Batting after captain Pat Cummins won the toss on a steamy day, the hosts reached 311-6 by the close in front of more than 87,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Pycroft, who played three Tests and 20 ODIs for Zimbabwe between 1983 and 1992, achieved the milestone during the ongoing Boxing Day Test between Australia and India at the MCG when he joined a group of three match referees to have previously reached the mark.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) bans "inappropriate physical contact" and those found guilty can be suspended for matches if the offence is deemed serious enough.

In front of a huge crowd on a sweltering morning, the 19-year-old shrugged off a shoulder bump from an irked Virat Kohli and a barrage of invective from paceman Mohammed Siraj on the way to a memorable 60 in 65 balls.

Five U-19 cricketers including skipper Azizul Hakim Tamim and pacer Iqbal Hossain Emon, who were part the Asia Cup winning squad in the UAE, featured in the just-concluded National Cricket League T20 held in Sylhet, showcasing notable performances that caught the eyes of the franchises.

Despite a lacklustre T20 World Cup performance, the 26-year-old shone in the Caribbean, scoring consistently across formats.

The young South African side have exceeded expectations and gained momentum since success in Guyana in August set them on a winning streak.

Rishad climbed a whopping 21 spots to 17th, while Hasan Mahmud rose of 23 places to 24th, indicating that the Tigers bowling arsenal in the shortest format have the versatility to challenge the top teams in future.

The charges of former Australia pacer Shaun Tait will begin honing their skills at 1:00 pm today at the National Cricket Academy Ground in Mirpur.

Returning to the cricketing arena for the first time in eight years, the Champions Trophy will commence on 19 February 2025 and will run for 19 days featuring 15 thrilling contests.

In-form Australian batter Travis Head will be fit for the fourth Test and India are considering restoring captain Rohit Sharma to the opener's slot for the match starting in Melbourne on Thursday.

Bangladeshi umpire Shafuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat is all set to officiate in the final two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Series between Australia and India.

The 19-year-old Konstas will become Australia's youngest Test debutant since Cummins took the field against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2011.

Temperatures are forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Thursday, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground curator said during the week he expected the pitch to offer plenty for the fast bowlers.

Aggressive number five Head is the highest run scorer in the five-match series, plundering centuries at both Adelaide and Brisbane.

“Overall, the tournament has brought many players into the focus of the selection panel. We hope to consistently organise the tournament in the future and hope that the deficiency that we have in the T20 format will be fulfilled,” said Minhajul Abedin Nannu..

Ruben Amorim has insisted he knows what he's doing as the Manchester United manager looks to revive the fallen English giants amid a row over the future of Marcus Rashford.

The 56-year-old previously worked as the head coach of the Pakistan U-19 team and Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League.

They will be the West Indies' first Tests in Pakistan for 19 years and will take place on January 17-21 and 25-29.

Bangladesh will start their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against India in Dubai on February 20.