Pat Cummins says Australia are still confident they can win the Border Gavaskar Trophy despite slumping to a 295-run defeat to India in the first Test.

The hosts started day four needing 522 runs after slipping to 12-3 at the start of their second innings but could only reach 238 as India's attack made quick work of things in Perth.

Australia have won just one Test series when losing the opener (home and away) since 1970. They have lost 24 series and drawn five, though three of those five draws were two-match series.

Despite a poor start to their five-match series, Cummins insisted it was unlikely Australia would make any rash decisions ahead of the second Test.

"I am not a selector, but I would be very surprised if we made any big changes," he told ABC Sports.

"Really confident these are the best of 11 guys coming into this week. This week didn't go our way, but I'm still confident that's the case.

"We challenge each other. We will stick firm, so this week doesn't change that.

"We were clearly well off the mark. There is a lot to work on. So, the most important thing is, there's four Test matches next to come.

"What's the next move? How do we make sure that we don't be in this position again?"

India had racked up just 150 runs during their first innings, but a strong bowling performance against Australia steadied the ship before centuries from Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal put them out of sight.

The tourists claimed their biggest Test win (by runs) in Australia on Monday, while it was also their third-biggest away Test victory in history.

Captain Jasprit Bumrah, who took his 40th wicket on Australian soil as he finished with bowling figures of 8-72, was pleased with the faith India showed after their early setback.

"We were put under pressure in the first innings, but the way we responded after that, I'm really very proud of the team," Bumrah said.

"I played here in 2018, so I remember that when you start here, the wicket is a little soft and then becomes quicker and quicker. So, I was relying on that experience. Obviously, this wicket was a little less spicy than the last one that I played here, but we were really well prepared.

"So I was just telling everyone to have faith in their process and ability, because over here at this moment you have an opportunity to do something special. So, on a given day, experience does matter, but if you have faith in your ability, you can do something special."

Despite a mid-season wobble allowing McLaren's Lando Norris to make things interesting, Max Verstappen is Formula One's drivers' champion again.

The Red Bull driver may have only placed fifth at Saturday's Las Vegas Grand Prix, but finishing one place ahead of Norris was enough to wrap up the title with two races to spare. 

Only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, with seven apiece, plus Juan Manuel Fangio (five) have now bettered Verstappen's four world crowns in F1 history.

Speaking after Saturday's celebrations, Verstappen said the difficulties affecting Red Bull in 2024 – from Adrian Newey's exit to reports of tensions between team officials and his father Jos – necessitated laser-sharp levels of focus.

"The beginning was a bit messy but I think I'm quite calm in those situations," Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.

"I think it's very difficult to disturb me with anything. I'm very focused on the racing side of things.

"I know that when I sit in the car, I forget about everything, even positive or negative stuff. I focus on what's ahead of me and that's performance, and I drive the car as fast as I can."

After Verstappen further cemented his place in F1 history, we run through the best Opta facts to emerge from his latest title triumph.

An unconvincing triumph?

Verstappen sent records tumbling with his third title triumph in 2023, winning a remarkable 19 of 22 races to smash his own record for the most victories in a single season (15 in 2022).

This term, he has had to do things a different way. With just two races remaining in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, Verstappen has eight victories to his name. Should he fail to win another race, he will be the F1 champion with the fewest victories in a season since 2012, when Sebastian Vettel only needed five race victories to triumph.

The tight nature of the field – alongside the struggles of Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez – means there is a real chance of Red Bull finishing outside the top two in the constructors' championship standings.

They currently have 555 points, with leaders McLaren amassing 608 and Ferrari boasting 584 in second.  

Should Red Bull finish third, Verstappen will be the first F1 drivers' champion to not represent one of the top two teams since 1983, when Nelson Piquet triumphed despite Brabham finishing third, behind Ferrari and Renault.

While some may argue Verstappen has benefited from not having one consistent title rival, he also deserves credit for shaking off his team's troubles to come out on top.

The key moments

Several key moments helped Verstappen maintain his stranglehold on the drivers' title.

Seven wins in the first 10 races saw him fly out of the traps, including back-to-back victories in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in the opening two weeks. At the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he became just the seventh driver to surpass 100 podium finishes in F1 history. 

He now has 111, fewer only than Hamilton (201), Schumacher (155) and Vettel (122).

