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Australia's XI for the 1st Ashes Test in Perth is confirmed, with Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett debuting due to injuries to Cummins/Hazlewood. England named a 12-man squad, including fit pace duo Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, ready to exploit the pace and bounce of the Optus Stadium pitch.

Sunil Gavaskar advised the Ajit Agarkar committee to pick domestic specialists after the Test loss, stating: "The international players are so busy playing overseas" they lack experience on turning Indian pitches. He urged the selectors to prioritize Ranji Trophy heavy-scorers like Sarfaraz Khan.

AB de Villiers expressed concern about SRH captain Pat Cummins' fitness for IPL 2026 after the Ashes, saying there is a "Big question mark on Pat Cummins." He noted that SRH needs more bowling firepower after trading Mohammed Shami but still has a strong core and "no real reason to panic" with a ₹25.5 Cr purse.

Sunil Gavaskar strongly defended Head Coach Gautam Gambhir over the Eden Gardens pitch controversy: "Totally agree with Gautam Gambhir; 124 was chaseable." Gavaskar blamed the loss on the Indian batters' poor technique and temperament, arguing they batted like it was a 50-over match.

Sourav Ganguly questioned Washington Sundar batting at No. 3, urging Head Coach Gautam Gambhir to rethink the move. Ganguly stated that for overseas Tests, the top five must be specialist batters, adding, "I'm not convinced Washi is India's No. 3" in SENA countries.

KL Rahul opened up on the pressures of IPL captaincy, stating that the constant questioning from owners felt like "being interrogated." He claimed the off-field demands left him "more mentally and physically drained than playing 10 months of international cricket." The comments fueled speculation about his time at LSG.

Cheteshwar Pujara slammed the transition excuse after India's 30-run home loss, stating, "It's not acceptable." He insisted that the loss on the rank-turner was due to poor strategy, not talent deficiency, as the squad possesses strong first-class performers.

Former India opener Abhinav Mukund argued that India must adopt split captaincy, stating, "I don't think India should have an all-format captain anymore." His plea follows Shubman Gill's injury in the 1st Test loss, stressing that the immense workload and pressure on the young captain must be eased.

Yograj Singh gave an emotional interview, calling the separation from his son Yuvraj Singh and first wife Shabnam the "biggest shock of my life." The former cricketer revealed he now lives alone, relies on strangers for food, and feels his life is "completed" and he is "ready to die."

Irfan Pathan slammed the Indian team's batting after their 30-run defeat to South Africa, stating, "Our skill against spin has downgraded drastically." He criticized the lack of "soft hands" and "wrist work" which led to the team's collapse while chasing 124 on a turning track.