Opener Matthew Hayden was ruled out with injury and Chris Rogers will make his test debut for Australia on his home ground today against India in the third cricket Test.
Fast bowler Shaun Tait will also come into the side at the WACA as Australia opted for an all-pace attack for the first time since 1992 -- also against India at the same ground.
Captain Ricky Ponting confirmed Hayden had not sufficiently overcome soreness in his right hamstring and that he was too great a risk to take into the match, where Australia is chasing a record 17th successive win.
PHOTO: AFP
Spinner Brad Hogg was eligible to play after India dropped their abusive language complaint against him on Monday, but he will be 12th man.
Hayden, who has not missed a Test since 2000, could run at about 70 percent capacity, Ponting said, but was not worth the risk because he could not call on a runner if he came into the match with an existing injury.
Ponting said Rogers, 30, deserved his chance after strong form for Western Australia in domestic play over the last few seasons.
"Hayden is not fit, hasn't come up as you would have noticed by the way he's moving around the field today," Ponting said. "So Rogers will make his debut tomorrow, which is a terrific achievement for him, someone who's been in the wings for the last couple of years."
Tait, who will join Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark in the attack, has not played a Test since Australia's 2005 Ashes tour, which it won 5-0 over England.
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38