India captain Jasprit Bumrah was absent after lunch on the second day of the fifth test, but his team mates still ripped through the Australia batting order to dismiss the hosts for 181 at tea.

Afghanistan lost three wickets early in their second innings and were 46-3, still trailing Zimbabwe by 40 runs, when bad light brought an early close to play at the end of the second day of the second test at Queens Sports Club.

India dropped skipper Rohit Sharma but their batting woes continued as they crawled to 107 for four at tea on the first day of the fifth and final test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

Top order batsman Kusal Perera smashed 101 off 46 balls to set up Sri Lanka’s consolation seven-run victory in the final T20 International against New Zealand, who won the three-match series 2-1 in Nelson on Thursday.

Struggling allrounder Mitch Marsh has been dropped for Australia’s SCG finale against India, giving Tasmanian Beau Webster a Test debut.

South Africa has already sealed their place in this year’s World Test Championship (WTC) final ahead of the second and final test against Pakistan at Newlands but will want to keep their momentum going in the longest format.

Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey has backed Mitchell Starc to be ready for the decisive fifth and final test of the series against India when it starts in Sydney despite doubts over the fast bowler’s fitness.

Speculation that India captain Rohit Sharma and batting stalwart Virat Kohli are set to call time on their test careers has snowballed as the veteran pair continue to struggle in the five-test series in Australia.

Australia will savour one of their greatest Test wins before quickly turning their attention to lifting the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time in a decade.

Afghanistan amassed their highest score of 699 before the first test against Zimbabwe ended in a draw at the end of the final day at the Queens Sports Club.

Australia and India’s enthralling battle in Melbourne has broken the all-time attendance record for a MCG Test, smashing an 87-year-old mark set during Don Bradman’s prime.

Kagiso Rabada has performed plenty of heroics for his country, earning a reputation as a fearsome bowler with more than 300 test wickets, but rarely has he delivered as dramatic a performance as he did with the bat on Sunday to take South Africa to a two-wicket win over Pakistan.