 3)

Group A: Australia, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Qualifier 1

Group B: England, West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan, Qualifier 2

Semi-finals: March 5

Final: March 8

Men's qualifiers: October 18 - 23

Group stages (October 24 - November 8)

Group 1: Pakistan, Australia, West Indies, New Zealand, two qualifiers

Group 2: India, England, South Africa, Afghanistan, two qualifiers

Semi-finals: November 11 and 12

Final: November 15

Hosts Australia will take on Pakistan's men and India's women for the opening fixtures of the Twenty20 World Cups in 2020, organisers said Tuesday as the draw for the tournaments was announced.

Hosts Australia will take on Pakistan's men and India's women for the opening fixtures of the Twenty20 World Cups in 2020, organisers said Tuesday as the draw for the tournaments was announced. The T20 World Cups are being held in the same year and in the same country for the first time, with the men's and women's finals to be played at one of the world's biggest stadiums, the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Ten women's teams will play in 23 matches from February 21 to March 8, with reigning champions Australia to clash with India in the opening game in Sydney. The men's competition, from October 18 to November 15, will feature several qualifying matches before Australia kicks off the Super 12 group stages on October 24 against top-ranked Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia, Pakistan, the West Indies, New Zealand and two qualifiers make up one side of the draw, with defending champions the Windies starting their title defence against the Black Caps on October 25. India, England, South Africa and Afghanistan and two qualifiers make up the other side of the draw. For the women's fixtures, four-time winners Australia are in Group A with New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka and one qualifier, while West Indies and 2009 champions England join South Africa, Pakistan and a second qualifying team. The women's final will be played on March 8 to coincide with International Women's Day, and the men's final will be held on November 15. Women's group stages (February 21 - March 3) Group A: Australia, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Qualifier 1 Group B: England, West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan, Qualifier 2 Semi-finals: March 5 Final: March 8 Men's qualifiers: October 18 - 23 Group stages (October 24 - November 8) Group 1: Pakistan, Australia, West Indies, New Zealand, two qualifiers Group 2: India, England, South Africa, Afghanistan, two qualifiers Semi-finals: November 11 and 12 Final: November 15

T20 World Cup: Pakistan, India to kick off tournament in Australia

Japan's Naomi Osaka battled past Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4 to win her first Australian Open crown Saturday and become the new world number one.&nbsp;

She&nbsp;became the first Japanese player to win the Australian Open.&nbsp;

Also, the win made Osaka the first player from an Asian country to claim the world number one ranking.&nbsp;

"I felt like I was in a state of shock through the entire trophy presentation," the 21-year-old said.

A rattled Osaka almost blew her title hopes with one hand on the trophy when she failed to convert three championship points leading 5-3 in the second set.&nbsp;

The never-say-die Kvitova forced a deciding set before Osaka finally edged ahead with a decisive break early in the third.

"Of course I felt&nbsp;very disappointed and sad when I had three match points," she said.&nbsp;

"I tried to tell myself there's nothing I can do about it. Told myself I'm playing a final and need to keep fighting and couldn’t act immature and needed to keep fighting."

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Tears of joy 🙏<a href="https://twitter.com/Naomi_Osaka_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Naomi_Osaka_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/ckfLkGG6kf">pic.twitter.com/ckfLkGG6kf</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1089120893111013376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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What a moment. <a href="https://twitter.com/Naomi_Osaka_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Naomi_Osaka_</a> wins her second Grand Slam in a row 🏆🏆<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/9TTskXIH9E">pic.twitter.com/9TTskXIH9E</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1089120204007923714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The fourth seed and US Open champion made it two Grand Slam titles in a row after a see-sawing 2hr 27min match.&nbsp;

The hard-fought victory made Osaka the first Asian, male or female, to hold the world's top ranking, taking over from Romania's Simona Halep.&nbsp;

Japan's Naomi Osaka battled past Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4 to win her first Australian Open crown Saturday and become the new world number one.

Japan's Naomi Osaka battled past Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4 to win her first Australian Open crown Saturday and become the new world number one. She became the first Japanese player to win the Australian Open. Also, the win made Osaka the first player from an Asian country to claim the world number one ranking. "I felt like I was in a state of shock through the entire trophy presentation," the 21-year-old said. A rattled Osaka almost blew her title hopes with one hand on the trophy when she failed to convert three championship points leading 5-3 in the second set. The never-say-die Kvitova forced a deciding set before Osaka finally edged ahead with a decisive break early in the third. "Of course I felt very disappointed and sad when I had three match points," she said. "I tried to tell myself there's nothing I can do about it. Told myself I'm playing a final and need to keep fighting and couldn’t act immature and needed to keep fighting." Tears of joy 🙏@Naomi_Osaka_ #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/ckfLkGG6kf — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2019 × What a moment. @Naomi_Osaka_ wins her second Grand Slam in a row 🏆🏆#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/9TTskXIH9E — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2019 × The fourth seed and US Open champion made it two Grand Slam titles in a row after a see-sawing 2hr 27min match. The hard-fought victory made Osaka the first Asian, male or female, to hold the world's top ranking, taking over from Romania's Simona Halep.

Naomi Osaka beats Petra Kvitova to win Australian Open

Greatest rivals Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal square off in Australian Open final

A rampant Novak Djokovic completed a stunning 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Lucas Pouille on Friday to storm into his seventh Australian Open final and set up a mouthwatering title match with Rafa Nadal.

The six-times champion was at his devastating best in the one hour and 23-minute procession as he gave the hapless Pouille a brutal lesson in Grand Slam tennis and extended his perfect semi-finals record to 7-0 at Melbourne Park.

Attacking the lines with machine-like precision, Djokovic broke the 28th-seeded Frenchman seven times yet never looked in danger of conceding a break point.

Top seed Djokovic wrapped up the encounter on the second match point when Pouille netted and the Serb will face Nadal in search of a record seventh title in Melbourne.

Djokovic was left struggling to remember whether he had played any better in his previous Melbourne semi-finals.

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DjokerNole</a> concedes just four games against Lucas Pouille to set up an <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> blockbuster final with Rafael Nadal. 
 
📰👇<a href="https://t.co/8WXJxn9xlc">https://t.co/8WXJxn9xlc</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1088753032504856576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"It's definitely one of the best matches I have ever had on this court, definitely. Everything worked the way I intended before the match," he said.

Djokovic will meet second-seeded Spaniard Nadal in Sunday's final seven years after the Serb prevailed in a five hour 53-minute epic at the 2012 tournament, the longest Grand Slam final on record.

"I would definitely want to buy the ticket for the match, for those who haven't yet," he quipped in his on-court interview.

"That's (2012 final) a once in a life-time event and hopefully the outcome will be the same for me."

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DjokerNole</a> sending <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> final vibes to the <a href="https://twitter.com/RodLaverArena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RodLaverArena</a> crowd 🙌 <a href="https://t.co/PRgnjNcezW">pic.twitter.com/PRgnjNcezW</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1088746946880327680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Even before entering the court on Friday, Djokovic was a heavy favourite on paper.

No Frenchman had beaten him in 27 previous matches at the Grand Slams, his last defeat coming against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the 2010 quarter-finals in Melbourne.

A nervous-looking Pouille felt the weight of history and was soon under siege on serve.

After saving two break points, he struck a double-fault to fall 2-0 behind.

That was all the head-start Djokovic needed as he roared to a 5-0 lead before many of the centre court fans had settled in their seats.

Djokovic smiled ruefully after wasting a set point with an ambitious drop shot from the baseline.

But with another two in the bank and an anxious opponent, he could afford the luxury.

Pouille did little with the reprieve, smacking a forehand long, and when the dust had cleared, he looked up to see the set was gone in 23 minutes.

A low rumble of unease coursed through the stadium as Djokovic broke the Frenchman to lead 3-1 in the second, with fans being served up an execution rather than treated to a contest.

After Pouille held serve to 4-2, the crowd erupted.

There was plenty of good will toward the Frenchman at centre court but even his most loyal fans would have tutted at the way he conceded the second set in 33 minutes.

He squandered a chance to hold serve with an errant backhand then lazily fired wide off the same wing to hand the Serb a two-set lead.

From there it was academic, as Djokovic whipped through the last set in 27 minutes, with Pouille yet another of the Tour's young hopefuls left humbled by the master Serb.

A rampant Novak Djokovic completed a stunning 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Lucas Pouille on Friday to storm into his seventh Australian Open final and set up a mouthwatering title match with Rafa Nadal.

A rampant Novak Djokovic completed a stunning 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Lucas Pouille on Friday to storm into his seventh Australian Open final and set up a mouthwatering title match with Rafa Nadal. The six-times champion was at his devastating best in the one hour and 23-minute procession as he gave the hapless Pouille a brutal lesson in Grand Slam tennis and extended his perfect semi-finals record to 7-0 at Melbourne Park. Attacking the lines with machine-like precision, Djokovic broke the 28th-seeded Frenchman seven times yet never looked in danger of conceding a break point. Top seed Djokovic wrapped up the encounter on the second match point when Pouille netted and the Serb will face Nadal in search of a record seventh title in Melbourne. Djokovic was left struggling to remember whether he had played any better in his previous Melbourne semi-finals. .@DjokerNole concedes just four games against Lucas Pouille to set up an #AusOpen blockbuster final with Rafael Nadal. 📰👇https://t.co/8WXJxn9xlc — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 25, 2019 × "It's definitely one of the best matches I have ever had on this court, definitely. Everything worked the way I intended before the match," he said. Djokovic will meet second-seeded Spaniard Nadal in Sunday's final seven years after the Serb prevailed in a five hour 53-minute epic at the 2012 tournament, the longest Grand Slam final on record. "I would definitely want to buy the ticket for the match, for those who haven't yet," he quipped in his on-court interview. "That's (2012 final) a once in a life-time event and hopefully the outcome will be the same for me." .@DjokerNole sending #AusOpen final vibes to the @RodLaverArena crowd 🙌 pic.twitter.com/PRgnjNcezW — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 25, 2019 × Even before entering the court on Friday, Djokovic was a heavy favourite on paper. No Frenchman had beaten him in 27 previous matches at the Grand Slams, his last defeat coming against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the 2010 quarter-finals in Melbourne. A nervous-looking Pouille felt the weight of history and was soon under siege on serve. After saving two break points, he struck a double-fault to fall 2-0 behind. That was all the head-start Djokovic needed as he roared to a 5-0 lead before many of the centre court fans had settled in their seats. Djokovic smiled ruefully after wasting a set point with an ambitious drop shot from the baseline. But with another two in the bank and an anxious opponent, he could afford the luxury. Pouille did little with the reprieve, smacking a forehand long, and when the dust had cleared, he looked up to see the set was gone in 23 minutes. A low rumble of unease coursed through the stadium as Djokovic broke the Frenchman to lead 3-1 in the second, with fans being served up an execution rather than treated to a contest. After Pouille held serve to 4-2, the crowd erupted. There was plenty of good will toward the Frenchman at centre court but even his most loyal fans would have tutted at the way he conceded the second set in 33 minutes. He squandered a chance to hold serve with an errant backhand then lazily fired wide off the same wing to hand the Serb a two-set lead. From there it was academic, as Djokovic whipped through the last set in 27 minutes, with Pouille yet another of the Tour's young hopefuls left humbled by the master Serb.