However, Verstappen failed to win from pole at Red Bull's home grand prix in Austria in June, and that race kickstarted a run of 10 without victory for the Dutchman. 

His next win arrived in Sao Paulo in early November, and it was certainly worth the wait.

He raced from 17th to take the spoils in a chaotic race, becoming the first driver in F1 history to win from 10 different positions on the grid. It was only the sixth time a driver has climbed at least 16 places to win a race, and the first such occasion since Kimi Raikkonen in Japan in 2005 (also 16).

And where better to seal the title than under the bright lights of Las Vegas? 

The F1 drivers' champion has now been crowned in the United States on nine occasions. Only Japan (13) and Italy (11) have played host to more coronations. 

Of those nine occasions, three have taken place in the city of Las Vegas: two at the Caesars Palace Grand Prix in 1981 (Piquet) and 1982 (Keke Rosberg), and Verstappen's triumph this year.

More history in the making?

Verstappen's four titles have all come in succession, making him just the fifth driver to achieve that feat and the fourth to do so since the turn of the century. 

In 2025, Verstappen will aim to become just the second driver to reign supreme for five years.

Schumacher won five titles in a row between 2000 and 2004 while Vettel (2010-2013) and Hamilton (2017-2020) have achieved four-peats more recently. Fangio previously won four straight crowns from 1954 to 1957.

While Hamilton's move to Ferrari and the continued development of McLaren duo Norris and Oscar Piastri should keep things competitive, few would bet against Verstappen's reign continuing. 

Barcelona's recent form is a worry for Hansi Flick as they looked to end a two-match winless run against Brest in the Champions League.

Barca went on a remarkable seven-game winning streak through October and early November before stumbling to a 1-0 loss at Real Sociedad and a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo in LaLiga, with Lamine Yamal absent from both matches.

After losing their opening Champions League match to Monaco, Barcelona have since won three in a row, including a thumping 4-1 win over Bayern Munich.

Flick, who took charge in May, said his young squad need to learn to cope with adversity and that a positive result against Brest would be a good start.

"The important thing is to win and that is our focus for tomorrow's game," Flick told a press conference. "It's about eliminating the mistakes, this is important. We have a lot of things we can do better with the ball and this is the focus.

"We have a young team, the youngest in LaLiga, and it's not always an easy ride... It is important that the players know that they are good, that they have quality and that they have to stick together.

"We want to teach them and I always think positively. It's a young team and during the season it's normal to have times like this. For me, the important thing is to learn from it."

Barcelona will again be without Yamal for their Champions League tie as he continues to recover from an ankle sprain, with the team having lost all three LaLiga games which he has not started this season.

He has been pivotal to the Blaugrana this campaign and is the only player across Europe's big five leagues to complete 25+ dribbles (34), create 25+ chances (26), have 25+ shots (39), score 5+ goals (five) and provide 5+ assists (seven).

"We all know how talented he [Yamal] is and how his quality on the pitch can impact a game," Flick added.

"Lamine has a quality that allows you to have more control of possession but also makes the opponent give us more space.

"I think and hope that this will be the last game he misses because [on Monday] he was looking very good [in training] but we will have to wait. I hope that on Saturday he will be an option... maybe from the bench... but we'll see."

Defender Inigo Martinez backed his teammates to overcome Yamal's absence.

"We know how important Lamine is... he gives us a lot, is a difference maker who pushes the defensive line back, he is aggressive, generates assists and a lot of fear in the opponent," Martinez said.

"He is vital and very important, but that doesn't mean that the next player to come on won't be up to the similar level.

"Anyone who jumps in at Barcelona needs to be capable of playing at the highest level. The day that Lamine doesn't play, and we win, this chat that we can't win without him will vanish. We have enough [in the] squad to win every game."

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City players have to be completely committed to the club's cause as they look to end their poor run against Feyenoord.

City's losing streak stretched to five matches when Tottenham stunned the Premier League champions with a 4-0 win at the Etihad on Saturday, marking the first time Guardiola has lost five games in a row in his managerial career.

It is also the first time the club have lost five consecutive matches in all competitions since April 2006. In fact, City are the first reigning top-flight champions to lose five games in a row in all competitions since Chelsea in March 1956.

Their campaign has been hindered by a rash of injuries, with Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, Ruben Dias, Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku and Oscar Bobb among those currently on the sidelines. 

Guardiola, who signed a two-year contract extension at City last week, has led them to 18 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League crown, and urged the team to stick to their philosophy.

