David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne steered Australia to 70 for one in the opening session of the day-night second Test against Pakistan in Adelaide Friday, justifying skipper Tim Paine's decision to bat first.

On an overcast afternoon and with the floodlights on from the first ball, Warner was not out 45 and Labuschagne on 18 in ominous signs for the visitors, after the pair both made centuries in the first Test in Brisbane.

Pakistan need to win to square the two-match series, but the odds are heavily stacked against them, having lost 13 consecutive Tests in Australia.

Over the years, taking wickets in Australia has been a challenge for Pakistan and they shuffled their bowling attack for the pink-ball Test.

Veteran seamer Mohammad Abbas, who tormented Australia when he took 17 wickets in two Tests in the UAE last October, returned in place of Imran Khan while 16-year-old pace sensation Naseem Shah was rested.

That meant a debut for 19-year-old medium-fast right-armer Muhammad Musa, but it was Shaheen Afridi who stood out and gave Pakistan early hope by snaring Joe Burns.

With the ball moving off the seam, the opener got an edge to Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps and was out for four.&nbsp;

That only brought Labuschagne to the crease.

He made 185 in the first Test and Warner 154, with the pair putting their heads down to grind out runs, picking off loose balls to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Warner smacked eight fours, with Musa mostly on the receiving end, as he neared a 31st Test half-century.

But the economical Afridi made it tough going, getting the ball to swing and seam before the teams left the field five minutes early due to drizzle.

David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne steered Australia to 70 for one in the opening session of the day-night second Test against Pakistan in Adelaide Friday, justifying skipper Tim Paine's decision to bat first.

David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne steered Australia to 70 for one in the opening session of the day-night second Test against Pakistan in Adelaide Friday, justifying skipper Tim Paine's decision to bat first. On an overcast afternoon and with the floodlights on from the first ball, Warner was not out 45 and Labuschagne on 18 in ominous signs for the visitors, after the pair both made centuries in the first Test in Brisbane. Pakistan need to win to square the two-match series, but the odds are heavily stacked against them, having lost 13 consecutive Tests in Australia. Over the years, taking wickets in Australia has been a challenge for Pakistan and they shuffled their bowling attack for the pink-ball Test. Veteran seamer Mohammad Abbas, who tormented Australia when he took 17 wickets in two Tests in the UAE last October, returned in place of Imran Khan while 16-year-old pace sensation Naseem Shah was rested. That meant a debut for 19-year-old medium-fast right-armer Muhammad Musa, but it was Shaheen Afridi who stood out and gave Pakistan early hope by snaring Joe Burns. With the ball moving off the seam, the opener got an edge to Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps and was out for four. That only brought Labuschagne to the crease. He made 185 in the first Test and Warner 154, with the pair putting their heads down to grind out runs, picking off loose balls to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Warner smacked eight fours, with Musa mostly on the receiving end, as he neared a 31st Test half-century. But the economical Afridi made it tough going, getting the ball to swing and seam before the teams left the field five minutes early due to drizzle.

Dangerous David Warner frustrates Pakistan in second Test, Rain delays play

India&nbsp;strengthened its position in the ICC World Test Championship with a comprehensive <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-south-africa-3rd-test-day-4-india-win-ranchi-test-by-an-innings-and-202-runs-clinch-series-3-0-over-south-africa-257413">3-0 victory over South Africa</a>&nbsp;in the three-match series on Tuesday.

India have continued from their early success of a 2-0 win in the West Indies and are now on 240 points after wresting the maximum of 120 points in both their series.

They will get a chance to build their lead further in an upcoming two-Test home series against Bangladesh from November 14.

India gained a maximum of 120 points with each Test worth 40 points since points are evenly distributed over the number of matches in a series.

The points range from 60 points for each match of a two-Test series to 24 for each match of a five-Test series.

Sri Lanka and New Zealand are on 60 points each in the points table after drawing their two-match series 1-1 while England and Australia are on 56 each after their five-match Ashes series ended 2-2.

The top two teams at the end of the league will play the final in the UK in June 2021 with the winners crowned as the World Test Champions.

India strengthened its position in the ICC World Test Championship with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over South Africa in the three-match series on Tuesday. India have continued from their early success of a 2-0 win in the West Indies and are now on 240 points after wresting the maximum of 120 points in both their series.

