Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon put Australia in the driving seat of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday to leave Pakistan tottering at 194-6, still 124 runs behind on day two.

Khawaja has been denied permission by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to have a sticker showing a black dove holding an olive branch on his bat and shoes during the second Test against Pakistan.

Showers and potential thunderstorms are expected for the first day of play but are forecast to clear by Wednesday afternoon and Cummins said he was confident of a result.

Cummins broke the record of English all-rounder Sam Curran, who had received INR 18.5 crores by Punjab Kings in the previous edition.

Players can start the bidding for their services at up to $240,000 but the best will be snapped up for many times that.

"No doubt he was missed over there in England (during this year’s Ashes series) for sure. As a captain, it makes it a lot easier knowing that bloke who has played 100-odd Test matches that knows his craft and can bowl pretty much in any conditions, you just let him get to work so it's great having him back. Yeah, another 500 to go."

Captain Pat Cummins said Tuesday that cricketers were "not robots" with Australia's Twenty20 team struggling in India straight after their 50-over World Cup triumph.

In an interview with Australian newspaper The Age, the pacer was asked what moment he would remember in his deathbed.

It was an anticlimactic finish to the 2023 World Cup for arguably the largest cricketing fanbase -- India fans -- as they saw the best team on paper tumbling at the final hurdle only for Australia to clinch their sixth title last week.

Australia's World Cup winners have been denied a full-scale heroes' welcome home by a packed cricket schedule that sees them face India on Thursday at the start of a Twenty20 series, four days after meeting in the one-day final.

On Sunday, the world of sport saw a re-enactment of sorts of the Maracanazo, albeit in a different sport.

"I think that's been almost faultless, to be honest,” Ponting told Sky Sports after the match.

Australia's six-wicket win over India in front of a 92,000 crowd at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium may have been a disappointingly one-sided final

Pat Cummins said captaining Australia to World Cup title glory was the "pinnacle in cricket" after his side dashed the dreams of tournament hosts India with a six-wicket win in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

India posted 240 runs after being sent into bat first

A showpiece match at the 130,000 capacity Narendra Modi Stadium --  named after the Indian Prime Minister, who is expected to attend the game -- will also feature a pre-match fly-past by the Indian Air Force as well as choreographed displays featuring dozens of dancers and light shows during the innings breaks.

"The team has done really well and if you win a World Cup that's a real feather in your cap as a leader," Steve Waugh told News Ltd media on Friday.

Australia captain Pat Cummins talked about the couple of nerve-wracking hours during an intense semi-final but while Australia rejoiced in making another World Cup final, South Africa faced yet another heartbreak. 

"I'm really excited, I'm probably going to go into the IPL auction for next year to try to get some games before that World Cup and push a case to not only make the side but get back to how I feel like I can bowl in T20 cricket."

"Just ridiculous. I don't know how you describe that," said Cummins.