"Look at where we've come from. It's so difficult to defend the success we have had, that's why I'm so relaxed. That is why I want the commitment, the commitment, the commitment and the commitment," Guardiola told reporters on Monday.

"Just being ourselves isn't enough, we have to show commitment every day.

"Just because this team won a lot, a lot, a lot for many, many, many years. I think in the situation, we have to go direct to our principles, change less more than ever.

"We create a lot of chances. We're not winning the duels. We have to run backwards because our first centre-backs are not there. Rodri is not there.

"We normally play four central defenders, but we have injuries, we had to play [Ilkay] Gundogan, our best attacking midfielder, as a defensive midfielder because of injuries ... What do we have to do? Insist. If not Tuesday, next Sunday. If not, the next game. We keep trying."

City are currently eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool, who they face on Sunday, in the Premier League, and Guardiola said his side were not, at present, ready to win the league but stressed that this phase will pass.

"We need to win one game. I want the players to perform well. In certain departments, we need more focus. It will pass. It's going to rain tomorrow, life goes on," he added.

City are 10th in the 36-team Champions League table with seven points from four games, two points off the automatic qualification places. Feyenoord are a point behind in 21st.

After drawing their opener in the competition, Guardiola's side recorded big wins over Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague before falling to Sporting CP in their most recent outing.

Asked how he planned to turn City's form around, the Spaniard said: "Prepare for the next game, try to beat them, which is Feyenoord. I don't know any other way.

"It's the same as winning seven games in a row? What should I change? Impossible. The players have played a lot of minutes, we have players who are injured. It's unusual."

Pep Guardiola may have signed a new contract at Manchester City, but there was no turnaround in fortunes for the Premier League champions.

City were humbled 4-0 by Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, losing a fifth straight game in all competitions.

Liverpool capitalised on that result, coming from behind to beat lowly Southampton 3-2 on Sunday and moving eight points clear at the top in the process.

Ruben Amorim made his bow as Manchester United boss in a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town at Portman Road, while Chelsea and Arsenal are hot on Man City's heels.

We also saw a managerial departure, with Leicester City parting ways with Steve Cooper after four league matches without a win.

But, who were the unlucky losers, and lucky winners, from the weekend's Premier League fixtures?

Unlucky losers: Fulham

Man City were not the only team to ship four goals on Saturday, with Fulham also having that unwanted badge of honour following their 4-1 home loss to Wolves.

But while Wolves were excellent on the counter and clinical when their chances came, it is fair to say Fulham were unfortunate to concede four times, given they only gave up 1.3 expected goals against (xGA).

Indeed, Fulham and Wolves both had 10 shots, while both teams also had 23 touches in the opponents' box.

It was a bad day at the office for Marco Silva, but he can at least take solace that the numbers suggest they were somewhat unfortunate.

Unlucky losers: Bournemouth

Bournemouth were beaten 2-1 by Brighton on Saturday, as the Seagulls held off their south coast rivals despite Carlos Baleba's red card.

David Brooks pulled one back for Bournemouth late on, as Andoni Iraola's team fell short of their 1.6 xG.

Brighton, on the other hand, accumulated just 0.9 xG, the third-lowest total of any of the 18 games to have been played across Saturday and Sunday.

Bournemouth had 19 shots but only got five of them on target. Brighton, on the other hand, sent four of their six attempts on target.

Lucky winners: Tottenham

Time for some controversy...

Spurs were brilliant against City, with James Maddison marking his 28th birthday with a first-half double before Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson got in on the act after the break.

Yet, the metrics suggest Tottenham were fortunate to keep a clean sheet, with City - who had 23 attempts - accumulating 2.1 xG.

That is not to say Spurs were not impressive going the other way. They finished with 2.5 xG from just nine shots, showing they created high-calibre chances.

But should it really have been 4-0? The numbers suggest not, but then again, stats must always be used within context and should not be all we go off.

Kevin De Bruyne conceded there has been some chaos behind the scenes at Manchester City, but refuted the suggestion there is a dark atmosphere.

City have lost their last five games in all competitions, while they are eight points back from leaders Liverpool in the Premier League.

Their dismal run of form continued with a shock 4-0 loss at home to Tottenham on Saturday.

De Bruyne, who has featured just six times in the Premier League this season and made just four starts, says there is not a bad mood in the camp, though.

