So far the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been something like a tennis match. After the first game when India got the better of the hosts, things looked to be going in the visitors’ favor. But that was soon upturned when Australia bested the second game, and this dominance lasted until the very day the Gabba Test ended in a draw. Now once again, India seem to be in a better position. For one, they have plenty to gain, unlike Australia. If they win the Boxing Day Test, they will not only bolster their chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final but also avoid a very probable series defeat at the hands of Australia while retaining the BGT.
The hosts, on the other hand, will not gain quite as much as India—or at least not as immediately. Even if they win the Melbourne Test, they would still be unable to shatter the history books and finally win a red-ball series against India. Although they are on a stronger footing when it comes to the WTC final scenario, one thing that might make them more vigilant about how they play India, and that is the visitors’ recent victories at the venue.
India last suffered a Test defeat at the MCG in 2011. A victory in the fourth game would mark their third consecutive win at the venue, having already won Test matches here on the previous two tours. What makes it worse for Australia is that India’s sudden surge in confidence at the G did not just transpire recently. They have always been a tough nut to crack here. For instance, only England have a better win-to-loss ratio against Australia in Melbourne than India.
Team Overview:
The best route for India for a Melbourne victory would be to leverage their top-order to get as many runs as possible. Unfortunately for them, this is one of only a few things they have faltered to do on this tour. The top five batters have managed an average of just a tick above 30 so far in this series, which is the lowest for any Indian top five in Tests against Australia since 2011. The damage caused as a result is what even Jasprit Bumrah failed to control in the last couple of games.
But one positive India would hope follows them to the MCG is how KL Rahul has batted, unfazed by his partners, conditions, and most of the time, even the match situation. If any Indian batter needs a bit of advice as to how he can chip in with some runs despite the slump, he has Rahul’s example to follow. In all three games, he did not look very comfortable in the middle, but what matters more is that he stayed regardless.
While the top and middle-order issues would definitely be taking most thoughts of the Indian management. They also need to decide what to do with the No. 8 position. Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement means that India will not have to fret over the question of selecting him or Ravindra Jadeja. However, the way MCG’s pitch behaved recently, India might want to get another pacer on board.
Australia, like India, have nearly the same issues with their top-order batting. But Australia, unlike India, have the luxury of making changes. Despite the plethora of criticism that came their way, the hosts have dropped Nathan McSweeney and added another uncapped batter Sam Konstas in his stead. Australia are backing Konstas to do well at the cursed opening spot. Scott Boland will be getting a game again, and possibly the next one as well to replace Josh Hazlewood, who has been left out because of his injury.
Head-to-Head Matches:
India and Australia have played 110 Test matches against each other. With 46 wins Australia dominate the match-up. While India’s 33 wins are lesser, most of them have come in the recent past. 30 games ended in a draw, while one was tied.
Weather and Pitch Report:
On the last two tours when India played a Test here, the MCG pitch behaved in a polar opposite way. In 2018, the pitch was so slow that it took blood and sweat from the batters for each run. However, in 2020 the pace of the pitch was not as miserly. And from what the curator at the MCG says, since 2019, the pace and bounce have increasingly been getting better. There will be grass on the deck which will entice the toss-winning batters to bowl first. But the team batting first will have a job of its own to do and it will be to pile up as many runs as possible because batting becomes challenging later in the game.
It will be hot in Melbourne, though light rain is expected on the second day.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports
Australia: Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports, Channel 7 and 7Plus
Pakistan: Tapmad
UK: TNT, Discovery+
New Zealand: Sky NZ
MENA: Cricbuzz
Caribbean: SportsMax
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan: JioStar
Southern Africa: Super Sports
US: Willow TV
