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There will be some top young talent on show in Australia and New Zealand, and here are the names you should keep an eye on…

This year's Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand promises to be the biggest yet. More eyes will be on the tournament than ever before as the game continues to grow, making it an incredible stage for a young player to announce themselves on.

What's particularly exciting this summer is that so many of the best up-and-comers that will be on show are already key players in their national teams.

Four years ago, we saw players like Lena Oberdorf, the women's NXGN 2020 winner, Giulia Gwinn, winner of the Young Player of the Tournament award, and Mallory Swanson, now a star name for the U.S. women's national team, announce themselves to the world.

There are plenty of excellent youngsters who appear primed to follow in their footsteps and shine in the 2023 edition.

So, who should you be keeping an eye on? Let NXGN introduce you to some of the stand-out names, born in 2002 or later…

GettyHanna Bennison (Sweden)

The NXGN 2021 winner, Bennison has been an integral member of Sweden's senior national team for a while now.

She made her debut in late 2019, aged 17, and has since been to an Olympic Games and a Euros. She'll complete the set with a World Cup this summer.

The Everton midfielder moved to England from Rosengard in the summer of 2021 and has become a key part of what head coach Brian Sorensen is trying to do. Bennison's next task is to become a regular in her country's starting XI, though she has proven a very important substitute for Peter Gerhardsson.

AdvertisementGettyJule Brand (Germany)

After starting the Euros final last year at the age of 19, Brand will follow that up with a trip to her first senior World Cup this summer. In the 12 months between the two milestones, she's only grown as a player.

The winger completed a move to Wolfsburg before the 2022-23 season, and the environment the two-time European champions can provide, with its competitiveness and the influence of so many winners, is only benefiting her.

GettyJody Brown (Jamaica)

Brown was only 16 years old when she made her senior international debut and, later that year, she was the youngest player on show at the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship.

Still in college, at Florida State University, the young forward has an excellent goalscoring record for her country and has already been to a World Cup, when the Reggae Girlz qualified in 2019. She's now set for another, at the age of 21.

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GettyEsmee Brugts (Netherlands)

A member of the Netherlands' Euro 2022 squad, it was Brugts' goal that actually secured her country's place at this summer's World Cup. Had the teenager not netted in the 93rd minute to beat Iceland in September, the 2019 runners-up would've had to go through further qualifying and might not have made it.

That is a moment that perfectly illustrates the impact the PSV forward has been having on her national team already, and she will not just be a great impact sub in Australia and New Zealand, but also a player competing for a starting berth.

Squad depth is key in this day and age, so Goal has taken a close look at just how well stocked the big guns really are

According to Jose Mourinho, four teams are capable of winning the Premier League this season.

"Manchester City, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City B team," the Portuguese told when asked who could triumph in 2019-20. 

After winning back-to-back Premier League titles, Pep Guardiola's side are strong favourites to add another this campaign, with their squad depth further strengthened over the summer by the arrivals of Rodri and Joao Cancelo.

However, would their reserves really be capable of beating the Big Six's first-choice line-ups?

Taking injuries, potential departures before the close of the European transfer window and form into account, Goal has compiled an A and B team for every top-six club to see how Manchester City's second-string side stacks up…

Manchester City A team

The greatest side in Premier League history? After racking up a record-breaking 100 points in 2017-18, Pep Guardiola's men retained their crown last season by edging Liverpool in one of the greatest title races English football has ever seen.

City are now bidding to make it three in a row with a near-flawless line-up. Vincent Kompany's leadership will be missed at the back but the defence will be held together by the brilliant Aymeric Laporte, while Ederson is one of the game's best sweeper-keepers.

New signing Rodri should reinvigorate the midfield, Kevin De Bruyne is fit again and Raheem Sterling is just going from strength to strength, meaning the champions could actually be even stronger this season – a terrifying thought for the rest of the Premier League.

AdvertisementManchester City B team

What will scare City's rivals most, though, is the fact that their bench will once again be packed with world-class players.

Leroy Sane may be out injured until 2020 but he was by no means a guaranteed starter this season, which only serves to underline the champions' outrageous array of options.

Indeed, the likes of Sane, Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho would be regulars in almost every other side in the league.

