Overview
- Australia and England begin the first Test at Optus Stadium on 21 November, with Cummins and Hazlewood ruled out of at least the opener and Smith confirmed to captain.
- Selectors are weighing Jake Weatherald to debut as opener and Brendan Doggett as third seamer, with Beau Webster’s place under scrutiny in a reshaped Australian XI.
- England arrive upbeat under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, considering a five-seamer Plan A versus picking Will Jacks for part-time spin, as Mark Wood impresses in nets but remains a fitness call and Ollie Pope is set for No 3.
- Marnus Labuschagne says he is batting better than at any time since the 2019 Ashes, setting up a renewed duel with England’s pace unit led by Jofra Archer.
- In India, a 30‑run loss to South Africa on a turning Eden Gardens surface triggered divergent responses: Gautam Gambhir backed the pitch, Sourav Ganguly said BCCI curators take charge and called for better wickets, Bhuvneshwar Kumar defended fielding four spinners, and Sunil Gavaskar urged picking domestic specialists over limited-overs-style all‑rounders ahead of the Guwahati Test on 22 November.