Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25: AUS vs IND Match Preview, 4th Test

With the five-match series intriguingly poised at 1-1, India and Australia are set to collide in the fourth Test at the iconic Melbourne Crickt Ground (MCG) in Melbourne from Thursday, December 26 onwards.

India won the first Test comprehensively in Perth by 295 runs to take the lead. However, Australia bounced back in the subsequent pink-ball Test in Adelaide to restore parity in the series. The third Test in Brisbane turned out to be a rain-marred contest which eventually ended in a draw.

As the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy is in India's possession, Australia can't afford a defeat in Melbourne. Meanwhile, with important World Test Championship (WTC) points at stake, both teams will want to come out all guns blazing and take the lead in the series.

Both teams will admit that they have not played anywhere close to their full potential. Travis Head has been the best batter so far on the tour, having amassed 409 runs from five innings at a staggering average of 81.80. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah is the standout bowler, accounting for 21 wickets from three games at an average of 10.90. However, both players haven't received adequate support from their compatriots.

There has been another similarity between the two sides. India's two most experienced batters - Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma - have been going through a lean patch. The scenario is similar for Australia's star batting duo of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.

It will be interesting to see how the Test match pans out. Expect both teams to play an aggressive brand of cricket which will keep the fans glued to their seats.

Match Details

Pitch Report

According to the MCG curator Matt Page, there will be an even covering of grass on the pitch. The batters will get value for their shots while the spinners won't have too much of a part to play. In the past, the MCG was known for producing some flat surfaces where plenty of runs were scored. However, the trend has changed since the Boxing Day Test in the 2017 Ashes.

Head-to-Head Record

Probable Playing XI:

Australia (AUS)

The 19-year-old Sam Konstas has been added to the side and is in line to replace Nathan McSweeney at the top of the order. Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood sustained an injury in the Brisbane Test and has been ruled out of the rest of the series. He is likely to be replaced by Scott Boland. Sean Abbott, Jhye Richardson, and Beau Webster have also been added to the squad but they might have to warm the bench.

Predicted XI: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

India (IND)

India have added Mumbai's spin-bowling all-rounder Tanush Kotian in place of the recently-retired Ravichandran Ashwin. However, they are unlikely to make any changes. Shubman Gill has not been in great nick and he will want to step up in the high-voltage encounter. All eyes will be on the Rohit-Kohli duo as the two legendary batters look to get back among the runs.

Predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Rohit Sharma (captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah