Australia vs India: Cummins wins toss, elects to bat first

MELBOURNE: The fourth Australia vs India test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has begun at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium (MCG), with Australia winning the toss and electing to bat first.

The series between Australia vs India is currently tied at 1-1, making this match critical for both teams.

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Australian captain, Pat Cummins, stated that the pitch conditions were favourable for batting.

The Australian lineup includes Usman Khawaja and debutant, Sam Kostas, as openers, followed by Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith and Travis Head.

Head has been a key performer in the series, and his presence is expected to bolster the batting order.

Meanwhile, the Indian side is let by captain Rohit Sharma, who has made strategic changes to his side’s lineup. Sharma will open the batting, a shift from previous matches.

The Indian team includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, KI Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj and Akash Deep.

The historical context of the series adds pressure to both team in the latest Australia vs India bout. Australia has won 46 of the 110 test matches played against India; whereas, the South Asian giant has secured 33 victories.

Meanwhile, India won the first test of the series in Perth, with the hosts claiming victory in the day-night test in Adelaide.

The rain-affected third test in Brisbane ended in a draw, leaving both sides eager to claim the test series for themselves.

As the match progresses, the focus in particular will be on Australia’s batting performance. The hosts aim to build on a substantial total to set a hard target for India.

Meanwhile, Indian bowlers will be feeling the pressure, with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj expected to give the best performance out of all.

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Most of all, eyes of entire cricketing world will be observing hawkishly the performance of young Aussie debutant, Sam Kostas.