Australian Open: Novak Djokovic defeats Lucas Pouille to set up Nadal final

Scorching temperatures suspended play at the Australian Open tennis grand slam in Melbourne on Friday, expected to be the hottest day in a decade, as a week-old heat wave brought power outages and left streets bare in the business district.

Firefighters went on alert as the mercury crept towards an expected maximum of 44 degrees Celsius (111 F), the highest since Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 that killed about 180 people in the southeastern state of Victoria.

"Glam Slam and Australian Tennis Championships matches have been suspended on all outside courts at Melbourne Park and Albert Reserve," tournament organisers said on social media.

It was the second day that heat had affected play, after the roof at the Rod Laver arena was closed on Thursday for the women's semi finals match.

But the blistering heat did not stop the world No. 4, Japan's Naomi Osaka, from taking to the practice courts early, ahead of Saturday's women's final, where she faces the world number 6, the Czech Petra Kvitova.

Crowds were only expected to gather later in the day for the men's semifinals between world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, and Lucas Pouille of France, ranked 31.

Fire officials in the state's north set the danger rating to "extreme," while bushfires raging out of control around eastern Timbarra prompted an emergency warning to campers.

In the southern island state of Tasmania, officials issued eight emergency warnings.

"We've got a lot of fire in the landscape," state fire official Andrew McGuinness told broadcaster ABC. "Some of those fires are quite large. And already, we're seeing quite nasty fire weather conditions."

In Victoria, home to 4 million people, rolling power outages of two hours each could hit about 60,000 homes, after blackouts on Thursday in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, which saw temperatures hit 46.2 C (115.16 F), surpassing a record set in 1939.

Australia's power operator again ordered industrial users to ease back and reduce pressure on Victoria's overburdened grid, including an aluminium smelter owned by Alcoa in the town of Portland.

Only a few people sat under the umbrellas outside Melbourne cafes that are usually heaving by midday, while ice cream melted slowly in the open-air storefront of a Ben and Jerry’s that had no customers.

Still, some businesses were banking on more patrons as temperatures cool ahead of a long weekend anchored by Saturday's national holiday, Australia Day.

"Days like this attract more customers for us," said Charlotte Jobling, of the Ice Bar in the trendy Fitzroy district.

"Although the streets are a bit quieter, people who are out and about are more likely to come inside. We are hopeful for a full-on evening tonight."

Scorching temperatures suspended play at the Australian Open tennis grand slam in Melbourne on Friday, expected to be the hottest day in a decade, as a week-old heat wave brought power outages and left streets bare in the business district.

Scorching temperatures suspended play at the Australian Open tennis grand slam in Melbourne on Friday, expected to be the hottest day in a decade, as a week-old heat wave brought power outages and left streets bare in the business district. Firefighters went on alert as the mercury crept towards an expected maximum of 44 degrees Celsius (111 F), the highest since Black Saturday bushfires in 2009 that killed about 180 people in the southeastern state of Victoria. "Glam Slam and Australian Tennis Championships matches have been suspended on all outside courts at Melbourne Park and Albert Reserve," tournament organisers said on social media. It was the second day that heat had affected play, after the roof at the Rod Laver arena was closed on Thursday for the women's semi finals match. But the blistering heat did not stop the world No. 4, Japan's Naomi Osaka, from taking to the practice courts early, ahead of Saturday's women's final, where she faces the world number 6, the Czech Petra Kvitova. Crowds were only expected to gather later in the day for the men's semifinals between world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, and Lucas Pouille of France, ranked 31. Fire officials in the state's north set the danger rating to "extreme," while bushfires raging out of control around eastern Timbarra prompted an emergency warning to campers. In the southern island state of Tasmania, officials issued eight emergency warnings. "We've got a lot of fire in the landscape," state fire official Andrew McGuinness told broadcaster ABC. "Some of those fires are quite large. And already, we're seeing quite nasty fire weather conditions." In Victoria, home to 4 million people, rolling power outages of two hours each could hit about 60,000 homes, after blackouts on Thursday in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, which saw temperatures hit 46.2 C (115.16 F), surpassing a record set in 1939. Australia's power operator again ordered industrial users to ease back and reduce pressure on Victoria's overburdened grid, including an aluminium smelter owned by Alcoa in the town of Portland. Only a few people sat under the umbrellas outside Melbourne cafes that are usually heaving by midday, while ice cream melted slowly in the open-air storefront of a Ben and Jerry’s that had no customers. Still, some businesses were banking on more patrons as temperatures cool ahead of a long weekend anchored by Saturday's national holiday, Australia Day. "Days like this attract more customers for us," said Charlotte Jobling, of the Ice Bar in the trendy Fitzroy district. "Although the streets are a bit quieter, people who are out and about are more likely to come inside. We are hopeful for a full-on evening tonight."

Heat wave brings blackouts to Melbourne, halts play at Australian Open

Petra Kvitova will compete in her first Grand Slam final in five years after ending the fairytale run of unseeded American Danielle Collins with a decisive 7-6(2), 6-0 victory on a scorching afternoon at Melbourne Park on Thursday.

The eighth-seeded Czech will meet the winner of US&nbsp;Open champion Naomi Osaka and seventh-seeded compatriot Karolina Pliskova as she bids for her first Grand Slam triumph since claiming the second of her Wimbledon titles in 2014.

The match at Rod Laver Arena was riven with tension, with a delay to close the roof during the first set due to the stifling conditions and a malfunction of the net cord sensor at the start of the second that left server Collins fuming.

Kvitova capitalised on the American's distraction to break her three times in succession on the way to an emphatic victory that made her the first Czech woman to reach the Melbourne final since Jana Novotna lost the 1991 decider to Monica Seles.

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Petra Kvitova: "I love playing finals." 
 
Her last eight finals: 
 
W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/o5TigDx5ZY">pic.twitter.com/o5TigDx5ZY</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1088301518090956801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"It means everything. I really worked very hard, finally I made it deep in this tournament," Kvitova said in her on-court interview.

"I am going to enjoy the final whatever happens. I am very, very happy.

"The first set was very tight. I was very nervous. I am glad I came through the tiebreak."

Collins was angered when the net cord technology failed at 15-30 when she was on serve during the opening game of the second set.

Having won the point, she was made to replay it and remonstrated with chair umpire Carlos Ramos.

The technology gave up another phantom beep on Collins's replayed serve and Ramos told both players there had been a malfunction.

Re-starting with a second serve, Collins gave up a backhand unforced error to concede two break points.

She saved one with a big backhand winner but netted on the second.

From there, things quickly went downhill for the American as the Czech ramped up her power game and roared to 5-0.

Collins conceded another unforced error on her forehand to give Kvitova match point and the Czech fired her 30th winner to claim a clinical win.

Petra Kvitova will compete in her first Grand Slam final in five years after ending the fairytale run of unseeded American Danielle Collins with a decisive 7-6(2), 6-0 victory on a scorching afternoon at Melbourne Park on Thursday.

Petra Kvitova will compete in her first Grand Slam final in five years after ending the fairytale run of unseeded American Danielle Collins with a decisive 7-6(2), 6-0 victory on a scorching afternoon at Melbourne Park on Thursday. The eighth-seeded Czech will meet the winner of US Open champion Naomi Osaka and seventh-seeded compatriot Karolina Pliskova as she bids for her first Grand Slam triumph since claiming the second of her Wimbledon titles in 2014. The match at Rod Laver Arena was riven with tension, with a delay to close the roof during the first set due to the stifling conditions and a malfunction of the net cord sensor at the start of the second that left server Collins fuming. Kvitova capitalised on the American's distraction to break her three times in succession on the way to an emphatic victory that made her the first Czech woman to reach the Melbourne final since Jana Novotna lost the 1991 decider to Monica Seles. Petra Kvitova: "I love playing finals." Her last eight finals: W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/o5TigDx5ZY — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2019 × "It means everything. I really worked very hard, finally I made it deep in this tournament," Kvitova said in her on-court interview. "I am going to enjoy the final whatever happens. I am very, very happy. "The first set was very tight. I was very nervous. I am glad I came through the tiebreak." Collins was angered when the net cord technology failed at 15-30 when she was on serve during the opening game of the second set. Having won the point, she was made to replay it and remonstrated with chair umpire Carlos Ramos. The technology gave up another phantom beep on Collins's replayed serve and Ramos told both players there had been a malfunction. Re-starting with a second serve, Collins gave up a backhand unforced error to concede two break points. She saved one with a big backhand winner but netted on the second. From there, things quickly went downhill for the American as the Czech ramped up her power game and roared to 5-0. Collins conceded another unforced error on her forehand to give Kvitova match point and the Czech fired her 30th winner to claim a clinical win.

Petra Kvitova defeats Danielle Collins to reach Australian Open final

Unseeded American Danielle Collins took less than an hour to thrash 2016 champion Angelique Kerber 6-0 6-2 and power her way into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday.

The unheralded 25-year-old had not won a match in her previous Grand Slam appearances but after smashing 29 winners against triple Grand Slam champion Kerber she has now made it to the last eight in her first main draw showing at Melbourne Park.

"I may not have won a Grand Slam match before this (but) I got to tell you I think it's going to keep happening," Collins said.

"When I was in college, my coaches told me to go out, go after it and believe in my shots. All kudos to my coaching squad over there in the corner, they gave me a plan and I just did the job."

Ranked 35th in the world, Collins breezed through the opening set in 20 minutes with three service breaks, hitting winners on all sides of the court against the second seed, who had five double faults in the set.

