India’s cricket team faces a crucial Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne, starting on Thursday. The series is tied at 1-1, and the pressure is on captain Rohit Sharma to address his batting position. There is speculation that he may open the innings, replacing KL Rahul.
Rohit Sharma was the last to practise on Christmas Eve, fuelling rumours of a potential change at the top of the batting order. If Rohit opens, Rahul might bat at number three, and Shubman Gill’s place in the team could be in jeopardy. Dhruv Jurel is a potential replacement.
Rohit moved to the opening slot in 2019 but has recently batted lower in the order to accommodate Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. This strategy has proven unsuccessful. The team’s adjustments—if Rohit opens and Gill is dropped or moved to number five—remain to be seen.
Both captains agree that the 1-1 scoreline accurately reflects the series so far. However, the MCG Test could shift the balance.
The rain-affected draw in Brisbane provided some relief for India after their loss in Adelaide. India has a strong record at the MCG, remaining undefeated in Tests there since 2014.
India won the last two Tests at the MCG in 2018-19 and 2020-21, thanks to strong batting performances. However, the current Indian line-up, a mix of young players and experienced veterans, has not looked entirely convincing.
The Indian batsmen, including Jaiswal, Pant, Gill, Rahul, Kohli, and Rohit, will need to perform at their best against a resilient Australian side. While Australia are not overwhelming favourites, they have shown great determination.
Australia will have high hopes for young fast bowler Sam Konstas. He is seen as a potential successor to Jasprit Bumrah, though he should be mindful of how Bumrah effectively ended Nathan McSweeney’s career.
Travis Head’s return from injury is a boost for Australia. Head’s scores of 89, 140, and 152 in the series present a significant challenge for the Indian bowlers.
The expected high temperatures in Melbourne could influence team selections. India might consider playing an extra spinner, although the MCG pitch typically does not offer much assistance to spinners apart from variable bounce, which Nathan Lyon has exploited in the past.
Lyon, as a finger spinner, is more experienced than Washington Sundar. It is unclear how India would accommodate Sundar in the team. Dropping Nitish Reddy seems unlikely. Replacing a seamer like Akash Deep with another fast bowler is a possibility.
India squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Tanush Kotian, Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Dhruv Jurel, and Devdutt Padikkal.
Australia squad:Pat Cummins (captain), Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marcus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland.
India vs Australia 4th Test Match Details
Schedule, Date, and Time: The 4th Test between India and Australia will commence on Thursday, December 26, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The match is scheduled to begin at 5:00 AM IST.
Where to watch Ind vs Aus live on television?
The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network.
Where to live stream Ind vs Aus Boxing day Test?
Fans can catch the live streaming of the match on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.