LIVE: 'Shocked' Smith takes aim at Aussie legend

Australia tin level the bid astatine 2-2 with a triumph successful Ahmedabad, but to bash truthful they'll request to extremity a drought that stretches backmost to December 1969.

That was the past clip Australia won consecutive Test matches successful the aforesaid bid successful India, arsenic Bill Lawry's broadside took retired the 4th and 5th Tests to triumph the bid 3-1.

The 2004 broadside won the archetypal and 3rd matches connected the mode to a 2-1 victory.

Mystery inactive surrounds the transportation to beryllium utilized for the 4th Test, with groundstaff preparing 2 strips, nevertheless it appears the 1 that's been chosen volition instrumentality rotation successful the aforesaid mode arsenic the erstwhile 3 matches.

"Personally I truly bask playing connected these benignant of wickets," Steve Smith said.

"I similar this than conscionable a genuine level wicket that goes 5 days and tin beryllium boring successful stages. There's ever thing happening connected these wickets."

Selectors person named a 14-man Australia A squad for 2 four-day matches against New Zealand A successful New Zealand successful April.

Selection brag George Bailey says the circuit is designed to springiness players acquisition successful conditions they wouldn't beryllium exposed to successful Australia.

"With an Ashes this wintertime and a circuit of New Zealand aboriginal adjacent year, this is simply a large accidental for this radical to execute successful akin environments to those countries," helium said.

The squad is:

Wes Agar, Xavier Bartlett, Aaron Hardie, Peter Handscomb, Spencer Johnson, Campbell Kellaway, Nathan McSweeney, Joel Paris, Mitch Perry, Jimmy Pierson, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Tim Ward, Teague Wyllie.

Stand-in skipper Steve Smith has delivered a service astatine Matthew Hayden, implicit comments the erstwhile opener made during the 3rd Test successful Indore.

Hayden called Peter Handscomb's innings connected the 2nd greeting of that lucifer "un-Australian."

Handscomb spent 98 balls connected his 19, drafting the ire of Hayden successful the commentary box.

However, Handscomb's innings saw helium and Cameron Green harvester for what proved a important 40-run 5th wicket partnership.

"I was beauteous disappointed to spot immoderate of the comments past Test lucifer astir him not playing the Australian way," Smith said of Handscomb. "He's batted the aforesaid successful the archetypal innings passim the full series.

"I deliberation he's been outstanding. The archetypal 2 Test matches [where helium made 31 and 72 not out] successful the archetypal innings of some and near beauteous overmuch stranded. If 1 of the different apical 7 were capable to get successful a concern with him, things could surely beryllium different."

"I was shocked to spot immoderate comments astir the mode helium was playing due to the fact that I deliberation him and Uzzy [Khawaja] person astir apt been arguably our 2 champion batters successful this series."

Good greeting and invited to our sum of the opening time of the 4th Test betwixt Australia and India successful Ahmedabad.

Australia received a overmuch needed boost with a 9 wicket triumph successful the 3rd Test, and caput to the Narendra Modi Stadium with a accidental to level the bid astatine 2-2.

With a capableness of astir 132,000 this is the largest stadium successful the world, and the grounds assemblage for a azygous time of Test cricket could beryllium successful danger. That's presently held by the MCG, with 91,112 fans watching the opening time of the 2013-14 Ashes Test.

Two fans who volition beryllium connected manus are Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese, with the brace to instrumentality portion successful the pre-match formalities.