Matt Page, the head curator of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), shared insights about the pitch for the upcoming Boxing Day Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He stated that the pitch will be more favorable for seam bowlers than spinners. “It doesn’t really break up in spin here,” Page explained. Moreover, he noted that in recent years, pitches at the MCG have generally been more seam-friendly, and he doesn’t expect this trend to change.
Currently, the series is tied 1-1 after India secured a draw in the third Test in Brisbane. Consequently, the fourth Test will begin on December 26 at the MCG, with both teams looking to seize the advantage.
Australia’s Squad Changes
In preparation for the fourth Test, Australia made several changes to its squad. Notably, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out due to a calf injury. Hazlewood had returned from a side strain but suffered a further setback in Brisbane. In the first Test at Perth, Hazlewood had taken five wickets. As a result, Scott Boland is expected to replace him in the playing XI.
Additionally, Australia has added Beau Webster, Jhye Richardson, and Sam Konstas to the squad to bolster their options.
Squads for the Boxing Day Test
India Squad:
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Australia Squad:
Pat Cummins (C), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head (VC), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith (VC), Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.
With the Boxing Day Test on the horizon, both teams will look to assert their dominance and take the lead in this thrilling series.