India have opted to bat first as they seek to complete a maiden Test series win in Australia at the SCG, where Marnus Labuschagne has been parachuted into first drop in the hosts’ reshuffled batting order.
“It’ll get tougher and tougher to bat on as the game wears on … it’s an ideal day for us to bat,” Virat Kohli said after winning the toss.
Australia made two changes for the fourth Test, recalling Labuschagne and Peter Handscomb.
Mitch Marsh and Aaron Finch have been dropped from the side that was flogged at the MCG, with Usman Khawaja to open alongside Marcus Harris.
“I would have liked to have had a bat, no doubt … but there’s a bit of grass covering here,” Tim Paine said at the toss.
“We need to improve in all areas.”
Kolhi made two forced changes to the XI that retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy in Melbourne, calling up left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav and opener KL Rahul.
Batsman Rohit Sharma has returned home following the birth of his first child, while veteran paceman Ishant Sharma has sore ribs.
Frontline spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has been sidelined since the first Test, failed a last-minute fitness test.
Australia XI: Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Peter Handscomb, Tim Paine (capt), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
India XI: Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
The mammoth rise of Jake Fraser-McGurk - his enormous potential and the destructive shot-making that he possesses makes him a very tempting option.
Marcus Stoinis produced his first IPL century and it was a beauty. He went 6, 4, 4, 4 to finish off the Lucknow Super…
The Aussie needed every centimetre of his height and reach to reel that one in!
Royal Challengers Bengaluru needed 21 off the final over...but after three sixes, a caught and bowled and a run out, Mitchell Starc's Kolkata had…
Test great Steve Smith is to play for Washington Freedom in the second season of Major League Cricket as the Australian influence in the…
Nathan Lyon has revealed his disappointment that Australia's cricket chiefs have prevented him from playing his first full season of county cricket in England…