"I wouldn't say dark, it's been a bit chaotic," said the Belgian ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Feyenoord.

"I've seen so many people pass around the medical area, sport science, whose playing and not playing. There's been so many people playing who shouldn't have been playing.

"The games against Sporting, Brighton and Bournemouth were all over the place. Tottenham was more normal.

"I didn't see too much change, everyone is down about the five losses. You have to move on."

City have already shipped 17 league goals this term, while they were beaten 4-1 by Sporting CP in their last European outing.

Since their losing run started with a 2-1 loss to Spurs in the EFL Cup on October 30, City have conceded 14 goals from 10.6 expected goals against (xGA).

"There's only so much you can control from the sides. It's not a nice feeling but it's fine," De Bryne added.

"It seems like we're not really dealing with the moments when it goes bad. There's moments like the Tottenham game which we do really well. The main issue is both boxes. We're conceding too many goals. I don't think we played a bad game the other day but we lost 4-0."

"If you give five chances against Tottenham, that's not that bad. They get two tap-ins. With the way we play, you have to accept there's more opportunity for teams to have a counter. At the moment, we're not dealing with this in a good way.

"We're always going to give a chance away. We're giving it away too many times. When we give a chance at goal, it's basically a goal."

De Bruyne is out of contract at the end of the season, though the 33-year-old is not overly concerned about his future.

"I honestly don't know. At the start of the season, I knew talks would happen but then the thing [injury] happened in Brentford. It was meant to be a couple of days and then it was eight, nine weeks. I put it all to the side," he added.

"I'm not too worried. I'm fine. I'm happy, I just want to play good football again and the future, we'll see.

"I only can really give you the answers, but I don't know. If there's no talks it will be my last year at the club, but I don't know.

"I had a conversation in the summer, but then I had the injury so I wasn't in the right frame of mind to talk about that. I need to be back on the pitch and be myself again. There's no rush, I don't feel uncomfortable, I'm not worried."

Vinicius Junior is set to miss his side's Champions League clash at Liverpool after sustaining a leg muscle injury, Real Madrid announced.

Reports suggest that Vinicius could be sidelined for at least three weeks, which means he could miss up to seven games in all competitions before the winter break, including against Girona and Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga and a Champions League visit to Atalanta.

The Brazilian played all 90 minutes against Leganes on Sunday, setting up Kylian Mbappe's opener in Madrid's 3-0 win. 

In the Champions League, he is the second-highest scorer, having netted four times in four matches, while only Rico Lewis (13) has created more chances than him (12).

"Following tests carried out today on our player Vini Jr by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg. Pending evolution," Madrid said in a statement.

Vinicius is the latest to join the club's lengthy injury list, which includes key players like Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vazquez, Aurelien Tchouameni and David Alaba.

Madrid are second in the LaLiga standings on 30 points. However, after two losses in their last three games in the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti's side could be in trouble with a bad result at Anfield. They are 18th in the 36-team table with six points from four games.

James Harden says the Los Angeles Clippers are "understanding who they are" after their emphatic 125-99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

Harden returned to Philadelphia and delivered game-highs of 23 points and eight assists as the Clippers cruised to their fifth consecutive win in the NBA.

The 76ers were without the injured Paul George, who left LA in the offseason, and Joel Embiid and struggled as the Clippers built a lead as large as 33 points in the third quarter.

Harden, who moved from Philadelphia to the Clippers just over a year ago, is enjoying the progress his team are making.

"We're coming around, and we're understanding who we are," Harden said. "Understanding that in order for us to have a chance at anything, we know we have to do it every single night. And that's the most exciting part.

"One thing about this team: we're all happy for each other. Literally, it can be anybody's night, on any given night.

"Nobody's going to be upset; everybody's going to be happy for each other. And things aren't always going to be perfect to win games. But even when we lose, we're still happy for each other. Good things will happen most of the time."

The Clippers are still without Kawhi Leonard, who has been out since April with a knee injury, and he is not expected to return in the near future.

However, head coach Tyronn Lue has used the opportunity to set his team up in a different way, something they have benefitted from as the season has gone on.

"It's tough anytime you lose your best player — we all know that," said Lue.

"But going into camp and knowing that we weren't going to have Kawhi for a strong amount of the beginning of the season, we just knew what our team was going to be.

"After the first five, six games, we understood what our rotation was going to be, how we wanted to play, what guys fit well with who. And so, it has been good for us — like, you know, not guys being in and out, in and out."

