Australia scored a convincing 31-run win over India in the first Twenty20 International in Sydney to inflict another defeat on the struggling tourists.
Batting first, Australia battled their way to 171 for four between rain showers and then held India to 140 for six as Daniel Christian and David Hussey took two wickets apiece.
It is from the wreck of England's disastrous second innings in Abu Dhabi that this week's award winner emerges. Abdur Rehman - a previously unheralded and underrated left-arm spinner from Sialkot in the north-eastern Pakistani province of Punjab - took six wickets for just 25 runs in England's back-footed capitulation of 72, and, in doing so, brought the tourists' pretensions of word domination sharply into focus.
Australia wasted little time in wrapping up a 298-run win over India on the final day of the fourth and final Test in Adelaide, completing a 4-0 series clean sweep in the process.
Having been set 500 to win, India resumed on 166 for six and were swiftly dismissed for 201 as they crashed to their eighth successive defeat away from home.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news looking back at two major stories - Australia's fine start to the fourth and final Test against India in Adelaide and the changes sweeping through Sri Lanka Cricket.
A look ahead to a busy week that sees three Test matches get underway in Australia, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand.
In Adelaide, Australia take on India, then in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan take on England in high spirits following their ten-wicket win in the opener in Dubai and finally, New Zealand meet Zimbabwe in Napier.
Australia have drastically overhauled their Twenty20 International squad, naming George Bailey as their new captain and recalling Brad Hogg.
Bailey will lead the side with David Warner as his vice-captain in the two matches against India on 1st and 3rd February.
Australia have named an unchanged 12-man squad for the fourth and final Test against India, which gets underway in Adelaide on 24th January.
Although the squad is unchanged, off-spinner Nathan Lyon is expected to come back into the side at the expense of one of the seam bowlers.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news looking at India's 17-man squad for the Twenty20 and One-Day Internationals in Australia later this year.
Coming soon after their innings-and-37-run defeat in the third Test in Perth, there is no place in the squad for Yuvraj or Harbhajan Singh while Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan and Sachin Tendulkar in a strong squad that aims to uphold India's position as world champions in ODI cricket.
David Warner blasted himself into the record books and to this week's Cricket World Player of the Week award with an innings of supreme power in Perth over the weekend.
His century on day one of the third Test between India and Australia came off only 69 balls and was the joint fourth fastest of all time in Test cricket - equalling the effort of Shiv Chanderpaul in 2002 in Guyana, and trailing only Sir Viv Richards (56 balls), Adam Gilchrist (57 balls) and John Gregory (67 balls).
India have named a 17-man squad for the two Twenty20 Internationals and One-Day International tri-series in Australia in February and March.
They play two T20s against Australia before Sri Lanka are also involved in the tri-series and the squad sees all-rounder Irfan Pathan set to tour for the first time in more than two years.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will miss his side's fourth and final Test against Australia in Adelaide after he was banned under the ICC Code of Conduct.
His team failed to maintain the required over-rate during the third Test and as this was India's second such infringement under Dhoni's captaincy in the last 12 months, he was given a one-match ban.
Australia romped to an innings-and-37-run victory over India on day three of the third Test in Perth to move into an unassailable 3-0 series lead.
They produced a ruthless performance on the final day to take the remaining six Indian wickets for just 89 runs, Ben Hilfenhaus doing the bulk of the damage with four for 54, as India were bowled out for 171 in their second innings.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news looking at David Warner scoring a 69-ball century on the opening day of the third Test against India in Perth.
It was the fourth quickest Test century of all time, a record he now shares with Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his knock of 104 not out helped Australia close on 149 not out having earlier dismissed India for just 161.
With the last three Cricket World Player of the Week awards going to bowlers, it was only going to be a matter of time before the batsmen fought back, and they certainly did so last week.
Michael Clarke, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (160 not out), Mike Hussey (150 not out), Ricky Ponting (134), Thilan Samaraweera (115 not out) and Alviro Petersen (109) all reached three figures.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news looking back at Australia beating India by an innings and 68 runs in the second Test in Sydney, dismissing India for 400 on the fourth day.
Australia have made one change to their squad ahead of the third Test against India in Perth, replacing fast bowler James Pattinson with Mitchell Starc.
Starc comes into the 12-man squad after Pattinson was ruled out of the match, which begins on 13th January, with a foot injury.
Australia wrapped up an innings-and-68-run win over India on the fourth day of the second Test in Sydney as Ben Hilfenhaus took five wickets.
Despite four Indian batsmen reaching half-centuries, they were bowled out for 400 in their second innings and were unable to make Australia bat again.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news looking back at Michael Clarke scoring 329 not out for Australia against India during the second Test in Sydney.
Indian batsman Virat Kohli has been fined 50 percent of his match fee after he was found guilty of breaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct.
Kohli was called to account after he was reported for making an obscene gesture towards the crowd on day two of the second Test against Australia in Sydney.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news looking back at day two in the two New Year's Test matches - Australia vs India in Sydney and South Africa vs Sri Lanka in Cape Town.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news looking back at the opening day's play in the two New Year's Test matches - Australia vs India in Sydney and South Africa vs Sri Lanka in Cape Town.
2011 Cricket World Player Of The Year Sachin Tendulkar missed out on his latest chance to score his 100th international century before Australia's quick bowlers - including fast-improving James Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus - bowled India out cheaply.
Queensland fast bowler Ryan Harris has been added to Australia's squad for the second Test against India which begins in Sydney on 3rd January.
Harris, 32, comes into the squad as quick bowler Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Daniel Christian are left out from the 13-man squad which was named for the opening game in Melbourne, which Australia won impressively by 122 runs.
India's batting failed for the second time in the match as Australia's quicks bowled their side to a 122-run victory on the fourth day in Melbourne.
James Pattinson was the chief destroyer with four wickets to earn himself the man of the match award.
Australia have named their starting eleven for the first Test against India which begins on Boxing Day. The headline news is that Shaun Marsh has been declared fit from his back injury following his unbeaten 99 for Perth Scorchers in Thursday Big Bash game, and that Ben Hilfenhaus has been preferred to Mitchell Starc. Dan Christian has also been left out from the 13-man squad that was named on Wednesday.
Australia have reacted to their dramatic seven-run loss in the second Test against New Zealand by dropping Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja from the eleven that lost in Hobart, and recalling Shaun Marsh and Ben Hilfenhaus to a 13-man squad for the first Test against India that begins on Boxing Day. Ed Cowan is also in the squad and looks in line for a Test debut following his century for the Chairman's XI yesterday.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news from http://www.cricketworld.com looking ahead to the final two Test matches of the year - Australia vs India in Melbourne and South Africa vs Sri Lanka in Durban.
A cricket betting video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket betting odds in association with bet365 as John Pennington and Jim White look ahead to the following upcoming matches and series:
Boxing Day Test matches between Australia and India in Melbourne and then South Africa taking on Sri Lanka in Durban in two of the biggest games of the year.
India and the Cricket Australia (CA) Chairman's XI have drew their two-day tour game in Canberra after half-centuries on the second day for Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rohit Sharma.
Tom Cooper made 182 not out after Wes Robinson scored 143 as the Australians reached 398 for six while India closed on 320 for six in reply.
Indian batsman Rahul Dravid has delivered the 2011 Sir Donald Bradman Oration in Canberra, using it to talk about a wide range of topics ranging from India and Australia's links during the two World Wars to the future of the game.
Dravid spoke perceptively and knowledgeably about his experiences in the game, joking that while Bradman once scored a century at Lord's before lunch, his recent ton at the home of cricket took him nearly a day.
Australian batsman Shaun Marsh is losing his race to be fit in time for the opening Test against India which begins on 26th December in Melbourne.
He is not recovering from his back injury quickly enough and has been ruled out of playing in the second warm-up game for the Cricket Australia (CA) Chairman's XI which begins on 19th December.
India have been forced to make a further change to their Test squad after Varun Aaron was ruled out of the four-match series in Australia due to a back injury.
He has been replaced by the uncapped Ranganath Vinay Kumar as India's preparations for the series, which begins on 26th December, have been dealt another blow.
Tasmania batsman Ed Cowan and New South Wales opener David Warner will captain the Cricket Australia Chairman's XI teams which will take on India from 15th to 16th December and 19th to 21st December respectively.
The matches will be part of India's preparations for the opening Test on Boxing Day and the team for the second match includes several Test-capped players.
18-year-old Australian fast bowler Patrick Cummins will not play again this year after he was diagnosed with a bone stress problem in his heel.
He had suffered a heel injury during the Test series in South Africa, where he hit the winning runs to seal a series-levelling win in Johannesburg, and has not played since.
Fast bowler Abhimanyu Mithun has been named as Praveen Kumar's replacement in India's Test squad to play Australia in December and January.
Meanwhile all-rounder Irfan Pathan has been called up to replace Umesh Yadav in India's One-Day International squad for the final two matches against the West Indies in Indore and Chennai.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news looking at three fast bowlers picking up injuries - Mitchell Johnson of Australia, Praveen Kumar of India and Suranga Lakmal of Sri Lanka.
Indian swing bowler Praveen Kumar has been ruled out of the entire One-Day International series against the West Indies and the Test series in Australia.
He was originally sidelined for the first three ODIs against the West Indies with a chest problem but further scans have diagnosed a fractured rib.
India have left out experienced off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for their forthcoming Test series in Australia, retaining faith in left-armer Pragyan Ojha and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Ashwin and Ojha performed outstandingly during India's recent 2-0 series win over the West Indies, Ashwin taking nine wickets and scoring a century in the final Test.