Liverpool A team

That Liverpool didn't win the league last year says more about City's sustained excellence than any failing on the part of the Reds.

Jurgen Klopp's troops racked up a whopping 97 points, which would have been sufficient to finish top in all but two top-flight seasons.

Liverpool still ended up claiming a sixth European Cup, though, and their recent success has been founded upon a brilliant, Virgil van Dijk-led backline and the scintillating attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

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Liverpool B team

While it is often argued that Liverpool lack City's strength in depth, it is worth noting that a number of their reserves played a key role in their Champions League triumph, chief among them, Divock Origi.

James Milner is also capable of playing in nearly every position on the field, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joe Gomez were both flying before suffering injuries, while Naby Keita is still expected to prove himself a world-class midfielder once he settles at Anfield.

The final super squad has been released for FIFA 18, with players from Europe's big five leagues included after impressing for their clubs in 2017-18

EA Sports1Ciro Immobile – LazioST, 96AdvertisementEA Sports2Edinson Cavani – PSGST, 96EA Sports3Harry Kane – SpursST, 95ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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EA Sports4Luis Suarez – BarcelonaST, 97

James Pattinson summoned a frightening spell that cut deep into New Zealand’s batting and helped bring about the end of Brendon McCullum’s storied international career

The Report by Daniel Brettig21-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJames Pattinson’s pace cut deep through New Zealand’s top order•Getty ImagesAs much as this series has packed into two Test matches, one element missing was high pace. James Pattinson changed all that on the third evening at Hagley Oval, summoning a frightening spell that cut deep into New Zealand’s batting and helped bring about the end of Brendon McCullum’s storied international career.On a day when Neil Wagner’s persistent short-ball attack had already been rewarded with a flurry of wickets after lunch, as New Zealand restricted Australia’s first-innings lead, Pattinson showed how speed can transcend conditions. His hostility and reverse swing left the hosts 14 runs in deficit with only six wickets remaining ahead of day four.Always a rhythm bowler, Pattinson had not quite found his form on day one and also bowled the fateful no-ball that cost Australia McCullum’s wicket. This time his pace and seam position were very much in sync, accounting for Martin Guptill, Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls before boring in at McCullum.While he did not take the wicket, Pattinson gave McCullum plenty to think about and on 25, the batsman slogged at Josh Hazlewood and was wonderfully caught by David Warner at midwicket. He and Steven Smith shook the departing McCullum’s hand but both know that victory and the world No. 1 Test ranking is now within reach.Adam Voges and the nightwatchman Nathan Lyon had played serenely in the early part of the day, but Voges’ departure to the pull short, after the fashion of Joe Burns and Smith, heralded the loss of quick wickets. In all, Australia’s last six wickets tallied only 67.Wagner’s energy and commitment to banging the ball into the pitch was not sophisticated, but over time it worked wonders on a surface given to the occasional bout of variable pace. His celebrations grew in exuberance at each wicket, as Australia’s advantage was limited.For Voges, it was another instance of applying the sturdy, calculated approach that has brought him runs at a scarcely believable rate in recent times. Momentarily his Test batting average again cleared 100, the only man to occupy that rarified air above Sir Donald Bradman.There had been more ambitious hopes for New Zealand when play began, following up on last evening’s dual dismissals. Wagner resumed with a similar line of attack, peppering Voges and Lyon with short stuff.Partly through determination and good technique, partly due to the docile character of the pitch, the batsmen were able to stand up to this examination, as Lyon repeatedly covered the bounce and dead-batted it near his feet.Runs flowed a little more freely after those early overs, though neither batsman played with extravagance. Voges offered a neat cut shot here, a checked drive there, while Lyon worked the ball around with the earnest intent of a man who would like to bat further up the order more often.Trent Boult had one concerted lbw appeal and review against Voges, but video evidence had the ball not swinging back enough to hit the stumps. It was telling that McCullum was reduced to bowling himself with the nightwatchman at the crease, and the Hagley Oval crowd raised a cheer when he beat Lyon’s outside edge.At the other end, Williamson would tempt Lyon into following a ball angled across him, and McCullum swooped nicely for the catch. Mitchell Marsh had a 21-ball sighter before the interval, and had the potential to lift the scoring rate dramatically when play resumed.Instead it was Voges who tried to push things along, and departed when Latham timed his leap to catch a flat pull shot at midwicket. Marsh also tried to take on Wagner, and likewise arrowed a catch to the inner field on the leg side.Pattinson broke the sequence with a sliced drive to point, before Peter Nevill’s attempted upper cut settled into BJ Watling’s gloves. Josh Hazlewood offered a simple catch to McCullum at slip to hand Wagner his sixth wicket, a deserved analysis.It was immediately apparent that Pattinson was bowling with good pace and a hint of movement, and the ball was still new when he found Guptill’s outside edge. Latham and Kane Williamson endured for a while, and Australia briefly pondered a review when Jackson Bird hit the No. 3 on the back pad.Smith brought Pattinson back and he soon had Latham’s wicket when some extra bounce resulted in a glove down the leg side. Nicholls was tightened up by a disciplined line and some pronounced reverse swing, before Pattinson angled one wider and was rewarded with a waft, an edge and a catch for Smith.McCullum’s arrival was warmly received, and for a while he seemed to be building something. He eschewed the extravagance of day one, instead mixing defence with calculated attack, but Pattinson did not give him a moment’s peace as Smith allowed the spell to stretch into a seventh over.There was one raucous lbw appeal denied, and one catch turned down after replays showed the ball had gone from bat to ground to boot – shades of Marsh’s ODI dismissal in Hamilton. Eventually Pattinson was spelled, and when McCullum hoisted Hazlewood over the midwicket fence New Zealand still dreamed.Next ball, however, Warner swooped, ending a glittering career and putting the prize of top spot well and truly within Australia’s sights.

