The pink-ball Test in Adelaide between Australia and India saw tempers flare during a high-stakes five-match series with significant World Test Championship implications.
Since David Warner retired in January, no firm contender had emerged to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order in the blockbuster series starting in Perth on November 22.
India now trail Australia, and their percentage points (PCT) is dangerously close to Sri Lanka and New Zealand, who are in third and fourth spot respectively. With a five-Test series against Australia in Australia coming up, India's place in the top two could be in jeopardy.
The first Test will begin on Jan. 29 and the second will commence on Feb. 6. The teams will also meet in a One-Day International on Feb. 13 at an as yet unnamed venue.
Through three World Cup titles, two World Test Championship (WTC) finals, and a 12-year Test series winning streak on home soil, Kohli and Sharma, often together, have been integral to every major Indian success of the last 17 years.
Part of the World Test Championship (WTC), Bangladesh’s first of the two-Test series against hosts India will begin at 10:00 am.
It will be the first time Lord's will host the one-off test played between the two highest-ranked sides in the five-day format, with previous finals taking place at Southampton's Rose Bowl and The Oval in London.
In addition, Shakib Al Hasan was fined 10% of his match fee and a demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct. Shakib threw the ball at Rizwan in the 33rd over of the second innings after the latter had backed away.
Despite starting the cycle with back-to-back Test wins, over Afghanistan and New Zealand respectively, Bangladesh are going to need everything to go their way if they are to reach a first World Test Championship final.
Having won a maiden World Test Championship (WTC), retained the Ashes and claimed a sixth 50-over World Cup title in a glorious six months, Pat Cummins's side will aim to lock away the Trans-Tasman Trophy before a well-earned break from international duties.
"In India, when you grow up, you work really hard for each and everything. Even when getting the bus you have to work really hard to get on the bus," said Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Brathwaite will lead a new-look West Indies team - with fast bowler Alzarri Joseph his deputy in the role of vice-captain and a total of seven uncapped players named among the squad of 15.
The five-match Ashes series begins in Birmingham on Friday with Lord’s, Leeds, Manchester and The Oval hosting the remaining matches.
Protesters stopped traffic near The Oval on Monday and had to be cleared by police before the Australian team could reach the venue for training
India batting great Sachin Tendulkar reckons the spin-friendly Oval pitch will make India a confident side and their tweakers could become doubly dangerous if they are able to get “that drift” and make the ball talk in the air
Australia's Ricky Ponting, India's Ravi Shastri, Pakistan's Wasim Akram, England's Ian Bell and New Zealand's Ross Taylor sat down ahead of the showpiece Final in London to speak about the one-off Test
The WTC final and Ashes series are taking place amid fears the future of the long-format game could be threatened by the growth of global franchise Twenty20 cricket, with top players set to be offered year-round contracts across multiple leagues
It remains unusual that a schedule has not been announced for the 50-over showpiece event expected to be held in October-November
"We're optimistic with what Dave's got left, we’ve picked him in the squad and we feel he’ll play a really big part in the Ashes and the World Test Championship," McDonald told Australian radio station SEN