Joe Mazzulla hailed Jaylen Brown's defensive work after the Boston Celtics fended off the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

The Celtics made it five straight wins as they triumphed 107-105, with Brown playing a key role at both ends of the court.

Brown finished with 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, while he also made a vital intervention to deny Anthony Edwards, who finished with 28 points for Minnesota, the chance to send the game to overtime with just seven seconds left on the clock.

"It's great to have a player of his calibre take defense to another level and take matchups personally," said Mazzulla.

"When your best players are the best defenders it sets a tone for your team and your locker room defensively. He takes pride in individual matchups, and I thought he did a great job of that tonight."

As reported by CLNS Media, Brown reflected: "He's good going to his left hand, but I just wanted to crowd him a little bit, make it tough for him, and waste some time.

"If he did go up to score, I was going to be able to challenge him at the rim.

"I think it was a good defensive possession."

Brown became the second-quickest player in the play-by-play era to sink five 3-pointers in a game, doing so after just three minutes and 34 seconds. 

"I feel like I haven't shot the ball to start off the season as well as I would have liked," Brown said. "I feel like I'm due for a lot of makes."

Brown was backed up offensively by Jayson Tatum's 26 points, while Derrick White added 19 as the Celtics improved to 14-3 for the season.

Mohamed Salah says he is "probably more out than in" at Liverpool as he is yet to receive an offer to extend his contract.

The Egyptian is Liverpool's top scorer this season, having netted 12 goals in all competitions, but is in the final months of his current deal, which runs out at the end of the campaign.

Salah became the first player to score in five successive Premier League appearances for the Reds with his two goals in the 3-2 win over Southampton on Sunday, since the Egyptian himself in October 2021 (seven in a row).

His second goal in that match was also his 100th away from Anfield for Liverpool in all competitions.

Salah, who has scored 223 goals since joining from Roma in 2017, admitted he was disappointed with the current contract situation.

"We are almost in December, and I haven't received any offers yet to stay in the club," he said. "I'm probably more out than in.

"I'm not going to retire soon, so I'm just playing, focusing on the season, and I'm trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well. I'm disappointed, but we will see."

Only Manchester City striker Erling Haaland (12) has bettered Salah's tally of 10 goals this term.

Salah is one of three high-profile Liverpool players in the final year of their contracts, with Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold also approaching the end of their deals.

"You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this," Salah added.

"But in the end, it is not in my hands. As I said before, it is December, and I haven't received anything yet about my future.

"I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end, it is not in my hands or the fans' hands. Let's wait and see."

Jannik Sinner believes his Italy team-mates handled the pressure of representing their country well as they retained the Davis Cup on Sunday.

Italy beat the Netherlands in the final, with Matteo Berrettini and Sinner both winning their singles matches in straight sets to clinch the title.

They are the first team to retain the Davis Cup since the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013, and, after also winning the Billie Jean King Cup last week, they are only the third nation to claim both trophies in the same season in the last 30 years.

Sinner, on the back of an incredible season that saw him win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals, became just the second player in the Open Era to finish a calendar year by winning at least one set in every match throughout a season since Roger Federer in 2005.

"We are very happy to be back here holding this trophy. It feels like we are in Italy," Sinner said.

"You have a different pressure and a different weight of having Italy on your shoulders - I think we handled it really well.

"If it was not important, I would not be here. For me, it means so much to me."

However, Sinner's year has been disrupted by an ongoing doping controversy, which has cast doubt on his immediate future in the sport.

"Of course, it's [the doping case] in the head a little bit," Sinner said.

"The most important part is all the people who know me as a human being trust me - that's why I kept playing the level I have.

"I was emotionally a bit down, a bit heartbroken. Sometimes life gives you difficulties, and you just have to [deal with] it."

Berrettini missed last year's Davis Cup through injury, but still went to Malaga to support his team as they won the title.

"I would tell him 'don't give up'," Berrettini said of his former self from 12 months ago. "Last year was really nice to be here, but at the same time, I remember a moment, like, why did I come?

"But after the whole week, I said it was really important for you to come, because I support them, but also for me. I took so much energy from those matches.

"I once again realised how much I care about the Davis Cup. And living those moments, I took all this energy, and I was like next year, you're going to be here, you're going to be fighting for Italy.

"I used that as an engine for the training sessions and everything that happened afterwards."