Resistance from the lower order of Victoria and then Queensland set up the prospect of a tantalising fourth-innings chase, after two days of a tense and low-scoring Sheffield Shield affair at the Gabba

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2016
ScorecardChris Hartley stroked four fours and a six during his unbeaten 45 off 67 balls•Getty ImagesResistance from the lower order of Victoria and then Queensland set up the prospect of a tantalising fourth-innings chase, after two days of a tense and low-scoring Sheffield Shield affair at the Gabba.Victoria collapsed to 7 for 85 in response to Queeland’s 190 before Chris Tremain, Scott Boland and Fawad Ahmed all made pesky runs to close the first-innings gap between the sides. James Hopes, Mark Steketee, Peter George and Jack Wildermuth shared the wickets, but would have been disappointed to let the visitors climb off the mat.As if to maintain their momentum, Tremain and Boland were then instrumental in in reducing Queensland to 8 for 114 on a pitch that was beginning to lose some of its earlier moisture.However, the hosts’ wicketkeeper and captain Chris Hartley formed a vital union with the leg spinner Mitch Swepson, the pair adding a brisk 57 to broaden Queensland’s lead.Swepson’s busy innings was ended by Boland shortly before stumps, but last man Peter George survived to the close and will hope to help Hartley add more runs when play resumes.

Quinton de Kock and Wayne Parnell are the two nationally contracted players who have opted to change franchises ahead of the 2015-16 summer

Firdose Moonda26-May-2015Quinton de Kock and Wayne Parnell are the two nationally contracted players who have opted to change franchises ahead of the 2015-16 summer. Both are leaving the teams where their careers began with De Kock moving from Lions to Titans and Parnell from Warriors to Cobras.De Kock’s shift is more surprising because he was quite close to Lions’ head coach Geoffrey Toyana, who oversaw an important phase of his career when he was trying to break into international cricket. After de Kock had an unsuccessful start with a particularly poor tour of Sri Lanka in 2013, Toyana spent many hours in the nets with him to hone his game. The results were stand out – de Kock reeled off three centuries in succession against India, became South Africa’s regular limited-overs opener and wicketkeeper and started his Test career as well.In the process, de Kock also earned IPL deals, first with Sunrisers Hyderabad and then Delhi Daredevils where he would have worked closely with Rob Walter, Titans’ head coach for two seasons after a long stint as South Africa’s fitness and fielding coach. Titans won their first trophy under Walter, the one-day cup in the 2014-15 season, after sharing the trophy with the Cobras the year before.Walter has two more years in charge and will be targeting more silverware. De Kock will add to a squad that has already poached another Lions player, Chris Morris and two other glovemen. Heino Kuhn and Mangaliso Mosehle may give him a break from being behind the stumps. The situation will not be too unusual for de Kock, who also found himself with a clutch of keepers at the Lions. Thami Tsolekile and Dominic Hendricks both play at Lions and have been retained for next season.At the coastal end of the country, Parnell travels from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town for “lifestyle” reasons according to his agent Donne Commins. While his move has left the Eastern Cape based franchise without one of their senior bowlers, it has added to the embarrassment of riches in the Western Cape. Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Rory Kleinveldt, Justin Kemp, Dane Piedt and Robin Peterson make up the international component of the Cobras attack while they also have promising youngsters in Dane Paterson and Mthokozisi Shezi, who, like Parnell, is a left-arm seamer.The only solace for the other franchises is that Cobras’ national players do not often turn out for them because of international commitments and Parnell is likely to be no different. When he is available, coach Paul Adams intends to use him as a “fully-fledged allrounder.”

