Author: Australian Associated Press

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Australia no guarantee to pick Usman Khawaja for second Ashes Test even if injury-free

  • Opener dealt with back spasms in Perth as Travis Head excelled

  • Josh Hazlewood’s injury not bad enough to sideline him for series

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has failed to guarantee Usman Khawaja will be selected for the second Ashes Test, even if the under-pressure veteran opener is fit, while Josh Hazlewood is expected to take “some part” in the series despite speculation hovering over the severity of the star quick’s hamstring injury.

Khawaja dealt with back spasms during the series opener in Perth, batting at No 4 in the first innings, then wasn’t required in the stunning day two run chase.

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Wallabies condemned to winless Europe tour in loss to France as pressure mounts on Joe Schmidt

  • Despite improved showing, Australia fall 48-33 to Les Bleus in Paris

  • Wallabies make unwanted history with first winless Europe tour in 67 years

Pressure continues to mount on the beleaguered coach Joe Schmidt after the Wallabies ended a disastrous spring tour with a damaging 48-33 loss to France in Paris.

Despite a vastly improved showing after insipid displays against England, Italy and Ireland, the Wallabies have now endured a winless four-Test tour of Europe for the first time since 1958.

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Best Australian player was wearing Irish colours, Wallabies coach says after heavy loss

  • Joe Schmidt says 46-19 defeat to Ireland is ‘a tough one to take’

  • Australia on brink of first winless Europe trip in 67 years

The beleaguered Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has ruefully admitted that the best Australian player on the pitch in his side’s latest calamitous defeat was playing in Irish green.

Mack Hansen, the ex-Brumby who grew up in Canberra and was snapped up by his mother’s home country, scored his hat-trick of tries within the first half-hour to kickstart Ireland’s record 46-19 win over Australia in Dublin on Saturday.

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Alex de Minaur reaches ATP Finals last four after gutsy win over Taylor Fritz

  • Australian defeated world No 6 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 but had anxious wait

  • Semi-finals spot confirmed after Carlos Alcaraz beats Lorenzo Musetti

Alex de Minaur has shown extraordinary resilience to bounce back from the depths of misery and book an “incredible” place in the last-four of the ATP Finals in Turin.

The Australian No 1, a picture of despair just a couple of nights earlier after feeling he had thrown away victory during defeat to Lorenzo Musetti, started his unlikely resurrection with a backs-to-the-wall 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 win over Taylor Fritz on Thursday, his first ever victory at the season-ending championship.

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Abbott ruled out of first Ashes Test as Hazlewood cleared to join squad in Perth

  • Fast bowlers were both assessed for hamstring injuries

  • Green does not bowl on day two of Sheffield Shield game

Josh Hazlewood has indicated his hamstring scare is not serious and he will join the squad as planned after Australia suffered a double injury concern just nine days out from the first Ashes Test.

It is not such good news for fellow quick Sean Abbott, who along with Hazlewood left NSW’s Sheffield Shield game with Victoria on Wednesday for a hamstring scan after bowling in the first session.

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‘Mentally it’s killing me’: Alex de Minaur on brink of ATP Finals exit after third-set collapse

  • Australia No 1 defeated by Lorenzo Musetti 7-5 3-6 7-5 in Turin

  • World No 7 needs convincing win over Taylor Fritz to reach last four

Alex de Minaur’s hopes of reaching the ATP Finals last four are hanging by a thread after a heartbreaking three-set loss to Lorenzo Musetti.

The world No 7 went down 7-5 3-6 7-5 after failing to serve out the match, keeping the Italian in the event and now leaving the Australian needing to convincingly beat Taylor Fritz in his third and final group match to reach the semi-finals.

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Julia Robinson flies again as Jillaroos dominate New Zealand to win Pacific Cup

  • Australia defend crown with 40-8 win against Kiwi Ferns at CommBank Stadium

  • High-flying Robinson scores spectacular try as Jillaroos showcase class

The Jillaroos have sent another reminder of the gap between them and the rest of the world, defending their Pacific Cup crown with a 40-8 win over New Zealand.

One year out from a home World Cup and after a season that began with a 90-4 drubbing of England in Las Vegas, Australia again showed their class on Sunday afternoon.

