Australia confirmed their XI for the first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin on Thursday. Captain Pat Cummins will lead an experienced pace attack that includes Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon. Scott Boland was left out of the side. Cameron Green will bat at number five in the lineup. Bangladesh have confirmed wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das is fit to play after recovering from a calf injury. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the team will wait until match morning to finalise its bowling attack but is leaning toward two spinners and three seamers. This marks Bangladesh's first bilateral Test tour of Australia since 2003.

Joe Root took the captaincy from Ben Stokes after the all-rounder's retirement and immediately scrapped England's night curfew on Wednesday. Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, the 35-year-old said players could mark wins with a beer if they stayed sensible. The ECB brought in the curfew after the Ashes when the team got caught binge-drinking and hitting the casinos. Root's first series runs from August 19 against Pakistan, with Marcus Trescothick stepping in as stand-in coach until Stephen Fleming arrives later in the year. The ECB made clear Root and Fleming agreed on lifting the restriction together.

Joe Root walked into his first series as permanent Test captain and tore up the midnight curfew England introduced after the Ashes. He told Sky Sports the players know what's expected, so the rule no longer makes sense. The ECB said the call came from Root and incoming head coach Stephen Fleming. Marcus Trescothick will lead the side for the three Tests against Pakistan that start at Headingley on August 19. The curfew was brought in last January after complaints about player behaviour on the New Zealand and Australia trips.

Rishabh Pant scored 39 before his dismissal in India's first innings against Sri Lanka in Galle. The wicketkeeper-batter's aggressive approach drew criticism after he fell attempting an expansive shot on a turning pitch. India lost four wickets for 70 runs in a middle-order collapse on day two.

Former India batter WV Raman said Pant should be allowed to play his natural game rather than being instructed to adopt a defensive approach. Pant averages 43.37 in Test cricket and requires three more sixes to become the first Indian to reach 100 sixes in the format.

Dhruv Jurel steadied the innings with 51 after Pant's dismissal. India closed day two on 460 for nine.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has revealed he had an on-field spat with Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara during the second Test in Delhi in 2005. Pathan said Sangakkara was the most vocal after Sri Lanka objected to a change in the box of balls and later sledged him personally after he hit Muttiah Muralitharan for two sixes.

Pathan said Sangakkara accused the Indian players of cheating and went personal, prompting Pathan to answer back. The incident occurred when Pathan opened the batting and scored 93 in the first innings.

In 2008, both players became teammates at Kings XI Punjab in the inaugural IPL season. Pathan said he apologised to Sangakkara after the auction and the two became good friends, acknowledging that emotions run high during matches.

ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said the era of randomly scheduled bilateral ODI series has to end because countries cannot sustain cricket without context and competitiveness. Gupta identified context, culture, competition and competitiveness as the four levers that drive attention and affiliation in the format.

Gupta stated that ODIs remain inextricably linked to the men's and women's World Cups and that the format has a place in cricket's product portfolio. He said greater thought is now needed around how the 50-over game is structured and presented.

The 2027 ODI World Cup will feature 14 teams in a new three-stage format beginning with a Super Series involving the three lowest-ranked teams. The winner will join 11 qualified nations in two groups of six before a Super 7 stage determines the finalists.

Washington Sundar's participation in India's second Test against Sri Lanka is uncertain after the Centre of Excellence advised caution over his hamstring injury. The all-rounder was named only for the Colombo Test and has not played since sustaining the injury during the second ODI in Cardiff.

A BCCI source told The Times of India that the medical team is wary of pushing Sundar into a Test without match practice. The selectors are unlikely to name a replacement if he is ruled out, though he could remain a 16th member of the squad.

Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep also face uncertain return timelines. Bumrah is recovering from a knee injury while Akash Deep has been sidelined since January with a back stress fracture. The CoE has not communicated any timeline for either player's return.

Washington Sundar faces an uncertain start to India's two-Test series against Sri Lanka after the Centre of Excellence expressed doubts over his hamstring recovery. The all-rounder was picked only for the second Test and has not played since injuring himself during the second ODI in Cardiff.

BCCI sources told The Times of India that the medical team is wary of rushing Sundar into a Test match. Several players have broken down after returning too soon from similar injuries.

Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep remain without timelines for their returns from knee and back injuries respectively, leaving the squad thin on bowling options for the Galle opener.

Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi has been named in India's squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka as a replacement for injured Jasprit Bumrah. The 29-year-old was at the airport preparing to board a flight to Bangalore for a camp at the Centre of Excellence when he received the call. Nabi said he had expected a call-up eventually after performing consistently in domestic cricket. He will join the squad in Sri Lanka after Bumrah was ruled out with a knee injury sustained during the ODI series in England. Nabi expressed surprise at the timing but said he always believed his domestic performances would be rewarded. He is expected to provide support to Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna in the pace attack.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly filed a complaint at Thakurpukur Police Station after receiving several death threats over six months. Two letters arrived on Monday, warning that he and his wife Dona would be killed.

Police traced the letters to a courier service in Belgharia, North 24 Parganas. They’ve identified one mobile number and are checking if the same sender is behind every message.

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday adjourned until September 14 the hearing of a petition filed by a woman accusing Bengal cricketer Abishek Porel of having sexual relations with her on the promise of marriage. The adjournment followed the West Bengal government's request for more time to advance the investigation after Porel's arrest.

Porel was arrested on Monday night by Mogra police following a July 14 Calcutta High Court order directing police to detain him and seize his electronic devices. A district court in Chinsurah remanded the Delhi Capitals wicketkeeper-batter to three days of police custody after denying bail.

The complainant, a third-year medical student from Karnataka, alleged that Porel sexually assaulted and abused her after promising to marry her. The case was registered on June 30 under multiple sections of the BNS and IT Act, including Sections 69, 311, 318, 66 and 72.