India strengthened its position in the ICC World Test Championship with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over South Africa in the three-match series on Tuesday. India have continued from their early success of a 2-0 win in the West Indies and are now on 240 points after wresting the maximum of 120 points in both their series. They will get a chance to build their lead further in an upcoming two-Test home series against Bangladesh from November 14. India gained a maximum of 120 points with each Test worth 40 points since points are evenly distributed over the number of matches in a series. The points range from 60 points for each match of a two-Test series to 24 for each match of a five-Test series. Sri Lanka and New Zealand are on 60 points each in the points table after drawing their two-match series 1-1 while England and Australia are on 56 each after their five-match Ashes series ended 2-2. The top two teams at the end of the league will play the final in the UK in June 2021 with the winners crowned as the World Test Champions.

India consolidates top position in ICC World Test Championship

Ahead of the final Test against South Africa, Indian wicket-keeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha on Friday said wicket-keeping is a 'tough' and 'thankless' job.

"Keeping is a tough job and it is a thankless job as we are wearing gloves so everybody thinks that we will catch every ball easily. It is not an easy job on turning track or on the pitch where there is an uneven bounce," Saha told reporters in the pre-match conference here.&nbsp;

Saha took some exceptional catches behind the stumps in the last match on Umesh Yadav's and Ravichandran Ashwin's deliveries.

"We prepare according to the wicket. I know the way how Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin bowl so I adjust myself according to the situation," he added.

"Everyone tries to contribute to the team. As a player, I try to contribute with my keeping and then with batting," said Saha.

The 34-year-old felt that Sourav Ganguly's becoming the President of BCCI is a good thing for the players.

"After Dada (Sourav Ganguly) is becoming the President of BCCI so it will help the players," Saha said.

Saha was picked for the West Indies tour but did not get a chance to play. He got his chance against South Africa in the home series in which he has contributed 21 runs as he only got to bat in a single inning.

"I was out from the team for long due to injury and then I played in domestic and India A games to get my spot in the Indian side. Umesh Yadav bowled well in the first innings and created chances and did the same thing in the second innings. It feels good when you contribute to the team," Saha said.

India has an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series and will play the final match of the series from October 19.

Ahead of the final Test against South Africa, Indian wicket-keeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha on Friday said wicket-keeping is a 'tough' and 'thankless' job. "Keeping is a tough job and it is a thankless job as we are wearing gloves so everybody thinks that we will catch every ball easily.

Ahead of the final Test against South Africa, Indian wicket-keeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha on Friday said wicket-keeping is a 'tough' and 'thankless' job. "Keeping is a tough job and it is a thankless job as we are wearing gloves so everybody thinks that we will catch every ball easily. It is not an easy job on turning track or on the pitch where there is an uneven bounce," Saha told reporters in the pre-match conference here. Saha took some exceptional catches behind the stumps in the last match on Umesh Yadav's and Ravichandran Ashwin's deliveries. "We prepare according to the wicket. I know the way how Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin bowl so I adjust myself according to the situation," he added. "Everyone tries to contribute to the team. As a player, I try to contribute with my keeping and then with batting," said Saha. The 34-year-old felt that Sourav Ganguly's becoming the President of BCCI is a good thing for the players. "After Dada (Sourav Ganguly) is becoming the President of BCCI so it will help the players," Saha said. Saha was picked for the West Indies tour but did not get a chance to play. He got his chance against South Africa in the home series in which he has contributed 21 runs as he only got to bat in a single inning. "I was out from the team for long due to injury and then I played in domestic and India A games to get my spot in the Indian side. Umesh Yadav bowled well in the first innings and created chances and did the same thing in the second innings. It feels good when you contribute to the team," Saha said. India has an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series and will play the final match of the series from October 19.

Wicket-keeping is a thankless job: Wriddhiman Saha

The apex cricketing body, International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday officially launched the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC).

"The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup this summer showed just how important it is for every game to count and for the world's best teams to go head-to-head. The World Test Championship will bring relevance and context to bilateral Test cricket over the next two years, creating a pinnacle event for the five-day format, just as the World Cups for men and women do in the ODI and T20I formats," Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager - Cricket Operations said in an official statement.