After an early trade of breaks in the second set, Collins smashed a backhand to break Kerber's serve and take a 4-2 lead, before breaking the German once again to seal victory on her first match point in 56 minutes.

Wimbledon champion Kerber mumbled to herself constantly, unable to show any fight she threw down her racquet in frustration that brought a warning from the umpire.

"I go out fearless, I've been working hard my whole life, I just give it my all," said Collins, who will next play either fifth seed Sloane Stephens or Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who meet in the last match of the evening.

Unseeded American Danielle Collins took less than an hour to thrash 2016 champion Angelique Kerber 6-0 6-2 and power her way into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday.

Unseeded American Danielle Collins took less than an hour to thrash 2016 champion Angelique Kerber 6-0 6-2 and power her way into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday. The unheralded 25-year-old had not won a match in her previous Grand Slam appearances but after smashing 29 winners against triple Grand Slam champion Kerber she has now made it to the last eight in her first main draw showing at Melbourne Park. "I may not have won a Grand Slam match before this (but) I got to tell you I think it's going to keep happening," Collins said. "When I was in college, my coaches told me to go out, go after it and believe in my shots. All kudos to my coaching squad over there in the corner, they gave me a plan and I just did the job." Ranked 35th in the world, Collins breezed through the opening set in 20 minutes with three service breaks, hitting winners on all sides of the court against the second seed, who had five double faults in the set. After an early trade of breaks in the second set, Collins smashed a backhand to break Kerber's serve and take a 4-2 lead, before breaking the German once again to seal victory on her first match point in 56 minutes. Wimbledon champion Kerber mumbled to herself constantly, unable to show any fight she threw down her racquet in frustration that brought a warning from the umpire. "I go out fearless, I've been working hard my whole life, I just give it my all," said Collins, who will next play either fifth seed Sloane Stephens or Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who meet in the last match of the evening.

Unseeded American Collins hammers Angelique Kerber to reach Australian Open quarters

In pictures: Roger Federer's easy win over America's Fritz to reach Australian Open last 16

India will continue to target Australia's under-pressure openers Alex Carey and Aaron Finch as they seek to add a one-day series win to their first ever Test series victory in the third and final match in Melbourne on Friday.&nbsp;

Carey and Finch's best opening partnership in the first two matches of the series is the 20 runs they achieved in Adelaide on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Carey, the team's vice-captain, has scored a total of 42 runs while captain Finch has tallied just 12 and been bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in both games of the series, which is locked at 1-1.&nbsp;

Finch was also dropped from the test squad after he struggled in that series and India have concentrated on the 32-year-old, who has 11 one-day international centuries and two in Twenty20 internationals.

"We respect that Finch is a great player ... we make sure our guard is up always," Indian opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan told reporters on Thursday.

"The boys must have seen his weakness and they are implementing their plans quite nicely. They're not giving him singles that easily or even boundary options.

"Once you're creating that pressure to a batsman, especially in limited overs, that batsman is going to do something extra or take more risk to rotate the strike or to score more runs. That's where we're having the opportunity."

Dhawan added that the pressure the bowlers were placing on the Australians at the top of the order meant they were not capitalising on the fielding restrictions during the first 10-over power-play.

Australia slumped to 41-2 in 9.5 overs in the first game in Sydney, while they were 38-2 after 10 overs in the second match in Adelaide, although that total was only boosted by scoring 11 runs in the 10th.

"Bhuvi (Kumar) is very experienced as well as (Mohammed) Shami," Dhawan said. "That's why in the first 10 overs we have been dominating."

Finch, however, said he had been reviewing footage of his dismissals in the series and comparing it to more successful periods, which has contributed to 3,430 one-day international runs at an average of 36.88.

"Maybe I've been too tentative in the last couple of games, letting a bit of pressure build up," Finch said.

"It's always a fine balance between attack and hanging in there and waiting for the right time to be aggressive and take on the game.

"I still feel that I'm a very good player ... 13 international hundreds suggests that I do know what's required."

India will continue to target Australia's under-pressure openers Alex Carey and Aaron Finch as they seek to add a one-day series win to their first ever Test series victory in the third and final match in Melbourne on Friday.

India will continue to target Australia's under-pressure openers Alex Carey and Aaron Finch as they seek to add a one-day series win to their first ever Test series victory in the third and final match in Melbourne on Friday. Carey and Finch's best opening partnership in the first two matches of the series is the 20 runs they achieved in Adelaide on Tuesday. Carey, the team's vice-captain, has scored a total of 42 runs while captain Finch has tallied just 12 and been bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in both games of the series, which is locked at 1-1. Finch was also dropped from the test squad after he struggled in that series and India have concentrated on the 32-year-old, who has 11 one-day international centuries and two in Twenty20 internationals. "We respect that Finch is a great player ... we make sure our guard is up always," Indian opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan told reporters on Thursday. "The boys must have seen his weakness and they are implementing their plans quite nicely. They're not giving him singles that easily or even boundary options. "Once you're creating that pressure to a batsman, especially in limited overs, that batsman is going to do something extra or take more risk to rotate the strike or to score more runs. That's where we're having the opportunity." Dhawan added that the pressure the bowlers were placing on the Australians at the top of the order meant they were not capitalising on the fielding restrictions during the first 10-over power-play. Australia slumped to 41-2 in 9.5 overs in the first game in Sydney, while they were 38-2 after 10 overs in the second match in Adelaide, although that total was only boosted by scoring 11 runs in the 10th. "Bhuvi (Kumar) is very experienced as well as (Mohammed) Shami," Dhawan said. "That's why in the first 10 overs we have been dominating." Finch, however, said he had been reviewing footage of his dismissals in the series and comparing it to more successful periods, which has contributed to 3,430 one-day international runs at an average of 36.88. "Maybe I've been too tentative in the last couple of games, letting a bit of pressure build up," Finch said. "It's always a fine balance between attack and hanging in there and waiting for the right time to be aggressive and take on the game. "I still feel that I'm a very good player ... 13 international hundreds suggests that I do know what's required."

India must keep the pressure on Australia openers, says Shikhar Dhawan

Kei Nishikori survived a huge scare against Croatian Ivo Karlovic before reaching the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-3 7-6(6) 5-7 5-7 7-6(7) win on Thursday.

On a sweltering afternoon at Margaret Court Arena, eighth seed Nishikori appeared set to coast to victory after taking the first two sets but was dragged into a dogfight by the big-serving 39-year-old.

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How does Karlovic's ace haul (59) from this match alone compare with <a href="https://twitter.com/keinishikori?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@keinishikori</a>'s annual tally? 😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/aIEkycs9PP">pic.twitter.com/aIEkycs9PP</a>
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However, after weathering 59 aces from Karlovic, the Japanese held firm in the final tense 10-point tiebreak and slumped to his knees in relief when the Croatian failed to deal with his final first serve.

Nishikori will play the winner of Joao Sousa and Philipp Kohlschreiber for a place in the fourth round.

Kei Nishikori survived a huge scare against Croatian Ivo Karlovic before reaching the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-3 7-6(6) 5-7 5-7 7-6(7) win on Thursday.

Kei Nishikori survived a huge scare against Croatian Ivo Karlovic before reaching the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-3 7-6(6) 5-7 5-7 7-6(7) win on Thursday. On a sweltering afternoon at Margaret Court Arena, eighth seed Nishikori appeared set to coast to victory after taking the first two sets but was dragged into a dogfight by the big-serving 39-year-old. How does Karlovic's ace haul (59) from this match alone compare with @keinishikori's annual tally? 😂#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/aIEkycs9PP — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) 17 January 2019 × However, after weathering 59 aces from Karlovic, the Japanese held firm in the final tense 10-point tiebreak and slumped to his knees in relief when the Croatian failed to deal with his final first serve. Nishikori will play the winner of Joao Sousa and Philipp Kohlschreiber for a place in the fourth round.

Australian Open: Kei Nishikori survives huge scare against Karlovic

Former India footballer Mohammed Zulfiqaruddin, who was part of the fourth place finishing team in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, passed away here Sunday.

He was 83 and is survived by three sons and two daughters.

India lost to Bulgaria 0-3 in the bronze-medal match in Melbourne to finish fourth, a result considered one of the finest moments in the country's football history.

Zulfiqaruddin also represented India in the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games and the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia, a release from Telangana Football Association said.&nbsp;

He was the captain of Andhra Pradesh in the Santosh Trophy from 1955 to 1967. He also captained AP Police team from 1954 to 1967 and won IFA Shield, Durand Cup and Rovers Cup tournaments.

A condolence meeting was held on Sunday at the Telangana Football Association office and it was attended by the office bearers.

Former India footballer Mohammed Zulfiqaruddin, who was part of the fourth place finishing team in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, passed away here Sunday. He was 83 and is survived by three sons and two daughters.

Former India footballer Mohammed Zulfiqaruddin, who was part of the fourth place finishing team in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, passed away here Sunday. He was 83 and is survived by three sons and two daughters. India lost to Bulgaria 0-3 in the bronze-medal match in Melbourne to finish fourth, a result considered one of the finest moments in the country's football history. Zulfiqaruddin also represented India in the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games and the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia, a release from Telangana Football Association said. He was the captain of Andhra Pradesh in the Santosh Trophy from 1955 to 1967. He also captained AP Police team from 1954 to 1967 and won IFA Shield, Durand Cup and Rovers Cup tournaments. A condolence meeting was held on Sunday at the Telangana Football Association office and it was attended by the office bearers.

1956 Olympian footballer Mohammed Zulfiqaruddin passes away

Prajnesh Gunneswaran is the lone Indian in the singles main draw at the 2019 Australian Open and the 29-year-old rues the sorry state of the game back home, which he thinks will not improve even if he pulls off a miracle to reach the final in Melbourne.

Cricket lords over other sports in India and the country of 1.3 billion has no men or women singles player currently in the top 100 even though it has produced decent doubles players in recent past.

Reaching the singles main draw at a Grand Slam in itself is a success in cricket-mad India, which has only seen Yuki Bhambri achieve the feat since Somdev Devvarman played in the 2013 US Open.

Gunneswaran is India's highest-ranked singles player at 112 and will meet American 20-year-old Frances Tiafoe, who is ranked 39, in his opening round on Monday after booking his spot at the year's first Grand Slam through the qualifiers.

"It's a good thing and a bad thing," he told Reuters in an interview on Sunday. "It's good for me personally because obviously I get a bit more coverage and a bit more presence in the media.