Gloucestershire claimed a second successive LV= County Championship win as they beat Lancashire by 91 runs during an eventful final day at Old Trafford

Press Association13-May-2015
ScorecardCraig Miles picked up four wickets in Gloucestershire’s surprise win•Getty ImagesGloucestershire claimed a second successive LV= County Championship win as they beat Lancashire by 91 runs during an eventful final day at Old Trafford.Sixteen wickets fell in a day which saw Geraint Jones’s side set a target of 300 in a minimum of 70 overs shortly before lunch having declared on 275 for nine following the decision to not risk Liam Norwell’s injured finger with the bat.Lancashire fell to 22 for 4 before half-centuries for fifth-wicket pair Alviro Petersen and Alex Davies took them to 140 for 4 in the 33rd over, only to see Davies and then Petersen fall either side of tea for the addition of only eight more runs. Petersen and Davies hit 63 and 58 respectively, with the latter’s innings including three straight sixes against left-arm spinner Tom Smith.Lancashire, who retain top spot in Division Two following a first defeat in four, were ultimately bowled out for 208 inside 57 overs as Jones and company built on last week’s win over Essex with a 22-point haul. Craig Miles led the way with 4 for 58 and David Payne added 3 for 31.Reece breaks hand after dismissal

Lancashire’s out-of-form batsman Luis Reece is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a broken hand following his dismissal during Lancashire’s defeat against Gloucestershire at Old Trafford.
Lancashire head coach Ashley Giles said: “Luis has broken his hand, so he’s going to be out for a long time. That’s unfortunate, but it’s an opportunity for somebody else. I’m not sure yet how he’s done it. I will have to look into that situation.”

Eight wickets fell before lunch, including the first two in Lancashire’s second innings as they slipped to 11 for 2 following the departures of openers Luis Reece and Paul Horton. Reece, who has endured a miserable start to the season, was trapped lbw by Payne and Horton caught behind driving loosely at Miles.Shortly after lunch, Lancashire slipped further as Ashwell Prince and stand-in captain Steven Croft fell, leaving Lancashire four down and still 278 away from their target. Prince and Croft were both caught behind off Miles and Payne respectively.Petersen and Davies steadied the ship and then counter-attacked, with Davies taking a particularly liking to Smith. He hit 14 off Smith’s first over, including the first six, with the ex-Sussex man conceding 43 off his first five overs.The visitors were given a significant pre-tea boost when Davies miscued a pull at medium pacer Kieran Noema-Barnett to midwicket and when Petersen sliced Payne to cover, the game was Gloucestershire’s for the taking.Peter Siddle fell shortly afterwards to Norwell, caught behind off a top edged pull, but Jordan Clark and Nathan Buck continued to chase a home win. They hit three more sixes off Smith upon his return to the attack as the target dropped below 100 before departing in successive overs.Buck was caught behind off Norwell and Clark was trapped lbw by Miles, who wrapped up the win by bowling Simon Kerrigan.Gloucestershire started the day at 206 for 3, leading by 230, but they lost six for 69 to force a declaration following Norwell’s injury earlier in the match.Peter Handscomb was run out for 76 following a mix-up with Hamish Marshall, ending their fourth-wicket partnership of 134, before Jones was caught at mid-off off Kerrigan’s left-arm spin. Marshall fell eight short of his hundred when he was bowled by a Kyle Jarvis delivery which kept low. Siddle struck twice to finish with 4 for 39 in his final appearance.

