The Indian team is currently on their tour of Australia, playing a five-match Test series under the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India won the first Test, lost the second, and the third Test ended in a draw. The series is currently tied at 1-1.
The third match of the series will be the Boxing Day Test, to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) starting December 26. The match will begin at 5:00 AM IST, with the toss taking place half an hour before.
Will Ashwin’s absence affect the team?
After the draw in the Gabba Test, Indian star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket. However, his absence is unlikely to impact the Melbourne Test much, as India had only one spinner, Ravindra Jadeja, in the playing XI for the Gabba Test.
If Captain Rohit Sharma decides to make changes to the playing XI for the Melbourne Test, he could include Washington Sundar as a second spinner. However, if no changes are made, Nitish Kumar Reddy will be ready to step up. Any changes will depend on the pitch report closer to the match. However, it is likely that the playing XI will remain unchanged.
Melbourne Pitch Report
A recent pitch report for Melbourne has raised concerns for Indian bowlers. This pitch is expected to be quite different from the Gabba pitch. There is currently some grass on the pitch, which will be trimmed before the match starts in three days. Due to clear weather and strong sunlight, the grass may dry out, resulting in less bounce. However, there could be some swing and seam movement. Indian fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Aakash Deep, and Mohammed Siraj will need to find the right length. If the pitch conditions remain similar, it is likely that only one spinner will be included in the playing XI.
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Head-to-Head: India vs Australia in Melbourne
- Total Tests: 14
- India Wins: 4
- Australia Wins: 8
- Draws: 2
Head-to-Head: India vs Australia in Test Series
- Total Test Series: 28
- India Wins: 11
- Australia Wins: 12
- Draws: 5
India’s Test Series Record in Australia
- Total Test Series: 13
- India Wins: 2
- Australia Wins: 8
- Draws: 3
Possible Playing XI for the Melbourne Test:
India:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Rohit Sharma (captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Aakash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Australia:
Usman Khawaja, Sam Constas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