"But I would also like to see more Indians in this part of the tournament, in the main draw, doing well, making it to the second week like we do in doubles."

He dismissed suggestions that his Australian Open appearance could motivate more players in the world's second-most populous country.

"I don't think there is any lack of motivation. We don't have the system in place to produce players so no matter how much motivation is there we will not produce any players even if I make the final," Gunneswaran said.

"Somdev has been 70 and we had other players in the past who have been top 30 but that didn't produce another 100 players.

"I don't think me doing something here will make a drastic change. It will change my life but when it comes to Indian tennis I don't think so."

Gunneswaran feels India's search for quality singles players would not end anytime soon.

"We need an entire system and infrastructure, from coaches to fitness trainers, a centre where the youngsters can go and play and develop and get better," he said. "We don't have that kind of a consistent system in India.

"Here I am playing a professional event and I have to focus and do everything that I can to do well. Obviously, there is a certain amount of expectation that comes with being currently the number one in India. I am going to step on the court and give it my best and hope that I can come out on top."

Gunneswaran had missed out on playing in the French Open main draw last year as a lucky loser as he had left Paris to play a Challenger event.

He is coming off a strong 2018 during which he rose to a career-high 104 in November following strong results and two Challenger titles.

The Indian did not have much idea about Tiafoe but knew he needed to be at his best to advance.

"I don't know too much about him. I have seen him on TV playing matches," Gunneswaran said. "I know he's very good, he's top 40 for a reason.

"I will have to play well to beat him. I will come up with a game plan tomorrow (Monday) and give it all I have got."

Prajnesh Gunneswaran is the lone Indian in the singles main draw at the 2019 Australian Open and the 29-year-old rues the sorry state of the game back home, which he thinks will not improve even if he pulls off a miracle to reach the final in Melbourne.

Prajnesh Gunneswaran is the lone Indian in the singles main draw at the 2019 Australian Open and the 29-year-old rues the sorry state of the game back home, which he thinks will not improve even if he pulls off a miracle to reach the final in Melbourne. Cricket lords over other sports in India and the country of 1.3 billion has no men or women singles player currently in the top 100 even though it has produced decent doubles players in recent past. Reaching the singles main draw at a Grand Slam in itself is a success in cricket-mad India, which has only seen Yuki Bhambri achieve the feat since Somdev Devvarman played in the 2013 US Open. Gunneswaran is India's highest-ranked singles player at 112 and will meet American 20-year-old Frances Tiafoe, who is ranked 39, in his opening round on Monday after booking his spot at the year's first Grand Slam through the qualifiers. "It's a good thing and a bad thing," he told Reuters in an interview on Sunday. "It's good for me personally because obviously I get a bit more coverage and a bit more presence in the media. "But I would also like to see more Indians in this part of the tournament, in the main draw, doing well, making it to the second week like we do in doubles." He dismissed suggestions that his Australian Open appearance could motivate more players in the world's second-most populous country. "I don't think there is any lack of motivation. We don't have the system in place to produce players so no matter how much motivation is there we will not produce any players even if I make the final," Gunneswaran said. "Somdev has been 70 and we had other players in the past who have been top 30 but that didn't produce another 100 players. "I don't think me doing something here will make a drastic change. It will change my life but when it comes to Indian tennis I don't think so." Gunneswaran feels India's search for quality singles players would not end anytime soon. "We need an entire system and infrastructure, from coaches to fitness trainers, a centre where the youngsters can go and play and develop and get better," he said. "We don't have that kind of a consistent system in India. "Here I am playing a professional event and I have to focus and do everything that I can to do well. Obviously, there is a certain amount of expectation that comes with being currently the number one in India. I am going to step on the court and give it my best and hope that I can come out on top." Gunneswaran had missed out on playing in the French Open main draw last year as a lucky loser as he had left Paris to play a Challenger event. He is coming off a strong 2018 during which he rose to a career-high 104 in November following strong results and two Challenger titles. The Indian did not have much idea about Tiafoe but knew he needed to be at his best to advance. "I don't know too much about him. I have seen him on TV playing matches," Gunneswaran said. "I know he's very good, he's top 40 for a reason. "I will have to play well to beat him. I will come up with a game plan tomorrow (Monday) and give it all I have got."

India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran rues singles drought back home

Alexander Zverev believes finding the joy in playing on the biggest stages will be key to his hopes of a Grand Slam breakthrough at the Australian Open after struggling with the pressure of being branded the next big thing of men's tennis.

The 21-year-old has proved repeatedly he has the weapons to upset titans like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic but has only a solitary quarter-final appearance at the Grand Slams to his credit, at last year's French Open.

Wielding a monster serve and renowned as one of the game's purest shot-makers, the German is still regarded as the most capable of the next generation of players to break the Grand Slam cartel of the old guard.

But he admits he will need a change of mindset when he marches out onto the blue hardcourts at Melbourne Park and play with the same freedom that saw him claim his maiden ATP Tour Finals crown at the end of the 2018 season.

"Look, I always enjoy playing," he told reporters on Saturday.

"I always enjoy competing, playing the sport that I love. There's always a lot of pressure to it, always the question of: 'When are you going to win a Grand Slam?

"I came to London before, and I wasn't playing my best ... I really wasn't playing well. I came to London saying, 'Look, it's the last tournament of the year, we're all tired, you want to go on holidays. I want to enjoy it as much as I can. I'm playing the best players in the world, I'm going to see how it goes.'

"At the end of the week, I won the tournament. I kind of learned out of that. I kind of figured out I have to have the same mentality when I play at slams. I hope I can achieve that."

Zverev has never made the second week at Melbourne Park and there was little joy in his third round exit last year.

After trading blows in a tense 'Next Gen' duel with South Korean semi-finalist Chung Hyeon, he cracked under pressure in the fourth set and was bageled in the last.

Zverev is now coached by Ivan Lendl, who helped Andy Murray break his long drought at Grand Slams, and has already credited him for helping raise his game.

He has not had an ideal preparation for Melbourne, however, and comes into the tournament without a competitive match under his belt since the November Tour Finals.

He was forced to pull out of the World Tennis Challenge exhibition in Adelaide last week and rolled his ankle during practice at Melbourne Park on Thursday.

He said the ankle had still not completely healed but did not feel it would affect his tournament ahead of a first round match against unseeded Slovene Aljaz Bedene.

"It's just a little bit swollen. I didn't actually twist

it," he said.

"I just kind of went over it a little bit. You know, actually what happened was a bone pushed against another bone.

"There was, like, inflammation between those two bones.

"I'm fine. I'm going to play with the tape. It's just a little bit uncomfortable, but it's nothing that can get worse or anything like that. I'm actually quite relaxed about it."

Alexander Zverev believes finding the joy in playing on the biggest stages will be key to his hopes of a Grand Slam breakthrough at the Australian Open after struggling with the pressure of being branded the next big thing of men's tennis.

Alexander Zverev believes finding the joy in playing on the biggest stages will be key to his hopes of a Grand Slam breakthrough at the Australian Open after struggling with the pressure of being branded the next big thing of men's tennis. The 21-year-old has proved repeatedly he has the weapons to upset titans like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic but has only a solitary quarter-final appearance at the Grand Slams to his credit, at last year's French Open. Wielding a monster serve and renowned as one of the game's purest shot-makers, the German is still regarded as the most capable of the next generation of players to break the Grand Slam cartel of the old guard. But he admits he will need a change of mindset when he marches out onto the blue hardcourts at Melbourne Park and play with the same freedom that saw him claim his maiden ATP Tour Finals crown at the end of the 2018 season. "Look, I always enjoy playing," he told reporters on Saturday. "I always enjoy competing, playing the sport that I love. There's always a lot of pressure to it, always the question of: 'When are you going to win a Grand Slam? "I came to London before, and I wasn't playing my best ... I really wasn't playing well. I came to London saying, 'Look, it's the last tournament of the year, we're all tired, you want to go on holidays. I want to enjoy it as much as I can. I'm playing the best players in the world, I'm going to see how it goes.' "At the end of the week, I won the tournament. I kind of learned out of that. I kind of figured out I have to have the same mentality when I play at slams. I hope I can achieve that." Zverev has never made the second week at Melbourne Park and there was little joy in his third round exit last year. After trading blows in a tense 'Next Gen' duel with South Korean semi-finalist Chung Hyeon, he cracked under pressure in the fourth set and was bageled in the last. Zverev is now coached by Ivan Lendl, who helped Andy Murray break his long drought at Grand Slams, and has already credited him for helping raise his game. He has not had an ideal preparation for Melbourne, however, and comes into the tournament without a competitive match under his belt since the November Tour Finals. He was forced to pull out of the World Tennis Challenge exhibition in Adelaide last week and rolled his ankle during practice at Melbourne Park on Thursday. He said the ankle had still not completely healed but did not feel it would affect his tournament ahead of a first round match against unseeded Slovene Aljaz Bedene. "It's just a little bit swollen. I didn't actually twist it," he said. "I just kind of went over it a little bit. You know, actually what happened was a bone pushed against another bone. "There was, like, inflammation between those two bones. "I'm fine. I'm going to play with the tape. It's just a little bit uncomfortable, but it's nothing that can get worse or anything like that. I'm actually quite relaxed about it."

Alexander Zverev searching for Grand Slam 'mentality' in Melbourne

India defeated Australia by 137 runs to win the third Test of a four-match series at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. With the win, India have taken an&nbsp;unassailable 2-1 lead in the series.&nbsp;

Chasing a huge 399 to win, Australia were all out for 261 in the post-lunch session after the first session was washed out due to intermittent showers.&nbsp;

India, the world's top-ranked nation, are eying the first-ever series win Down Under in Sydney later this week, where they only need a draw to smash the long-time jinx.&nbsp;

No team before had made more than 332 to win, and that was in 1928 by England.&nbsp;

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INDIA LEAD SERIES 2-1! 
 
With the wicket of Nathan Lyon, Ishant Sharma wraps Australia up for 261, powering his side to a convincing 137-run win at the MCG.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> SCORECARD 👇<a href="https://t.co/XyVZQv8kRp">https://t.co/XyVZQv8kRp</a> <a href="https://t.co/8o7GPf04yZ">pic.twitter.com/8o7GPf04yZ</a>
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The home team were 258 for eight overnight,&nbsp;with Pat Cummins not out 61 and Nathan Lyon on six, with just Josh Hazlewood to come.&nbsp;

While Indian pacers were quick to take the remaining wickets to give India a historic win at MCG and also it was India's 150th Test match win.&nbsp;

India's yorker specialist Jasprit Bumrah stuck in his second over of the day and send back Pat Cummins, who showed immense resistance with his bat. Cummins returned to the pavilion after scoring 63 off 114.&nbsp;

In the next over, Ishant Sharma took the last wicket as Nathan Lyon departed after scored seven runs off 50 balls.&nbsp;

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Jasprit Bumrah gets the big wicket of Pat Cummins! 
 
India are just one wicket away from retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> LIVE 👇<a href="https://t.co/XyVZQv8kRp">https://t.co/XyVZQv8kRp</a> <a href="https://t.co/cURNQ2HP5w">pic.twitter.com/cURNQ2HP5w</a>
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Bumrah was awarded player of the match for his brilliant bowling. He took a total of nine wickets in the third match and so far in the series, he has taken 20 wickets.&nbsp;

Cummins aside, no other Australian passed 50 in Melbourne, exposing their lack of batting depth and reinforcing how much they are missing the banned Steve Smith and David Warner.

The pair's year-long suspensions for ball-tampering run out in late March and it is widely believed that they will be reintegrated quickly into the team.

It leaves India zeroing in on a first-ever series win in Australia with just the Sydney Test next week to go.&nbsp;

India won the first Test in Adelaide by 31 runs with Australia bouncing back to claim the second in Perth by 146 runs.&nbsp;

India defeated Australia by 137 runs to win the third Test of a four-match series at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. With the win, India have taken an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series.

India defeated Australia by 137 runs to win the third Test of a four-match series at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. With the win, India have taken an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series. Chasing a huge 399 to win, Australia were all out for 261 in the post-lunch session after the first session was washed out due to intermittent showers. India, the world's top-ranked nation, are eying the first-ever series win Down Under in Sydney later this week, where they only need a draw to smash the long-time jinx. No team before had made more than 332 to win, and that was in 1928 by England. INDIA LEAD SERIES 2-1! With the wicket of Nathan Lyon, Ishant Sharma wraps Australia up for 261, powering his side to a convincing 137-run win at the MCG.#AUSvIND SCORECARD 👇https://t.co/XyVZQv8kRp pic.twitter.com/8o7GPf04yZ — ICC (@ICC) December 30, 2018 × The home team were 258 for eight overnight, with Pat Cummins not out 61 and Nathan Lyon on six, with just Josh Hazlewood to come. While Indian pacers were quick to take the remaining wickets to give India a historic win at MCG and also it was India's 150th Test match win. India's yorker specialist Jasprit Bumrah stuck in his second over of the day and send back Pat Cummins, who showed immense resistance with his bat. Cummins returned to the pavilion after scoring 63 off 114. In the next over, Ishant Sharma took the last wicket as Nathan Lyon departed after scored seven runs off 50 balls. Jasprit Bumrah gets the big wicket of Pat Cummins! India are just one wicket away from retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.#AUSvIND LIVE 👇https://t.co/XyVZQv8kRp pic.twitter.com/cURNQ2HP5w — ICC (@ICC) December 30, 2018 × Bumrah was awarded player of the match for his brilliant bowling. He took a total of nine wickets in the third match and so far in the series, he has taken 20 wickets. Cummins aside, no other Australian passed 50 in Melbourne, exposing their lack of batting depth and reinforcing how much they are missing the banned Steve Smith and David Warner. The pair's year-long suspensions for ball-tampering run out in late March and it is widely believed that they will be reintegrated quickly into the team. It leaves India zeroing in on a first-ever series win in Australia with just the Sydney Test next week to go. India won the first Test in Adelaide by 31 runs with Australia bouncing back to claim the second in Perth by 146 runs.

India beat Australia by 137 runs to win Melbourne Test

Cricket Australia Friday warned a section of the MCG crowd after it emerged that Indian cricketers were subjected to racist chants in the ongoing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=india+vs+australia%2C+3rd+test">third Test</a> here, a media report has claimed.&nbsp;

According to media reports, CA received several complaints of racial taunts directed towards Indian players and fans during the first two days of the third Test. The four-Test series tied 1-1 right now.&nbsp;

The website claimed that it had footage of the specific instances and it passed that on to CA. The CA forwarded it to Victoria Police and the stadium management and it is alleged that spectators can be seen shouting "show us your visa" in the bottom tier of the MCG's Great Southern Stand.&nbsp;

It reportedly prompted CA to tell fans to behave themselves or risk eviction.&nbsp;

"Victoria Police and stadium security are monitoring the behaviour of the crowd in that section of the stadium and have had several discussions with those fans in that bay to remind them about appropriate crowd behaviour, as per venue entry terms and conditions," a CA spokesperson was quoted as saying.&nbsp;

Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who scored 82 in the first innings, was also subjected to booing and abusive chants.&nbsp;

Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who has replaced Peter Handscomb in the third Test, was also booed by the spectators on the opening day.&nbsp;

This is not the first time the MCG crowd has been warned against racial behaviour. A similar incident was reported during the Boxing Day Test in 2005 with South African fast bowler Andre Nel at the receiving end.&nbsp;

Cricket Australia Friday warned a section of the MCG crowd after it emerged that Indian cricketers were subjected to racist chants in the ongoing third Test here, a media report has claimed.

Cricket Australia Friday warned a section of the MCG crowd after it emerged that Indian cricketers were subjected to racist chants in the ongoing third Test here, a media report has claimed. According to media reports, CA received several complaints of racial taunts directed towards Indian players and fans during the first two days of the third Test. The four-Test series tied 1-1 right now. The website claimed that it had footage of the specific instances and it passed that on to CA. The CA forwarded it to Victoria Police and the stadium management and it is alleged that spectators can be seen shouting "show us your visa" in the bottom tier of the MCG's Great Southern Stand. It reportedly prompted CA to tell fans to behave themselves or risk eviction. "Victoria Police and stadium security are monitoring the behaviour of the crowd in that section of the stadium and have had several discussions with those fans in that bay to remind them about appropriate crowd behaviour, as per venue entry terms and conditions," a CA spokesperson was quoted as saying. Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who scored 82 in the first innings, was also subjected to booing and abusive chants. Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who has replaced Peter Handscomb in the third Test, was also booed by the spectators on the opening day. This is not the first time the MCG crowd has been warned against racial behaviour. A similar incident was reported during the Boxing Day Test in 2005 with South African fast bowler Andre Nel at the receiving end.

Cricket Australia warns MCG fans against racist chants: Report

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=virat+kohli">Virat Kohli</a> might have come under sharp criticism from various quarters for his on-field aggressive behaviour but former Australia spinner Brad Hogg Saturday defended the India captain, saying the visiting team derives energy from him.&nbsp;

"Virat Kohli is the energy of this Indian team. He is their clear leader and they feed off him. You just see him on the field - his athleticism is different and he expects that from the Indian team," Hogg told PTI.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"And what he expects from the team, he does as well, so it is not as if he is telling the team what to do without leading from the front. He is actually leading from the front and asking his teammates to follow him," he added.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Talking about Kohli's batting, Hogg said: "As a batsman too, Kohli is on a different level to anyone else. Perhaps only Usman Khawaja came close, that too in the second innings where he batted with a lot of composure," said 47-year-old Hogg who played seven Tests between 1996 to 2008.&nbsp;

"But even then, they don't have someone on the same level as Kohli. He is a different batsman to everybody else - he finds boundaries and rotates strike, and turns momentum of the game at will," he added.&nbsp;

Hogg said India would need to find balance going into the third Test to put Australia under pressure. He said both the teams might look to play a pace-bowling all-round at the MCG.&nbsp;

The four-match Test series is now levelled at 1-1, with India winning in Adelaide and Australia drawing level in Perth.&nbsp;

Hogg said he hopes to see a close contest in the remaining two Tests.&nbsp;

"I only really want a close series. We have had two close Test matches, and that's what we want. We want Australia tested on their home soil and they have been tested a couple of times previously by Indian teams coming here," said the left-arm spinner.&nbsp;

"It will be interesting to see how India will balance their team going into the MCG Test. Both teams might look to play the extra bowler by picking the all-rounder and added to their bowling depth."&nbsp;

Hogg heaped praise on Indian pacers and said it would be a huge opportunity for the visitors against a 'relatively weak' Australian side.&nbsp;

"India have to be proud with the way their pacers have bowled in both Tests. They have been aggressive and won the first Test, and it was very important because it gave them energy and belief," he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"This is a huge opportunity for India because of the relative weakness of the Australian team. So that adds pressure and it plays on back of their minds. Perth tested this bowling attack's character and they showed true fight, but didn't score enough runs."&nbsp;

India also faced flak for not playing a spinner at the Perth pitch where Nathan Lyon scalped eight wickets, despite the wicket favouring the pacers.&nbsp;

Hogg backed the decision saying in absence of injured Ravichandran Ashwin, India simply couldn't play Ravindra Jadeja or Kuldeep Yadav for a lack of aid from the pace-friendly pitch.&nbsp;

"See, Ashwin wasn't fit and yes, they did have Jadeja and Kuldeep. I would have loved to see Kuldeep bowl on that track, but even Nathan Lyon didn't get too much turn," he said.&nbsp;

"As for Jadeja, he would have been spinning into a long left-handed Australian line-up so India probably had that point at the back of their mind. I suspect India might have made the right decision but it came down to the first hour on day one," he opined.&nbsp;

Hogg said the Australian openers have made all the difference in the series so far for the home team, surely as compared to their Indian counterparts.&nbsp;

"It was an enthralling Test match and India can be proud of how they fought. But the difference was in the opening partnerships. The way Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch added 112 runs, they made India chase the game from the first hour on day one," he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Indian pacers couldn't figure out line or length for the first two sessions and that's where this game got away from them.&nbsp;

"It happens sometimes in Perth, when opposition teams arrive here. They can get carried away seeing the green grass or bounce, and are not able to adjust lengths. It gave Australia impetus and India never recovered from there," Hogg said.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli might have come under sharp criticism from various quarters for his on-field aggressive behaviour but former Australia spinner Brad Hogg Saturday defended the India captain, saying the visiting team derives energy from him.