Cricket Australia’s operations manager and Big Bash League boss Mike McKenna confirmed today that the BBL would not be expanding beyond its existing eight teams until at least Network Ten’s broadcasting deal expired in 2018-19

Freddie Wilde17-Jan-2015Cricket Australia’s operations manager and Big Bash League boss Mike McKenna confirmed today that the BBL would not be expanding beyond its existing eight teams until at least Network Ten’s broadcasting deal expired in 2018-19.”It [team expansion] would never be any earlier than that [the next TV deal]. That’s the absolute earliest you’d ever think about it,” McKenna told the . “We’ve got to convince not only ourselves but all of our stakeholders, including state associations, that if we do expand it’s going to be beneficial to everyone.”There’s been research done. One report we saw around soccer showed how the A-League, J-League and Major League Soccer in the USA all had a dip around the 5-7-year mark. That’s where you can get complacent. Take your eye off the ball and you go backwards. We’re very conscious of that, so we want to make sure we really lock this in before we think about taking the next step.”McKenna also said that any new teams would not be located in the state capitals. “There are big regional centres who don’t get access to international cricket and the Big Bash is a way of taking the game at the elite level to those areas. But if you don’t have a ground that’s capable of playing, we’re not in a position to build them so that limits you. There aren’t many grounds that are ready for cricket.”Increasing the number of overseas players per team from two to three is also something Cricket Australia is considering along with potentially redesigning the finals structure, with the Sheffield Shield schedule said to be open to change.Meanwhile, Network Ten have promised that they will broadcast all of next season’s BBL matches live in all states after facing criticism for delays in Queensland and South Australia.

Ricky Ponting believes Australia are overwhelming favourites but added that if New Zealand manage to stick to their script in the World Cup so far, “anything can happen”

Gaurav Kalra27-Mar-201512:21

Full Ricky Ponting interview

Ricky Ponting believes Australia are overwhelming favourites to win their fifth World Cup when they take on New Zealand at the MCG on Sunday. Speaking exclusively to ESPNcricinfo, he said he doesn’t think Brendon McCullum’s men “can win if Australia play as well as they can”.”They are both very good teams, but if you just saw them on paper and if you try and see weaknesses in the Australian team, I am not sure where you find one,” Ponting said. “Their top-order batting is brilliant, their new-ball bowling is brilliant, their allrounders are some of the best in the world and they are going to play at the MCG, where they know the conditions really well. That’s not saying New Zealand can’t win, we have seen how good a brand of cricket they can play, but I’ve just got a feeling that the Aussies won’t let a moment like a World Cup final at home slip.”Ponting has played in five World Cups, reached four finals and won three times, twice as captain, and he believes the opposition’s eagerness to do “something extra special” was the reason for them to “come undone” while Australia were focused on playing to the level they were capable of.”When Tiger Woods used to turn up at the majors, he had most of the guys beaten before he started because they knew they had do something extra special to try and beat him because he was that much better,” he said. “I think that’s what happened with us on a few occasions in a World Cup. Australian teams will play to their capability in a World Cup final and if this current team do that then I think another big score is on the cards. I don’t think we’ve seen them play at their best in this World Cup yet. That’s the scary thing for me with this team, they haven’t played at their best yet and they are still winning quite easily.”One playing a seventh World Cup final, the other a first. Who will win?•ICCWhile Australia will be in their seventh final, New Zealand will play their first. Under McCullum, they have shown a compelling brand of cricket and arrive in Melbourne on the back of an eight-match winning streak in the tournament. Watching their progress from the sidelines, Ponting has been impressed and expects them not to be overawed by the occasion.”They are known as Australia’s little brothers, they want to prove a point and say ‘hang on, we are as good as Australia and we are going to prove it here today’, that will be their mindset,” he said. “As long as the Australian team plays New Zealand on skill, don’t get too involved in the emotional side of things, they will win. New Zealand are a very good side, [Trent] Boult and [Tim] Southee are exceptional bowlers and if McCullum comes and does what he does at the top of the order, anything can happen.”I think it’s opening batsmen versus opening bowlers. If New Zealand can keep [Mitchell] Starc, [Mitchell] Johnson and [Josh] Hazlweood out and McCullum gets off to a flyer, it gives them a great chance of winning. If [Aaron] Finch and [David] Warner can get on top of Boult and Southee early then that will expose their third bowler, Matt Henry, who is relatively young. If he has to bowl against some of those powerful Australian middle-order batsmen when they are set, that’s going to be hard work for him. I think that’s where the game will be decided.”One of the running themes through the tournament has been the ultra-aggressive tactics employed by McCullum, often placing as many as four slips for his new-ball bowlers. Ponting is of the view that the New Zealand captain has chosen this route as the one-day game has fundamentally transformed under the new rules.”If you break down the modern game, I think there’s actually two games within one 50-over game,” he explained. “There’s 0-35 overs, which is one game and there’s the last 15 which is another, almost completely different game. What Brendon’s trying to do with his bowling is that he’s trying to break the opposition’s back before the 35th over. So he’s going all-out attack, trying to take all the wickets he can in the first 35 so teams can’t score really heavily at the back end with wickets in hand. That’s been New Zealand’s tactics so far and it’s worked because Boult has been successful while the ball has been swinging. I don’t think it will swing as much at Melbourne, so they might have to do things slightly differently.”

