India, Australia eye series lead in Boxing Day Test: Preview
What's the story
The much-awaited Boxing Day Test between India and Australia will kick off on December 26, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The series is currently tied 1-1 after three games, making the upcoming match a crucial turning point.
While the visitors have struggled in the batting department in the last two games, the hosts have some injury concerns.
Here is the preview.
Details
Pitch report and streaming details
The MCG has been working on making its Test pitches more conducive for pace bowlers in the last few years.
The spinners will come in handy later in the game. Historically, there's no clear advantage between batting first or second at this venue.
Meanwhile, the match will start at 5:00am IST and will be telecast on Star Sports Network and DD Sports. Disney+Hotstar will provide the live streaming.
H2H
Here's the head-to-head record
As per ESPNcricinfo, the two teams have faced each other on 110 occasions in the longest format.
India have claimed 33 wins, with the Aussies winning 46 matches. 30 matches have been drawn, and one contest ended in a tie.
On Australian soil, India have won 10 matches from 55 attempts, losing 31 and drawing 14.
Historical record
A look at India's performance in Boxing Day Tests
India's record in Boxing Day Tests at the MCG has been a mixed bag with two wins, two draws, and five losses in nine matches.
The team's most memorable win came in December 2020 under Ajinkya Rahane's captaincy when they registered a stunning eight-wicket win.
Their other win came during the 2018 tour.
This means India have won the last two Boxing-Day games against Australia.
Combination
Multiple changes in Australian XI
19-year-old Sam Konstas has been confirmed as Australia's opener for the game.
Meanwhile, Travis Head's participation remains uncertain due to a fitness concern.
The southpaw, who has scored two tons in this series, suffered a minor quadriceps strain in the third Test.
If Head misses out, the uncapped Josh Inglis is the frontrunner to replace him.
As Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the series, Scott Boland should take his place.
Indian XI
Will Sundar return to the XI?
As the MCG track is known to favor spinners late, India can take the field with two spinners.
Hence, Washington Sundar might return to the XI in place of Nitish Reddy.
Notably, the latter has made some vital contributions with the bat in this series.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma's form and Virat Kohli's off-stump issues have troubled India in this series.
XIs
Here are the probable XIs
Australia (probable XI): Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head/Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy/Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
Player performance
Indian players' records at MCG
Looking at individual performances, Virat Kohli has scored 369 Test runs at the MCG at an average of 52.66.
Rohit Sharma, who now leads the team as captain, has scored a half-century in one of his two Test outings here.
Rishabh Pant's record includes scores of 39, 33, and 29.
Jasprit Bumrah leads as India's top wicket-taker in MCG Tests with 15 wickets at an average of just over 13.
Australian performance
Australian players' records at MCG
On the Australian side, Nathan Lyon is the leading wicket-taker at MCG among active bowlers with 45 wickets at 32.13.
Pat Cummins has taken 35 scalps here while Mitchell Starc has claimed 25 wickets.
Steve Smith has scored over 1,000 runs at this venue at 78.07.
Usman Khawaja (422 runs at 42.20), Travis Head (346 runs at 34.60), and Marnus Labuschagne (240 runs at 30) have blown hot and cold at MCG.