Published: Dec 25, 2018, 08:06 AM (IST)
Edited: Dec 25, 2018, 08:06 AM (IST)
Australia have dropped Peter Handscomb and recalled allrounder Mitchell Marsh for the third Test against India starting in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Handscomb struggled against a quality Indian attack in the opening two Tests at Adelaide and Perth, scoring just 34, 14, 7 and 13 across the four innings.
Given concerns that the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch won’t offer as much to the bowlers as those two Tests, selectors opted for Marsh and his part-time seamers to relieve pressure on Australia’s pace spearheads.
The four-Test series is tied 1-1.
India dumped openers Murali Vijay and KL Rahul after a lean run of form and will be without injured spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for the third Test against Australia in Melbourne from Wednesday.
Experienced middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma was declared fit and resumes his place in the side after missing the second Test in Perth.
But Ashwin, who also missed that game, has failed to recover from an abdominal strain, with left-arm finger-spinner Ravindra Jadeja brought in as part of a four-man attack.
Australia XI: Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Tim Paine (capt), Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc.