I think there’s actually two games within one 50-over game. There’s 0-35 overs, which is one game and there’s the last 15 which is another, almost completely different game

Among Australia’s key figures in the final will be Steven Smith, who has been in red-hot form throughout the summer and produced a match-winning hundred in the semi-final against India. Ponting believes Smith has all the makings of an “all-time great” on the evidence of his performances over the last few months.”He is making batting look so much easier than other players around the world right now,” Ponting said. “He’s a little bit unorthodox in the way he does things, picks his bat up a bit different to most top-order batsmen but the positions he gets himself into are really, really good. His timing, composure and the way he’s gone about his cricket in the last 12-18 months suggests to me that he could be one of our very best players till the time his career is over.”Whenever extra responsibility has come his way, he has grabbed it with both hands. You look back at when he was made captain of the Test team in the summer and how he played with the bat. More importantly, how he handled himself and the team. As a young guy, I thought he did a great job with the captaincy side of things and his batting speaks for itself. I actually spoke to him after the semi-final and he is so keen just to have one more big game and finish off what’s been a remarkable summer for him.”Ponting also expected Michael Clarke “to stand up” in the final if he gets the opportunity to bat earlier than he did against India on Thursday. And should Clarke lead Australia to victory on Sunday, Ponting, who quit as one-day captain following Australia’s defeat to India in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final, thought there would be “no better time” for him to retire from ODIs. Sentiments that Ponting had also expressed in a column last month on ESPNcricinfo.”I was basing that on how I think his body might hold up,” Ponting said. “Everything he was saying was based around wanting to play more Test cricket and I thought the best way for him to be able to get more longevity for his career was to not play one-day cricket. The rigours of one-day cricket, not just the games but the travel that goes with it, you don’t get much time between games. For someone who has had back injuries and those sort of issues, getting on and off planes everyday and sleeping on different hotel beds, that sort of thing is not good for you. My basis to that statement was that if he wanted to play Test cricket, he might have to consider retiring from one-day cricket. If you end up winning the World Cup, there’ll be no better time.”

Australia and India will belatedly begin their Test series in Adelaide on Tuesday, although nothing about the match will quite be normal

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale08-Dec-2014Match factsDec 9-13, 2014, Adelaide Oval
Start time 10.30 local (00.00 GMT)5:59

