The battle is getting interesting more and more as the series progresses, which is currently squared at 1-1, following a stalemate at Gabba in the 3rd Test. Both Australia and India will aim to take a lead at the Boxing Day Test which kicks off on December 26th. With WTC Points up for grabs, it’s a significant contest for both teams to boost their chances for Final qualification.
Jasprit Bumrah’s record-breaking form has masked some under-par efforts from his fellow bowlers, and India skipper Rohit Sharma says that cannot continue in the Boxing Day Test. @LouisDBCameron reports: https://t.co/xJUANoANB5
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 24, 2024
Match Details:
Australia vs India, 4th Test
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Date & Time: December 26-30 at 5:00 AM IST and at 10:30 AM Local Time
Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Disney+hotstar
What is the Pitch Report for AUS vs IND, 4th Test?
The curator already hinted that the new ball will seam throughout the Test. The temperature will hit close to 40 degrees Celsius on the opening day which adds extra pace. Seamers are likely to get more purchases than before. Having said that, it’s the best wicket to bat on on the 2nd and 3rd day of the game.
Recent form:
Australia: Draw, Won, Lost, Won, Won
India: Draw, Lost, Won, Lost, Lost
AUS vs IND, 4th Test Probable Winners:
India are expected to win this match.
What is the Expected, Probable Playing XIs for AUS vs IND, 4th Test?
Australia
Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland / Jhye Richardson.
India
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
It’s getting tight! 👀
The race to make the World Test Championship final is heating up 🔥
MORE: https://t.co/TdcQqCUpZ4 pic.twitter.com/KQpwcRJBlq
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 24, 2024
Injury Updates:
Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test due to a calf injury.
What are the Fantasy Cricket Top Picks, Players for AUS vs IND, 4th Test?
Top Pick – Batter
Travis Head just knows how to make India fragile with his destructive batting display. In 5 innings in the tournament, he smacked 409 runs at an average of 81.8, which includes 2 centuries.
Top Pick – All-Rounder:
No doubt, Nitish Kumar Reddy possesses strong batting skills but needs to pick up wicket-taking abilities too. In 3 matches in the series, he scored 179 runs and bagged 3 wickets.
Top Pick – Bowler
Mitchell Starc holds the best bowling figures (6 for 48) in the series and has taken overall 14 wickets in 6 innings. He also made 76 runs with the bat.
Top Pick – Wicketkeeper
Alex Carey did show his brilliance with the bat in the 3rd Test, scoring 70 and 20*. Overall, he has scored 162 runs, second most for Australia in the series.
X-Factor:
Jasprit Bumrah is a good reader of the game and has dominated the series with the ball, picking up the most wickets (21) in the series.
A month full of highlights leading into the Ashes 😍 #AUSvENG
Here’s how Australia is shaping up: https://t.co/iwJciyHiML pic.twitter.com/4UtC4Ajxst
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 23, 2024
What are the Fantasy Suggested teams for AUS vs IND, 3rd Test?
1. KL Rahul (vc), Alex Carey, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Marsh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah (c).
2. KL Rahul, Alex Carey, Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli, Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Travis Head (c), Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
India give it their all ahead of the Boxing Day Test 👊#AUSvIND #WTC25 pic.twitter.com/4JdmKDjEo8
— ICC (@ICC) December 24, 2024
Pre-Match Analysis:
Australia made tough decisions ahead of the highly anticipated Boxing Day Test, axing underperformed rookie batter, Nathan McSweeney, who just managed 72 runs across 6 innings. The 19-year-old, Sam Konstas, who impressed with his batting lately across all formats in the domestic circuit, earned his first National-call up and is set to wear the baggy Green cap on Thursday. They have added Jhye Richardson and Sean Abbott to their extended squad, with Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the series with a calf injury. Travis Head, who had issues with his quad muscle is set to undergo a fitness test.
Australia had a major upper hand in the 3rd Test at Gabba, which was largely impacted by rain that forced a draw. The return to form of their premier batter, Steven Smith, is a welcoming sign, who scored a century (101). However, the veteran top-order batter, Usman Khawaja was fortunate to retain his place, despite having scores of 21, 8, 13, 9*, 8 & 4 in the series.
Their seamers Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are giving a tough time for the visitors, picking up 14 wickets each. They will make one change to their bowling unit, with Scott Boland or Jhye Richardson will replace injured Josh Hazlewood.
India managed to draw and will thank rain for helping them to achieve what they wanted as they were under pressure in the 3rd Test. Their big guns must fire as they are consistently losing wickets at regular intervals. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal haven’t made any big contributions in the last 2 Tests.
Taking the positives, KL Rahul continues to shine at the top of the order, having accumulated 235 runs in the series. Ravindra Jadeja in his first game of the series at Gabba, did well, scoring 77, while went wicket-less despite bowling 23 overs. Jasprit Bumrah is the sole performer, who has kept the visitors in the hunt, bagging 21 wickets.
They have added Mumbai off-spinning all-rounder, Tanush Kotian for the remainder of the series in place of Ravichandran Ashwin, who announced his retirement after the end of the 3rd Test.
India has fond memories at MCG, winning their previous two Tests at the venue.