Virat Kohli might have come under sharp criticism from various quarters for his on-field aggressive behaviour but former Australia spinner Brad Hogg Saturday defended the India captain, saying the visiting team derives energy from him. "Virat Kohli is the energy of this Indian team. He is their clear leader and they feed off him. You just see him on the field - his athleticism is different and he expects that from the Indian team," Hogg told PTI. "And what he expects from the team, he does as well, so it is not as if he is telling the team what to do without leading from the front. He is actually leading from the front and asking his teammates to follow him," he added. Talking about Kohli's batting, Hogg said: "As a batsman too, Kohli is on a different level to anyone else. Perhaps only Usman Khawaja came close, that too in the second innings where he batted with a lot of composure," said 47-year-old Hogg who played seven Tests between 1996 to 2008. "But even then, they don't have someone on the same level as Kohli. He is a different batsman to everybody else - he finds boundaries and rotates strike, and turns momentum of the game at will," he added. Hogg said India would need to find balance going into the third Test to put Australia under pressure. He said both the teams might look to play a pace-bowling all-round at the MCG. The four-match Test series is now levelled at 1-1, with India winning in Adelaide and Australia drawing level in Perth. Hogg said he hopes to see a close contest in the remaining two Tests. "I only really want a close series. We have had two close Test matches, and that's what we want. We want Australia tested on their home soil and they have been tested a couple of times previously by Indian teams coming here," said the left-arm spinner. "It will be interesting to see how India will balance their team going into the MCG Test. Both teams might look to play the extra bowler by picking the all-rounder and added to their bowling depth." Hogg heaped praise on Indian pacers and said it would be a huge opportunity for the visitors against a 'relatively weak' Australian side. "India have to be proud with the way their pacers have bowled in both Tests. They have been aggressive and won the first Test, and it was very important because it gave them energy and belief," he said. "This is a huge opportunity for India because of the relative weakness of the Australian team. So that adds pressure and it plays on back of their minds. Perth tested this bowling attack's character and they showed true fight, but didn't score enough runs." India also faced flak for not playing a spinner at the Perth pitch where Nathan Lyon scalped eight wickets, despite the wicket favouring the pacers. Hogg backed the decision saying in absence of injured Ravichandran Ashwin, India simply couldn't play Ravindra Jadeja or Kuldeep Yadav for a lack of aid from the pace-friendly pitch. "See, Ashwin wasn't fit and yes, they did have Jadeja and Kuldeep. I would have loved to see Kuldeep bowl on that track, but even Nathan Lyon didn't get too much turn," he said. "As for Jadeja, he would have been spinning into a long left-handed Australian line-up so India probably had that point at the back of their mind. I suspect India might have made the right decision but it came down to the first hour on day one," he opined. Hogg said the Australian openers have made all the difference in the series so far for the home team, surely as compared to their Indian counterparts. "It was an enthralling Test match and India can be proud of how they fought. But the difference was in the opening partnerships. The way Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch added 112 runs, they made India chase the game from the first hour on day one," he said. "Indian pacers couldn't figure out line or length for the first two sessions and that's where this game got away from them. "It happens sometimes in Perth, when opposition teams arrive here. They can get carried away seeing the green grass or bounce, and are not able to adjust lengths. It gave Australia impetus and India never recovered from there," Hogg said.

Virat Kohli is the energy of Indian team: Brad Hogg

Australia will eye a series win when they take on India in the second T20I of a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/1st-t20i-rohit-falls-cheaply-in-174-chase-178589">three-match series </a>at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

While India will hope for a turn-around in a must-win clash to keep the series alive.

In the first match, India made few sloppy mistakes in the field&nbsp;that proved to be the ultimate difference in a game.

In fact,&nbsp;Kohli himself was guilty of poor effort on the field on at least two occasions, dropping counterpart Aaron Finch in the fourth over and later involved in a misfielding from the deep.

On the eve of the series, Virat Kohli said that the team will look to minimise the mistakes&nbsp;happened during their recently concluded England and West Indies series.

"We don't want to be a team that wins one odd test match here and there," Kohli told reporters. "We have figured out our mistakes in England which, I have mentioned before, were very radical.

"The quality of cricket was very high but our mistakes were as radical and that's why we lost the games. We won the game in which we committed fewer mistakes. We were at par with the other team throughout," Virat added.

India, currently the top test team, have not lost a home series since late 2012 but have struggled outside the sub-continent, beaten 2-1 in South Africa and 4-1 in England this year.

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Melbourne! We are here for the 2nd T20I <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/8xEp62g3Ex">pic.twitter.com/8xEp62g3Ex</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1065533218726658048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Indian batting line-up could see some changes which is also the urgent need of an hour.

KL Rahul's performance, in particular, scrutinised, since scoring 101 not out in the first T20I against England at Manchester, Rahul hasn't been able to cross the 30-run mark in next six matches.&nbsp;

He occupies a very crucial, number three, batting spot in the current squad.

There is a special need to check the bowling department as per the behaviour of MCG's pitch.

Krunal Pandya was plundered for 55 runs in his four wicketless overs and was hit for as many as half a dozen sixes.&nbsp;

If the MCG is also of Gabba's nature, Kohli might be tempted to bring in leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who boasts of a brilliant wicket-taking record in T20Is.

While he can not take the risk of giving away an additional batsman.

Australia boasts of bigger grounds than in India, with bigger boundaries of course, and the MCG will prove to be another humongous challenge in that regard.&nbsp;

The task is cut out in front of the team management to work on fielding angles to elevate their efforts in the second T20I.&nbsp;

It doesn't help that there is such a short turn-around time during this series, that fielding coach R Sridhar won't be able to work with the players at the MCG.

Any improvements in the field will have to be drilled in theoretically in the dressing room. And thus India will also seek to look at other areas where improvements can be made.&nbsp;

The ploy to introduce Adam Zampa as the lone spinner worked wonders for Australia and with an intense fielding effort, Australia were able to make a winning difference.&nbsp;

Things seem very different in the hosts' camp all of a sudden when they were simply considered second best to the Men in Blue across all departments less than 48 hours ago.

Melbourne is experiencing a stormy spell in the latter half of this week, so there is a slight chance that the second T20I could also be rain-affected.

Australia will eye a series win when they take on India in the second T20I of a three-match series at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. While India will hope for a turn-around in a must-win clash to keep the series alive.

Australia will eye a series win when they take on India in the second T20I of a three-match series at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. While India will hope for a turn-around in a must-win clash to keep the series alive. In the first match, India made few sloppy mistakes in the field that proved to be the ultimate difference in a game. In fact, Kohli himself was guilty of poor effort on the field on at least two occasions, dropping counterpart Aaron Finch in the fourth over and later involved in a misfielding from the deep. On the eve of the series, Virat Kohli said that the team will look to minimise the mistakes happened during their recently concluded England and West Indies series. "We don't want to be a team that wins one odd test match here and there," Kohli told reporters. "We have figured out our mistakes in England which, I have mentioned before, were very radical. "The quality of cricket was very high but our mistakes were as radical and that's why we lost the games. We won the game in which we committed fewer mistakes. We were at par with the other team throughout," Virat added. India, currently the top test team, have not lost a home series since late 2012 but have struggled outside the sub-continent, beaten 2-1 in South Africa and 4-1 in England this year. Melbourne! We are here for the 2nd T20I #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/8xEp62g3Ex — BCCI (@BCCI) November 22, 2018 × The Indian batting line-up could see some changes which is also the urgent need of an hour. KL Rahul's performance, in particular, scrutinised, since scoring 101 not out in the first T20I against England at Manchester, Rahul hasn't been able to cross the 30-run mark in next six matches. He occupies a very crucial, number three, batting spot in the current squad. There is a special need to check the bowling department as per the behaviour of MCG's pitch. Krunal Pandya was plundered for 55 runs in his four wicketless overs and was hit for as many as half a dozen sixes. If the MCG is also of Gabba's nature, Kohli might be tempted to bring in leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who boasts of a brilliant wicket-taking record in T20Is. While he can not take the risk of giving away an additional batsman. Australia boasts of bigger grounds than in India, with bigger boundaries of course, and the MCG will prove to be another humongous challenge in that regard. The task is cut out in front of the team management to work on fielding angles to elevate their efforts in the second T20I. It doesn't help that there is such a short turn-around time during this series, that fielding coach R Sridhar won't be able to work with the players at the MCG. Any improvements in the field will have to be drilled in theoretically in the dressing room. And thus India will also seek to look at other areas where improvements can be made. The ploy to introduce Adam Zampa as the lone spinner worked wonders for Australia and with an intense fielding effort, Australia were able to make a winning difference. Things seem very different in the hosts' camp all of a sudden when they were simply considered second best to the Men in Blue across all departments less than 48 hours ago. Melbourne is experiencing a stormy spell in the latter half of this week, so there is a slight chance that the second T20I could also be rain-affected.

2nd T20: Australia eye series victory, India look to minimise mistakes

Australian batsman Ben McDermott Friday said his side will have the edge over India in the third and final T20 International in Sydney after rain denied the visitors a shot at drawing parity in the series here.&nbsp;

Australia head into Sunday's game with a 1-0 lead after winning the opening T20 in Brisbane on Wednesday by four runs.

"It is not every day you have the opportunity to win a series for Australia (against a team like India). We're doing the right things and we've got one win on the board, we just need that one more," McDermott said after the match in which Australia posted 132/7 in 19 overs.

The target was first revised to 137 in 19 overs for India, curtailed to 90 in 11 overs and 46 from five overs. But the visiting side could not even lay foot on the crease to give any of the targets a shot owing to the weather.&nbsp;

"It was very frustrating especially with the rain following us around (in all T20 matches). We had set ourselves up nicely for the 19th over but we lost momentum with Jasprit Bumrah bowling the 18th over. But overall it was very frustrating night being on and off with rain," said McDermott

Australia didn't get off to a great start and were reduced to 41-4 soon enough. McDermott said that it made the difference in not getting a big score as compared to the Brisbane game.

"Three down in the power play as opposed to one the other day made the difference. We saw at the Gabba we were 1 for 38, which isn't a massive power play, but we only lost one wicket, so I think that was the main talking point," he said.&nbsp;

"If we're building a big total then we need to get those guys (Australian top-order) batting for longer periods of time. They're some of the best batters in the world," he added.

McDermott put on a recovery partnership with Glenn Maxwell, albeit only worth 21 runs. He said contending with Kuldeep Yadav in the middle overs was tough but he is trying to get the hang of it.

"I just wanted to bat with Maxwell to start with and try to get him on strike as much as possible and I was struggling to do that early, which I wasn't that pleased with.

