Australia vs. India 3rd Test: Date, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview
Australia and India meet in Melbourne for the iconic Boxing Day Test commencing on Friday, with the home side carrying a 2-0 lead in the four-match series after strong victories in Adelaide and Brisbane.
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground
Commences: Friday, Dec. 26
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Start Time: 11:30 p.m. GMT (previous day)/10:30 a.m. local
Live On: Nine Network (Australia), STAR Sports (India), Orbit Show Network (Middle East), PTV Sports (Pakistan), SuperSport (South Africa), Sky Sports (United Kingdom), Sky Sport (New Zealand)
Live Stream: Sky Go (United Kingdom)
Weather: The Weather Channel is forecasting fine weather for the bulk of the Test, with temperatures steadily rising from 20 degrees Celsius on the opening day to 31 degrees by Day 4. If any rain will affect the match, it might do so on the first morning.
Overview
We've been here before. So many times in fact. A touring side, after arriving in Australia amid a quiet sense of optimism, find themselves 2-0 down after the opening two Tests and with little hope of preventing the inevitable.
This time it's India. The summer before it was England. The one before that it was Sri Lanka. And then India again in 2011. Only South Africa bucked the trend in the early months of the Australian summer in 2012.
And yet, despite the scoreline, this series has been a distinctive and intriguing contest. The Adelaide Test was a compelling affair completed with a backdrop of widespread grief and emotion. Next was the most attacking Test match in Australian history in Brisbane, with a collective run rate of 4.12.
Both Tests have produced storylines in abundance. But here we are again at 2-0.
For Australia, it's simply a matter of producing more of the same for the third Test in Melbourne, even if an injury crisis is making the nation's Test team a rather uncharacteristic revolving door.
With Mitchell Marsh injured, Australia look set to hand a Test debut to Joe Burns, the versatile Queensland batsman who's enjoyed a prolific time in the Sheffield Shield.
Ryan Harris is also likely to return to the side after sitting out the second Test in Brisbane with a quadriceps injury. One of the world's finest seamers, the right-armer is likely to replace Mitchell Starc in the XI after the New South Welshman endured a difficult time at the Gabba.
For India, though, the headaches are more widespread. What do they do with Rohit Sharma? Is Suresh Raina up to being his replacement? Which spinner do they go with? How can the pace attack become more incisive? Is the dressing room settled?
That there are no obvious answers for the visitors tells its own story as the Boxing Day Test approaches.
Squads
Australia
Steven Smith (c), Brad Haddin (wk), Joe Burns, Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson
India
MS Dhoni (c/wk), Varun Aaron, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohammed Shami, Naman Ojha (wk), Akshar Patel, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Lokesh Rahul, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Karn Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Murali Vijay, Umesh Yadav
Form Lines (most recent first)
Australia - WWLLWL
India - LLLLLW
Players to Watch
Australia
If he's picked—and at this stage, it's highly likely—debutant Joe Burns will be the player to watch closely for Australia.
A player who can slot into almost any position in the batting order, the Queenslander has earned his promotion to the squad for his 439 runs at 54.87 in this season's Sheffield Shield. The year before, he amassed 563 runs at 46.91.
One suspects he'll slot into Marsh's position at No. 6 in the order, but there's the potential that he could replace Shane Watson at No. 3 and force the all-rounder into a lower position.
India
With India facing series defeat here in Melbourne, it's captain MS Dhoni who will have his actions scrutinised like no other player in his side.
It has often been in these situations before where Dhoni has let games drift and get away from India—something that can't occur for this third Test.
Instead, India's leader needs to be assertive and bold, for Australia aren't likely to hand the visitors a victory without a scrap. He needs to be aggressive in the field, audacious with the bat, clinical with his bowling rotations and be the driving force for India in this desperate situation.
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