Australia vs India 2018-19, 3rd Test: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips

A big win in the Perth Test helped Australia to level the 4-match Test series heading into the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne after a gap of seven days. India made quite a few changes to their combination due to the form and fitness of the players. Visitors left out both their openers Murali Vijay and KL Rahul for this game who have failed to score big in the previous matches. With Prithvi Shaw being ruled out of the remainder of the series, Mayank Agarwal will be making his national debut at the MCG.

Mayank could find a partner in Hanuma Vihari who will be opening for the first time for India. Only Cheteshwar Pujara has the experience of opening in Test cricket for India from the announced playing XI. Ravindra Jadeja returns to the XI along with Rohit Sharma with Ravichandran Ashwin yet to recover from his injury. On the other hand, Australia has brought back Mitchell Marsh in place of Peter Handscomb for this crucial encounter.

Match Details:

The third match of the four-match Test series between Australia and India will be hosted by the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The match starts on 26th December 2018 at 10:30 AM local time (11:30 AM GMT – Previous Day) (5:00 AM IST). The game will be live on Sony Six and Sony Six HD in India. (Live streaming available on Sony Liv)

Last five Test matches:

Australia: W, L, L, D, L, L.

India: L, W, W, W, L.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground has been under scrutiny recently with the drop-in pitch here being flat. The pitch used for the Ashes Test played here last year earned “Poor” rating from the ICC. The officials tried to bring changes to the track which did not work in the Sheffield Shield. The MCG curator is hopeful of bringing some life into the pitch this time.

Squads:

Australia:

Tim Paine (C), Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Chris Tremain.

India:

Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Parthiv Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Agarwal, Hardik Pandya.

Probable XI:

Australia:

Tim Paine (C & WK), Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

India:

Virat Kohli (C), Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.

Power Picks:

Rohit Sharma has got yet another chance to seal his place in the longer format. His record at the MCG could surely boost his confidence heading into the game. Rohit has aggregated 409 runs at this venue across eight innings including two centuries in International cricket. However, the Boxing Day Test will be his first in Whites at this venue.

Best Playing XI:

Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Mohammed Shami.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Virat Kohli continues to be the main man for a multiplier option who should be at least the vice-captain. The likes of Nathan Lyon and Jasprit Bumrah are capable of being the multiplier. Ravindra Jadeja will be ideal as vice-captain if he finds something from the pitch.

Risky Playing XI:

Tim Paine, Virat Kohli (C), Usman Khawaja, Marcus Harris, Rohit Sharma (VC), Mitchell Marsh, Ravindra Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari, Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon.

Expert Advice:

Ajinkya Rahane hasn’t been consistent off late in the longer format. However, he got two fifties in the first two matches of the series which would boost his confidence. With Hanuma Vihari opening the innings, he could be a decent option as he is expected to chip in a couple of overs with the ball as well.

Probable Winners:

India is expected to take the lead as they start as the favourites once again due to a bowling attack that works in all conditions.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from Australia vs India series, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.