"We are awaiting the ICC World Test Championship with great enthusiasm as it adds context to the longest format of the game. Test cricket is very challenging and coming out on top in the traditional form is always highly satisfying. The Indian team has done really well in recent years and will be fancying its chances in the championship," Indian skipper Virat Kohli said.

The championship will begin from August 1 as Australia and England will face each other in the Ashes. WTC will comprise of the top nine Test teams in the world (Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies).

"Test cricket is the pinnacle of our sport. It is the very essence of cricket and the majority of players want to strive to play the purest form of the game. The ICC World Test Championship is another brilliant initiative for the sport, adding context and relevance to every Test series. Every Test matters, but even more so now," England pacer James Anderson said.

"The World Test Championship is a fantastic initiative. We love playing Test cricket, it's the pinnacle for us, remains hugely popular in Australia and we're fortunate that it enjoys great support at home among players, the media and the public. To wear the baggy green is the ultimate for all Australian cricketers and if the World Test Championship helps to ensure that all countries make Tests a high priority then that has to be good news for the game in general and the continuing health of the format in particular," Australian skipper Tim Paine said.

In the championship, a total of 71 Test matches will be played across 27 series over two years. The top two teams will then contest in the ICC World Test Championship final in June 2021 in the UK.

Points will be up for grabs during each match and each team will play three home and three away series. Each series will count for 120 points, distributed over the number of matches in a series.

For example, a two-match series will mean 60 points for each Test while a three-match series will give 40 points to each Test match. A tie will be 50 per cent of the points available, whereas a draw will be a 3:1 points ratio.

The matches will be played in the same format as bilateral series but with the added context of a competition and one champion team. The number of matches in each series can vary between a minimum of two matches, to a maximum of five matches.

The first cycle of the WTC consists of only five-day matches and will include day-night matches. Only matches identified as part of the WTC will count towards the championship.

The apex cricketing body, International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday officially launched the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC). "The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup this summer showed just how important it is for every game to count and for the world's best teams to go head-to-head.

The apex cricketing body, International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday officially launched the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC). "The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup this summer showed just how important it is for every game to count and for the world's best teams to go head-to-head. The World Test Championship will bring relevance and context to bilateral Test cricket over the next two years, creating a pinnacle event for the five-day format, just as the World Cups for men and women do in the ODI and T20I formats," Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager - Cricket Operations said in an official statement. "We are awaiting the ICC World Test Championship with great enthusiasm as it adds context to the longest format of the game. Test cricket is very challenging and coming out on top in the traditional form is always highly satisfying. The Indian team has done really well in recent years and will be fancying its chances in the championship," Indian skipper Virat Kohli said. The championship will begin from August 1 as Australia and England will face each other in the Ashes. WTC will comprise of the top nine Test teams in the world (Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies). "Test cricket is the pinnacle of our sport. It is the very essence of cricket and the majority of players want to strive to play the purest form of the game. The ICC World Test Championship is another brilliant initiative for the sport, adding context and relevance to every Test series. Every Test matters, but even more so now," England pacer James Anderson said. "The World Test Championship is a fantastic initiative. We love playing Test cricket, it's the pinnacle for us, remains hugely popular in Australia and we're fortunate that it enjoys great support at home among players, the media and the public. To wear the baggy green is the ultimate for all Australian cricketers and if the World Test Championship helps to ensure that all countries make Tests a high priority then that has to be good news for the game in general and the continuing health of the format in particular," Australian skipper Tim Paine said. In the championship, a total of 71 Test matches will be played across 27 series over two years. The top two teams will then contest in the ICC World Test Championship final in June 2021 in the UK. Points will be up for grabs during each match and each team will play three home and three away series. Each series will count for 120 points, distributed over the number of matches in a series. For example, a two-match series will mean 60 points for each Test while a three-match series will give 40 points to each Test match. A tie will be 50 per cent of the points available, whereas a draw will be a 3:1 points ratio. The matches will be played in the same format as bilateral series but with the added context of a competition and one champion team. The number of matches in each series can vary between a minimum of two matches, to a maximum of five matches. The first cycle of the WTC consists of only five-day matches and will include day-night matches. Only matches identified as part of the WTC will count towards the championship.

International Cricket Council officially launches World Test Championship