"Losing wickets throughout the whole innings was tough. But I was happy I could contribute and get us to when we came back out it was 90 off 11, which is actually pretty good for us," he said.&nbsp;

"We were picking him pretty well. I was struggling a bit early but started to pick him a bit better as my innings progressed, which is pretty normal. We just need to sharpen up on that and I think that'll come with hopefully a nicer day and wicket (in Sydney)," he added.&nbsp;

Australian batsman Ben McDermott Friday said his side will have the edge over India in the third and final T20 International in Sydney after rain denied the visitors a shot at drawing parity in the series here.

Australian batsman Ben McDermott Friday said his side will have the edge over India in the third and final T20 International in Sydney after rain denied the visitors a shot at drawing parity in the series here. Australia head into Sunday's game with a 1-0 lead after winning the opening T20 in Brisbane on Wednesday by four runs. "It is not every day you have the opportunity to win a series for Australia (against a team like India). We're doing the right things and we've got one win on the board, we just need that one more," McDermott said after the match in which Australia posted 132/7 in 19 overs. The target was first revised to 137 in 19 overs for India, curtailed to 90 in 11 overs and 46 from five overs. But the visiting side could not even lay foot on the crease to give any of the targets a shot owing to the weather. "It was very frustrating especially with the rain following us around (in all T20 matches). We had set ourselves up nicely for the 19th over but we lost momentum with Jasprit Bumrah bowling the 18th over. But overall it was very frustrating night being on and off with rain," said McDermott Australia didn't get off to a great start and were reduced to 41-4 soon enough. McDermott said that it made the difference in not getting a big score as compared to the Brisbane game. "Three down in the power play as opposed to one the other day made the difference. We saw at the Gabba we were 1 for 38, which isn't a massive power play, but we only lost one wicket, so I think that was the main talking point," he said. "If we're building a big total then we need to get those guys (Australian top-order) batting for longer periods of time. They're some of the best batters in the world," he added. McDermott put on a recovery partnership with Glenn Maxwell, albeit only worth 21 runs. He said contending with Kuldeep Yadav in the middle overs was tough but he is trying to get the hang of it. "I just wanted to bat with Maxwell to start with and try to get him on strike as much as possible and I was struggling to do that early, which I wasn't that pleased with. "Losing wickets throughout the whole innings was tough. But I was happy I could contribute and get us to when we came back out it was 90 off 11, which is actually pretty good for us," he said. "We were picking him pretty well. I was struggling a bit early but started to pick him a bit better as my innings progressed, which is pretty normal. We just need to sharpen up on that and I think that'll come with hopefully a nicer day and wicket (in Sydney)," he added.

IND vs AUS: We are one win away from taking T20I series: Ben McDermott

Three men who allegedly plotted "chilling" terror attacks in Melbourne were arrested early Tuesday, less than two weeks after a stabbing rampage inspired by the Islamic State group left two dead in Australia's second largest city, police said.

The trio, all Australian nationals of Turkish descent, were nabbed in overnight raids as they escalated preparations to attack crowded areas of Melbourne, according to police.

The men were "certainly inspired by ISIS", the Islamic State group, but had no known links to a specific organisation, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said.

"We're very confident that our actions taken early this morning have neutralised any threat to the... community from this group." he said. "We don't believe there's any extended threat outside of the group."

The three, who were not named, had been under investigation since March but had become "more energised" since the IS-inspired stabbing attack in Melbourne on November 9, he said.

In that attack, a Somali-born Australian, Hassan Khalif Shire Ali, stabbed and killed one man and wounded two others in a central shopping area before being shot dead by police.

Tuesday's arrests coincided with a state funeral for the victim of that attack: Sisto Malaspina, 74, the owner of a local Italian cafe and a popular figure in Melbourne's vibrant restaurant scene.

The three arrested men were aged 30, 26 and 21, and will be charged in a Melbourne court later in the day with terrorism-related offences that carry a potential penalty of life in prison, police said.

They had no previous criminal records, but had all had their passports cancelled earlier this year to prevent them from joining terror groups overseas, police said.

"If we had not acted early in preventing this attack, we'll allege the consequences would have been chilling, with... a &nbsp;potential significant loss of human life," said Ian Mccartney, a federal counter-terror police spokesman.

Mccartney said the trio had attempted to acquire semi-automatic. 22 calibre rifles for the attacks, but had not yet chosen specific targets, he said.

Australian police have charged 90 people in relation to 40 counter-terrorism investigations since 2014.&nbsp;

They said the probe into the three men arrested Tuesday had been complicated by their use of encrypted messaging applications, an element certain to fuel debate about government attempts to force device makers and telecom companies to grant access to the applications.

Three men who allegedly plotted "chilling" terror attacks in Melbourne were arrested early Tuesday, less than two weeks after a stabbing rampage inspired by the Islamic State group left two dead in Australia's second largest city, police said.

Three men who allegedly plotted "chilling" terror attacks in Melbourne were arrested early Tuesday, less than two weeks after a stabbing rampage inspired by the Islamic State group left two dead in Australia's second largest city, police said. The trio, all Australian nationals of Turkish descent, were nabbed in overnight raids as they escalated preparations to attack crowded areas of Melbourne, according to police. The men were "certainly inspired by ISIS", the Islamic State group, but had no known links to a specific organisation, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said. "We're very confident that our actions taken early this morning have neutralised any threat to the... community from this group." he said. "We don't believe there's any extended threat outside of the group." The three, who were not named, had been under investigation since March but had become "more energised" since the IS-inspired stabbing attack in Melbourne on November 9, he said. In that attack, a Somali-born Australian, Hassan Khalif Shire Ali, stabbed and killed one man and wounded two others in a central shopping area before being shot dead by police. Tuesday's arrests coincided with a state funeral for the victim of that attack: Sisto Malaspina, 74, the owner of a local Italian cafe and a popular figure in Melbourne's vibrant restaurant scene. The three arrested men were aged 30, 26 and 21, and will be charged in a Melbourne court later in the day with terrorism-related offences that carry a potential penalty of life in prison, police said. They had no previous criminal records, but had all had their passports cancelled earlier this year to prevent them from joining terror groups overseas, police said. "If we had not acted early in preventing this attack, we'll allege the consequences would have been chilling, with... a potential significant loss of human life," said Ian Mccartney, a federal counter-terror police spokesman. Mccartney said the trio had attempted to acquire semi-automatic. 22 calibre rifles for the attacks, but had not yet chosen specific targets, he said. Australian police have charged 90 people in relation to 40 counter-terrorism investigations since 2014. They said the probe into the three men arrested Tuesday had been complicated by their use of encrypted messaging applications, an element certain to fuel debate about government attempts to force device makers and telecom companies to grant access to the applications.

Three arrested over alleged Melbourne terror plot which killed two people

A&nbsp;man who killed one person in a terrorist attack in the Australian city of Melbourne was known to police and was the brother of a man arrested on terror charges last year, Australian police said on Saturday.

The Somali-born man, 31, set fire to a pickup truck laden with gas cylinders in the centre of Melbourne on Friday and stabbed three people, killing one, before he was shot by police.

Local media had named the man on Saturday, but police did not confirm his identity. Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said in a television interview that the man`s brother was arrested last year on charges of planning an attack in Melbourne and is in jail awaiting trial.&nbsp;

"He is certainly someone who is known to both us and the federal authorities in relation to counter-terrorism and terrorism-related matters," he told Channel 7`s Sunrise programme.

"He is the brother of an offender or a suspect that we arrested late last year in relation to the preparation of a terrorist event."

The utility truck carrying barbecue gas cylinders burned on busy Bourke Street just before the evening rush hour as the driver stabbed bystanders and attacked police.

The cylinders did not explode and the fire was put out in 10 minutes, by which point the attack was over, though not before the man had fatally wounded one bystander.

Bourke Street was reopened to the public on Saturday morning.

In two television appearances on Saturday, Ashton was not asked about Islamic State`s claim of responsibility for the attack, issued on Friday via its news agency Amaq, and police had earlier declined to comment on it.

Video posted to Twitter and broadcast on television showed the man swinging a knife at two police officers, before he collapsed when one shot him in the chest. He later died in hospital.

"People were confused more than anything because Australians are not used to that kind of stuff," witness Daniel Rachbuch told Sky News on Saturday.

A staunch US ally, Australia has been on alert for such violence after a Sydney cafe siege in 2014, and its intelligence agencies have stepped up scrutiny, though Ashton said there was no warning of the latest attack.

A man who killed one person in a terrorist attack in the Australian city of Melbourne was known to police and was the brother of a man arrested on terror charges last year, Australian police said on Saturday.

A man who killed one person in a terrorist attack in the Australian city of Melbourne was known to police and was the brother of a man arrested on terror charges last year, Australian police said on Saturday. The Somali-born man, 31, set fire to a pickup truck laden with gas cylinders in the centre of Melbourne on Friday and stabbed three people, killing one, before he was shot by police. Local media had named the man on Saturday, but police did not confirm his identity. Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said in a television interview that the man`s brother was arrested last year on charges of planning an attack in Melbourne and is in jail awaiting trial. "He is certainly someone who is known to both us and the federal authorities in relation to counter-terrorism and terrorism-related matters," he told Channel 7`s Sunrise programme. "He is the brother of an offender or a suspect that we arrested late last year in relation to the preparation of a terrorist event." The utility truck carrying barbecue gas cylinders burned on busy Bourke Street just before the evening rush hour as the driver stabbed bystanders and attacked police. The cylinders did not explode and the fire was put out in 10 minutes, by which point the attack was over, though not before the man had fatally wounded one bystander. Bourke Street was reopened to the public on Saturday morning. In two television appearances on Saturday, Ashton was not asked about Islamic State`s claim of responsibility for the attack, issued on Friday via its news agency Amaq, and police had earlier declined to comment on it. Video posted to Twitter and broadcast on television showed the man swinging a knife at two police officers, before he collapsed when one shot him in the chest. He later died in hospital. "People were confused more than anything because Australians are not used to that kind of stuff," witness Daniel Rachbuch told Sky News on Saturday. A staunch US ally, Australia has been on alert for such violence after a Sydney cafe siege in 2014, and its intelligence agencies have stepped up scrutiny, though Ashton said there was no warning of the latest attack.

Melbourne attacker's brother arrested last year: Police

The Islamic State group claimed the responsibility of the stabbing which took place in the Australian city of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/melbourne-knife-attacker-who-killed-one-drove-car-loaded-with-gas-cylinders-176403">Melbourne on Friday.</a>

The incident&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/melbourne-knife-attacker-who-killed-one-drove-car-loaded-with-gas-cylinders-176403">killed one person</a> and wounded two others.

"The perpetrator of the operation... in Melbourne... was an Islamic State fighter and carried out the operation... to target nationals of the coalition" fighting IS, Amaq reported a jihadist security source as saying.

Australian police said a Somali man who stabbed three people in the city of Melbourne on Friday drove a car laden with gas cylinders which caught fire and that they are treating the attack as terrorism.

The man stabbed three people, killing one before he was shot by police. He later died in hospital, Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton told reporters.

"We don't believe there is an ongoing threat at this stage, but certainly we are treating it as a terrorism incident," Ashton said. He declined to identify the attacker, but said he was Somali with "family associations that are well known to us".

The counter-terrorism command has taken a lead role in the investigation.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Islamic State group claimed the responsibility of the stabbing which took place in the Australian city of Melbourne on Friday. The incident killed one person and wounded two others.

The Islamic State group claimed the responsibility of the stabbing which took place in the Australian city of Melbourne on Friday. The incident killed one person and wounded two others. "The perpetrator of the operation... in Melbourne... was an Islamic State fighter and carried out the operation... to target nationals of the coalition" fighting IS, Amaq reported a jihadist security source as saying. Australian police said a Somali man who stabbed three people in the city of Melbourne on Friday drove a car laden with gas cylinders which caught fire and that they are treating the attack as terrorism. The man stabbed three people, killing one before he was shot by police. He later died in hospital, Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton told reporters. "We don't believe there is an ongoing threat at this stage, but certainly we are treating it as a terrorism incident," Ashton said. He declined to identify the attacker, but said he was Somali with "family associations that are well known to us". The counter-terrorism command has taken a lead role in the investigation. (With inputs from agencies)

Islamic State group claims Melbourne stabbing that killed one person

Australian police on Friday&nbsp;confirmed that one person died while two others are being treated in hospital after a rush hour stabbing incident in Melbourne's central business district.

News agency AFP quoting police sources reported that suspected attacker was shot in the chest and is in a critical condition under guard in hospital.

"Police are currently at an incident on Bourke St in the CBD. Police initially responded to a report of a car on fire near the corner of Swanston Street about 4.20pm. A man was arrested at the scene and has been taken to hospital under police guard in a critical condition," the police said on their Twitter handle.

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Police are currently at an incident on Bourke St in the CBD. Police initially responded to a report of a car on fire near the corner of Swanston Street about 4.20pm. A man was arrested at the scene and has been taken to hospital under police guard in a critical condition. (1/3) <a href="https://t.co/y4MorEbrOC">pic.twitter.com/y4MorEbrOC</a>
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/VictoriaPolice/status/1060781258727284736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Paramedics said they assessed three people at the scene, one with a neck injury: "They are in a suspected critical condition. A second person has been taken to hospital with a head injury. Condition not yet known. A third person has also been taken to hospital."

"Police are not looking for anyone further at this early stage. A small number of people are being treated for stab wounds. The exact circumstances are yet to be determined at this stage. The area has been cordoned off and the public are urged to avoid the area," the police said.

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Anyone with information or who witnessed the incident is asked to go to Melbourne West Police Station to make a statement. We will provide further information when it comes to hand. (3/3)
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/VictoriaPolice/status/1060781263798161408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Some Twitter users said they heard a "loud bang" and then saw a car on fire. Others posted that the man who was inside the car attacked the police with a knife.

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Anyone know what’s going on in Melbourne CBD? Car explosion outside my office. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Melbourne?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Melbourne</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a>
— Kaushi Kogar (@Champoothai) <a href="https://twitter.com/Champoothai/status/1060765320321724417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Holy shit, a car on fire in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Melbourne?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Melbourne</a> city <a href="https://t.co/yIryxRRKK3">pic.twitter.com/yIryxRRKK3</a>
— sarah (@_sarah_sarah) <a href="https://twitter.com/_sarah_sarah/status/1060766176303734784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Video from my friend Michael in Melbourne (not on Twitter) who saw the car on fire and started filming. Then saw the guy attack the cops. Shot fired at the end. So scary. Stay safe out there people. <a href="https://t.co/mkwY7E9Xjs">pic.twitter.com/mkwY7E9Xjs</a>
— Brian Chase Olson (@BrianChaseOlson) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianChaseOlson/status/1060775747579572225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Local media showed footage of a large man slashing wildly at police officers before being shot.

Police warned people to avoid the area, although the suspect is believed to have been detained.

(With inputs from agencies)

Australian police on Friday confirmed that one person died while two others are being treated in hospital after a rush hour stabbing incident in Melbourne's central business district.

Australian police on Friday confirmed that one person died while two others are being treated in hospital after a rush hour stabbing incident in Melbourne's central business district. News agency AFP quoting police sources reported that suspected attacker was shot in the chest and is in a critical condition under guard in hospital. "Police are currently at an incident on Bourke St in the CBD. Police initially responded to a report of a car on fire near the corner of Swanston Street about 4.20pm. A man was arrested at the scene and has been taken to hospital under police guard in a critical condition," the police said on their Twitter handle. Police are currently at an incident on Bourke St in the CBD. Police initially responded to a report of a car on fire near the corner of Swanston Street about 4.20pm. A man was arrested at the scene and has been taken to hospital under police guard in a critical condition. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/y4MorEbrOC — Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) November 9, 2018 × Paramedics said they assessed three people at the scene, one with a neck injury: "They are in a suspected critical condition. A second person has been taken to hospital with a head injury. Condition not yet known. A third person has also been taken to hospital." "Police are not looking for anyone further at this early stage. A small number of people are being treated for stab wounds. The exact circumstances are yet to be determined at this stage. The area has been cordoned off and the public are urged to avoid the area," the police said. Anyone with information or who witnessed the incident is asked to go to Melbourne West Police Station to make a statement. We will provide further information when it comes to hand. (3/3) — Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) November 9, 2018 × Some Twitter users said they heard a "loud bang" and then saw a car on fire. Others posted that the man who was inside the car attacked the police with a knife. Anyone know what’s going on in Melbourne CBD? Car explosion outside my office. #Melbourne #auspol — Kaushi Kogar (@Champoothai) November 9, 2018 × Holy shit, a car on fire in #Melbourne city pic.twitter.com/yIryxRRKK3 — sarah (@_sarah_sarah) November 9, 2018 × Video from my friend Michael in Melbourne (not on Twitter) who saw the car on fire and started filming. Then saw the guy attack the cops. Shot fired at the end. So scary. Stay safe out there people. pic.twitter.com/mkwY7E9Xjs — Brian Chase Olson (@BrianChaseOlson) November 9, 2018 × Local media showed footage of a large man slashing wildly at police officers before being shot. Police warned people to avoid the area, although the suspect is believed to have been detained. (With inputs from agencies)

One dead in Melbourne stabbing 'incident': Police

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-group-claims-melbourne-stabbing-that-killed-one-person-propaganda-agency-176428">Islamic State group claims Melbourne stabbing that killed one person</a>

The Islamic State group claimed a stabbing Friday in the Australian city of Melbourne that killed one person and wounded two others, its propaganda channel said.

"The perpetrator of the operation... in Melbourne... was an Islamic State fighter and carried out the operation... to target nationals of the coalition" fighting IS, Amaq reported a jihadist security source as saying.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-postponed-us-talks-because-they-werent-ready-nikki-haley-176424">North Korea postponed US talks because 'they weren't ready': Nikki Haley</a>

North Korea postponed talks with the United States on Thursday "because they weren't ready," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said as she urged Pyongyang to implement a June deal between the two countries.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/2714-people-killed-in-409-us-drone-attacks-in-pakistan-since-january-2004-report-176396">2,714 people killed in 409 US drone attacks in Pakistan since January 2004: Report&nbsp;</a>

The US has carried out a total of 409 drone attacks in Pakistan targeting suspected militants since January 2004, killing 2,714 people and injuring 728 others, a media report said on Friday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-regime-attack-kills-22-rebels-in-truce-zone-176401">Syria regime attack kills 22 rebels in truce zone</a>

Syrian government forces killed 22 rebels near Idlib province on Friday, the deadliest clash to rock a buffer zone where a Russian-Turkish truce is to be enforced.

The attack on a position held by the Jaish al-Izza rebel group took place on the edge of the northwestern province of Idlib, in an area due to be de-militarised.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-peace-council-tells-taliban-it-is-ready-for-talks-ria-176420">Afghan Peace Council tells Taliban it is ready for talks: RIA</a>

Members of Afghanistan's High Peace Council, a body overseeing peace efforts, met Taliban officials at a conference in Moscow on Friday and repeated President Ashraf Ghani's offer of peace talks without pre-conditions.

Islamic State group claims Melbourne stabbing that killed one person The Islamic State group claimed a stabbing Friday in the Australian city of Melbourne that killed one person and wounded two others, its propaganda channel said.

Islamic State group claims Melbourne stabbing that killed one person The Islamic State group claimed a stabbing Friday in the Australian city of Melbourne that killed one person and wounded two others, its propaganda channel said. "The perpetrator of the operation... in Melbourne... was an Islamic State fighter and carried out the operation... to target nationals of the coalition" fighting IS, Amaq reported a jihadist security source as saying. North Korea postponed US talks because 'they weren't ready': Nikki Haley North Korea postponed talks with the United States on Thursday "because they weren't ready," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said as she urged Pyongyang to implement a June deal between the two countries. 2,714 people killed in 409 US drone attacks in Pakistan since January 2004: Report The US has carried out a total of 409 drone attacks in Pakistan targeting suspected militants since January 2004, killing 2,714 people and injuring 728 others, a media report said on Friday. Syria regime attack kills 22 rebels in truce zone Syrian government forces killed 22 rebels near Idlib province on Friday, the deadliest clash to rock a buffer zone where a Russian-Turkish truce is to be enforced. The attack on a position held by the Jaish al-Izza rebel group took place on the edge of the northwestern province of Idlib, in an area due to be de-militarised. Afghan Peace Council tells Taliban it is ready for talks: RIA Members of Afghanistan's High Peace Council, a body overseeing peace efforts, met Taliban officials at a conference in Moscow on Friday and repeated President Ashraf Ghani's offer of peace talks without pre-conditions.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Melbourne stabbing incident an act of terror: Police

Three stabbed in Australia's Melbourne city; one dead, two critically injured

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