🏏Australia vs India, 4th Test: Melbourne, 26 - 30 Dec 2024: Day 5 🏏 - Page 3

India have beaten Australia at the MCG on their last two visits, in 2018 and 2020. That certainly augurs well for the visitors and that will give them a psychological boost. The visitors’ weakness in this series has been the disappointing returns of their bowlers apart from Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah has been sensational but he needs more support from the others. As far as Australia are concerned, their defeats to India in 2018 and 2020 are their only losses in Tests at the MCG since 2011. The surface at the ‘G suits their style of play. With temperatures potentially reaching 40 degrees Celsius on the opening day, it will be a stern test for the players. Will the hot weather influence the captain’s decision-making at the toss? With clear skies expected throughout the majority of the Test, expect some fast-paced stuff...

Pat Cummins knows what it's like to debut as a teenager so he spoke from experience about Sam Konstas

Debraj: "Flew in from the country that crushed India in their last home series--it's nothing short of a miracle they're tied after three matches. Now waiting in the famous Lune Bakery queue, wondering if the build-up at the ground could possibly taste better!"

"I said this to Sam the other day; I remember as an 18-year-old I was thinking I've got a lot more leeway because I was young," Cummins said. "I almost felt like if I didn't have a great game it wasn't my fault it was the selectors' fault for picking me. It was like, they're the idiots who picked an 18-year-old. You are so young starting out your career, it's Boxing Day, it doesn't get any better than this so just enjoy the moment.

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Thank you Raji for the thread, and for tagging me.

Thanks for the tag

Best wishes Team India

"There's some rumbling that Shubman Gill might not be making the XI for this Test. He's been conspicuous by his relative absence in the pre-match training. KL Rahul was taking lob downs. Yashasvi Jaiswal was taking throwdowns. Washington Sundar was going through some spot-bowling. Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah have measured out their run-ups. I think Nitish Reddy is among them as well."

Samrat Ahuja: "Its 4am in India, and I am up(or didnt sleep) just for this Boxing day match!!"

Australia has won the toss and has opted to bat

Australia win the toss and bat "Looks good, always a bit of grass, looks firm."

Rohit Sharma: We would have batted as well. The series is 1-1, a lot to play for, it gives us a perfect opportunity to show what we are as a team. Whatever situation lies in front of you, you have to fight. It's a new day and we are looking forward to it. We have one change - GIll misses out and Washington comes in. (On whether he will bat at the top of the order?) Yes, I will.

Pat Cummins: We gonna have a bat today. There's a bit of a grass like an old MCG wicket. It's been a great series so far. As a child in Australia when you wake up, you have a good night's sleep after Christmas, and you look forward to the first ball. Sam will open the batting and Scott also comes in for Hazlewood.

Pat Cummins: We gonna have a bat today. There's a bit of a grass like an old MCG wicket. It's been a great series so far. As a child in Australia when you wake up, you have a good night's sleep after Christmas, and you look forward to the first ball. Sam will open the batting and Scott also comes in for Hazlewood.

Rohit Sharma: We would have batted as well. The series is 1-1, a lot to play for, it gives us a perfect opportunity to show what we are as a team. Whatever situation lies in front of you, you have to fight. It's a new day and we are looking forward to it. We have one change - GIll misses out and Washington comes in. (On whether he will bat at the top of the order?) Yes, I will.

Australia 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Sam Konstas, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Scott Boland

India 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Rohit Sharma (capt), 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Nitesh Kumar Reddy, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Akash Deep, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj