Australia make one change in their playing XI for Boxing Day Test
After showing its ferocious side in the Perth Test, the Australian team is all set to lock horns against India in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
The hosts were short with 31 runs in Adelaide Test but came back strong in Perth and emerged victorious over Virat Kohli and Co. by 146 runs to level the series 1-1.
The Kangaroos are still missing the spark in their team after a huge win as many cricket pundits have predicted that the Indian team might make a comeback in the next two Test to clinch the series.
Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, the Aussies recalled allrounder Mitch Marsh, dropping struggling batsman Peter Handscomb.
"I'm sure Pete would be upset. I think he's had conversations with the selectors that there are a few things he needs to work on and Pete is open to that," captain Tim Paine said Tuesday.
Paine said Handscomb would come into consideration for the fourth test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, traditionally the most spin-friendly of the Australian pitches.
"Going to Sydney, a place where it normally spins, I think people come back into the fold pretty quickly because he's renowned as probably our best player of spin," Paine added.
"I know he'll be doing everything he can to get back into the side."
Paine, who sparred verbally with counterpart Kohli in Perth, played down suggestions his side had all the momentum.
"We don't feel like we're on top of them. We feel like we're getting better every test," he said.
"Certainly, when you've got an inexperienced playing group and you get a big win like we did in Perth against the No. 1 team in the world, guys are going to grow in confidence a little bit and come to Melbourne feeling a bit better than we did when we went to Perth," Paine said.
Australia playing XI: Aaron Finch, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
(With AP Inputs)