‘I hope Kohli is his own man’ – Dravid

Big PictureA fortnight ago, everyone thought the first Test would be finishing today if it hadn’t already, the teams wrapping things up at the Gabba and about to move on to Adelaide Oval. They thought the series would begin without either side being led by their regular captain. They thought that Michael Clarke’s hamstring was the most important issue affecting the Australian team. They thought that Phillip Hughes was a strong chance to replace Clarke in Australia’s XI. Nobody ever thought cricket would witness what it has over the past two weeks. And when the tragedy of Hughes’ death became a reality, nobody thought it would be a big surprise if the series was trimmed back to three Tests to give the players some grieving time.But, here we are at the new beginning. A reworked fixture list retained all four Tests in the series, which now starts in Adelaide before moving on to Brisbane. Clarke was certain to miss the Gabba Test had it started last Thursday, but now will lead the Australians in a Test that will be more emotional than any they have played. Clarke saw Hughes as a “little brother” and struggled to hold back tears while delivering his remarkable tribute at Wednesday’s funeral. Australia could not risk Clarke re-injuring his hamstring at the start of such an enormous summer, but it was also unthinkable that anyone else might lead Australia in Adelaide. Fortunately, he has looked genuinely fit at training.MS Dhoni has also looked fit at training, but unlike Clarke has been ruled out as he continues to recover from a broken thumb. India will be captained by Virat Kohli, whose task is to ensure his men are up and ready for the challenge of a Test match given their unusual preparation. Not only was their previous Test series cancelled when West Indies pulled out, but since arriving in Australia they have had a pair of two-day matches separated by a period of mourning for Hughes and a trip to the funeral for several of the players.But then, nothing about this match will quite be normal, as much as everyone wants to be able to switch their focus to the cricket. Tributes to Hughes will include 63 seconds of applause from the crowd and players before the match, the Australians wearing his Test number 408 on their shirts, and his being listed as “13th man” on the Australian team sheet. Many questions remain, including how the Australian players will mentally handle returning to action after farewelling their team-mate. But as Clarke said in his speech at Hughes’ funeral: “We must play on”.Form guideAustralia LLWLW
India LLLWDIn the spotlightOne of the great unknowns is how the tragedy of Hughes’ death will affect the use of the bouncer, and the response of players and fans to its bowling. Never will that be more the case than when one of the world’s fastest and most fearsome bowlers, Mitchell Johnson, is operating. There can be no doubt that England’s batsmen were at times scared of Johnson during last year’s Ashes campaign on these same pitches, and presumably India’s batsmen will be no different this summer. It will be just as interesting to see how often Johnson uses the bouncer, and whether he gives it everything when he does.”We must play on,” Michael Clarke said at Phillip Hughes’ funeral. On Tuesday, his team will do so.•Getty ImagesIndia have few reasons to remember their previous Test tour of Australia with fondness, but it was notable as the series in which Virat Kohli came of age as a Test player. In just his second Test series, Kohli was India’s leading run scorer and was third only to Clarke and Ricky Ponting on the series tally, which was a fine effort given Australia’s dominance over the four Tests. He was also the only Indian to score a century, which he achieved in the fourth Test in Adelaide. Now, he returns to the same venue captaining his country.Team newsAustralia named their side on the day before the match, with Clarke passed fit and Shaun Marsh therefore left out. Josh Hazlewood was the unlucky bowler to miss selection. Shane Watson returns to the Test side after missing the series against Pakistan in the UAE due to injury, and is expected to slot in at No.3.Australia 1 Chris Rogers, 2 David Warner, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Steven Smith, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Nathan Lyon.The absence of Dhoni means Wriddiman Saha will keep wickets and Kohli will captain India for the first time in a Test. It also appears unlikely that Bhuvneshwar Kumar will play due to an ankle injury, which would leave Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron and Mohammed Shami as the probable pace attack.India (probable) 1 M Vijay, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Wriddiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Varun Aaron, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Mohammad Shami.Pitch and conditionsAdelaide Oval now uses drop-in pitches but the curator Damian Hough said on match eve that he expected “a typical Adelaide Oval pitch” for the Test. “Hopefully there is a little bit in it early, it’s going to be good to bat on, and then take a little bit of spin and some inconsistency later in the game,” Hough said. The forecast for most of the Test is for fine weather and temperatures in the high 20s.Stats and trivia Kohli will become the 32nd man to captain India in a Test Clarke has a remarkable record at Adelaide Oval, where in nine Tests he has scored 1279 runs at 98.38, including six centuries Australia begin the series ranked second and India sixth in Tests; India could drop to seventh if they lose 3-0 or 4-0Quotes”The first spell might be the most difficult. Then we might just get back into the game a bit more.”

“This one of the best bowling attacks we’ve had in a while. Guys who are bowling with pace and they’re fit.”