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Gabba downpour hands India T20i series victory over Australia

  • 5th T20i: India, 52-0 (4.5), wash out. India win series 2-1

  • Storm scuppers final match to ruin Australia hopes

India have won the T20 international series against Australia 2-1 after the fifth and final match was washed out at the Gabba. The sold-out crowd will receive a full refund as the fixture did not reach the stipulated cut-off of six overs.

Lightning in the vicinity of the ground initially forced the players off after India made the most of shocking fielding by Australia to race to 0-52 in the opening 4.5 overs. A storm then rolled in, accompanied by steady rain, to ensure there was no further play.

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Australia caught in spinners’ web as India win fourth T20 by 48 runs

  • Hosts fail to capitalise on good start chasing 168

  • Last nine wickets go for 52 in Gold Coast

India’s spinners trapped Australia in a web of despair to secure a 48-run win in the T20 international on the Gold Coast to take a 2-1 series lead.

India made 8-167 after being asked to bat on Thursday and Australia were tracking nicely at 1-67, but spinners Axar Patel (2-20) and Varun Chakravarthy (1-26) sent the required run rate skyrocketing as the pressure built on the hosts.

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Nick Kyrgios to play women’s No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Battle of the Sexes clash

  • Australian tennis star to meet Belarusian in December in Dubai

  • ‘I’m not just here to play, I’m here to entertain,’ says Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios, Australian former Wimbledon finalist, is to play women’s world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in an exhibition match in Dubai.

The clash evokes memories of the 1973 Battle of the Sexes match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs – which King won in straight sets in the Houston Astrodome and was later the subject of a Hollywood movie.

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India make light work of depleted Australia bowling attack to level T20 series

India have levelled the Twenty20 series against Australia, sharing the blows with the bat for a five-wicket win with nine balls to spare in Hobart.

The hosts posted 186-6 on Sunday night on the back of an explosive 74 from 38 balls from Tim David batting at No 4 and a Marcus Stoinis half-century.

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Abbi Church shines on debut for Jillaroos in gruelling win over New Zealand

  • Australia beat Kiwi Ferns 10-4 at Auckland’s Eden Park

  • Church scores crucial try and sets up another on Test debut

Australia fullback Abbi Church has produced a spectacular Test debut in a hard fought 10-4 Pacific Championships win over New Zealand.

Church, 27, came into the starting side when No 1 Tamika Upton was ruled out with a calf strain, and set up a try before scoring one herself at Eden Park.

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T20 international: Mitch Marsh hits quick-fire 46 as Australia beat India by four wickets

  • All-rounder helps hosts into 1-0 series lead in Melbourne

  • MCG holds minute’s silence for teenager Ben Austin

A lethal spell from Josh Hazlewood has propelled Australia to an emphatic four-wicket Twenty20 win over India in front of 82,438 fans at the MCG.

After the opening game of the five-match series in Canberra was washed out on Wednesday night, Australia went 1-0 up with a commanding performance.

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Tane Edmed keeps Wallabies fly-half spot with Carter Gordon’s return put on hold

  • Gordon believed to be struggling with quad strain

  • Tighthead prop Tupou is back in the starting XV

Tane Edmed will take the Wallabies’ playmaking reins again against England as Carter Gordon’s eagerly awaited return to international rugby union has been put on hold.

Gordon, the eight-Test fly-half who played at the last World Cup for Australia before sensationally leaving the code to sign with the Titans, has secured a release from his NRL deal to join the Wallabies’ tour.

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India’s Shreyas Iyer recovering in hospital from lacerated spleen horror injury

  • Vice-captain fell awkwardly while taking a catch against Australia

  • Iyer to remain in Sydney hospital ‘to evaluate his day-to-day progress’

India batter Shreyas Iyer suffered a lacerated spleen and was admitted to hospital in Sydney after falling awkwardly while taking catch in the third one-day international against Australia, the country’s cricket board (BCCI) says.

Iyer was injured on Saturday while taking a catch to dismiss Alex Carey, the 30-year-old clutching his side and grimacing in pain after tumbling to the SCG turf.

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