CHENNAI: No one could believe what they were seeing when the team sheets were given out. Pragyan Ojha, with 20 wickets in the recently-concluded England series, was not there and it was Ravindra Jadeja who was playing ahead of the Hyderabad left-arm spinner.

BANGALORE: Sri Lanka's World Cup-winning former captain Arjuna Ranatunga feels Test cricket would "die" if players like Sachin Tendulkar call it quits.

"If players like him (Tendulkar) don't play the longer version of the game, Test cricket will die. I pray to God he continues to play Test cricket. I was very happy to know he has retried from ODIs. For me Test is education and the shorter versions are entertainment," Ranatunga said.

NEW DELHI: Off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin finally provided India first breakthrough as he got rid of Australian opener Ed Cowan in the opening Test of the four-match series at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.

Right from the days of Ray Lindwall to the 70s when Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson terrorised opposition batsmen, and the 80s ( Craig McDermott) and the 90s (Glenn McGrath & Brett Lee), Australia have always boasted of at least one world-class fast bowler in their bowling ranks.

CHENNAI: The Chepauk pitch has a bald look to it and old-timers suggest the ball will turn from Day One. Michael Clarke said on the first day of practice after a look at the track that he won't be surprised if India decide to play four spinners in the first Test starting on Friday.

But when it came to finalising their own team, Australia went in with four pacers, including uncapped bowling all-rounder Moises Henriques.

When India front up to Australia in the first Test in Chennai on February 22, it will have been more than two months since England returned home with a perfect Christmas gift.

A standout performance by English spinners Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann, James Anderson's fabulous reverse swing and captain Cook's mountain of runs made the Test series defeat at home a bitter pill for the Indian followers to swallow.

MUMBAI: Former India cricketer Kiran More feels India are top favourites to win the four-Test series against Australia, which begins at Chennai on February 22.

"We have a very good chance to win this series. The loss against England was a wake-up call. England also got the advantage of weather, as that series was played in cold conditions. Now, it's summer here. Australia are a good team, but we should win this series 2-1 or 2-0," More told TOI on Tuesday, after conducting a coaching camp for players from the Mumbai University.

BANGALORE: Indian boxers may swing back into action soon with the international boxing federation (AIBA) showing signs of relenting to requests from the country's Olympic bosses that the players' future should not be harmed.

When India take on Australia, there's often more than just the cricket. Australia's string of match-winning players always had the ability to rattle rivals with bat, ball and mouth. For a while, some of India's more gifted cricketers stood up and tried to match them at these 'mental disintegration' tactics. But in a post-Sydneygate world, with both teams in transition, will the sparks fly like old times?

Mumbai: Jess Cameron's 75 off 76 balls helped Australia post a score of 259 for seven against the West Indies in the final of the ICC Women's World Cup at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday.

Shaquana Quintyne, 17, took three for 27 as the Australians threw away a good start and floundered in the final powerplay overs.