Border-Gavaskar Trophy | A Boxing Day 'Test' awaits

Melbourne: After splitting the first two Tests in lopsided fashion, India and Australia walked away with honours shared in the rain-affected third Test Brisbane -- a match dominated by Australia for much of its truncated duration but not before India salvaged some crucial positives by avoiding a follow-on under pressure and claiming six quick wickets in Australia’s second innings.

With the opening day expected to draw 90,000 spectators, the stage is perfectly set for an electrifying Boxing Day Test as India and Australia eye the decisive edge in a tightly-contested series.

The 1-1 scoreline reflects the intriguing ebb and flow of the series, marked by individual brilliance, team vulnerabilities and psychological undercurrents.

India’s dressing-room celebrations after avoiding the follow-on sparked contrasting interpretations, with both teams seeking a psychological edge ahead of the crucial phase of the series.

While Australia viewed the jubilation as a sign of India’s fragile mindset -- possibly reflecting the top-order’s hesitation to bat on the fourth day -- the visitors insisted they were merely celebrating the heroic efforts of their last-wicket pair.

After three Tests marked by fluctuating fortunes, the series is finely poised, with both sides vying for supremacy in a contest that has been as engaging as it has been unpredictable.

The series so far has showcased the importance of standout performers.

For Australia, Travis Head has been a revelation, amassing 409 runs at a phenomenal average of 81.80 and a blistering strike rate of 94.23. His aggressive approach has consistently relieved pressure on Australia’s middle order and allowed their bowlers more time to target India’s batters.

The stark contrast in form among the Australian batters is evident, with their second-best scorer, Alex Carey, managing just 162 runs. Despite injury concerns, Head’s inclusion is non-negotiable, underscoring his importance to the side.

So limited are Australia's options at the top of the order that the Test will see second opener, Sam Konstats, make his debut after Nathan McSweeney failed to make any impact in six hits in a position left vacant by David Warner.

Usman Khawaja, with a total of 63 runs, has also had a torrid series but lack of viable options and past record have secured his place. Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith, two of Australia's linchpins, have had more lows than highs.

Pacer Scott Boland, meanwhile, will take the place of injured Josh Hazlewood as Australia will ring in two changes to the previous Test's 11.

India, on the other hand, has relied heavily on Jasprit Bumrah, whose 21 wickets make him the series’ leading wicket-taker. Bumrah’s incisive spells have kept India competitive, even as their batting lineup has faltered.

Barring their top scorer KL Rahul (283), Indian batting has been even more shaky. Even as young guns -- Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant -- have struggled for consistency, the lean patch by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli has only compounded the situation.

Will Rohit return to the top to rediscover his form and push Rahul to No. 3? It's a possibility, but a move fraught with risk.

It will be interesting to see if India decide to beef up their batting or bowling this time. There are talks of bringing in pacer Prasidh Krishna in place of Nitish Reddy whose absence will mean depending on the misfiring batting line-up.

Another option would be to go back to Washington Sundar for Nitish in order to secure their deep batting. With a heat wave predicted on Thursday and the pitch expected to bake faster, there will always be a temptation to play an extra spinner and India had both Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin in their last two wins here (2018, 2020).

Will India make it three in a row and ensure the Border-Gavaskar Trophy remains with them?

The teams:

Australia XI:

Pat Cummins (captain), Travis Head (vice-captain), Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

India (squad):

Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sarfaraz Khan and Tanush Kotian.