INDIA heads into the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test with a 2-0 series lead over Australia, having proven thoroughly difficult to best in home conditions. As the tourists mull a bunch of selection possibilities amid two key availabilities, the Indore Test promises to deliver some quality cricket. Find out all you need to know before play gets underway on day one.

NEED TO KNOW

When: March 1-5, 3pm-10pm (AEDT)
Where: Holkar Stadium (Indore)
Watch: Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports
Listen: ABC Grandstand, SEN
Follow: CA Live app

SERIES SCHEDULE

1st Test: Nagpur, February 9-13 (India won by an innings and 132 runs)
2nd Test: Delhi, February 17-21 (India won by 6 wickets)
3rd Test: Indore, March 1-5
4th Test: Ahmedabad, March 9-13

SESSION TIMES (AEDT)

1st Session: 3:00pm-5:00pm
Lunch: 5:00pm-5:40pm
2nd Session: 5:40pm-7:40pm
Tea: 7:40pm-8:00pm
3rd Session: 8:00pm-10:00pm

TEAM NEWS

Australia will be buoyed by the availability of two key players. Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc looks ready to go, and gun allrounder Cam Green has declared himself 100 per cent fit to make a return. Both suffered finger injuries during the 2022 Boxing Day Test and have been sorely missed since.

With skipper Pat Cummins returning home upon news of his mother entering palliative care, the pair could well make up Australia’s pace unit. That means Australia may persist with its three spinning options in Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, and Matt Kuhnemann.

Should the visitors opt for another seamer, Scott Boland seems the natural fit given his exposed form. That would likely leave Kuhnemann on the outer, having been flown into the squad to play ahead of Ashton Agar, who has since departed the tour.

Along with Cummins and Agar; bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Swepson, and opening batter David Warner (elbow) have also landed back home. Warner’s departure will see Head promoted to opener, with Green essentially replacing him in the middle order behind Peter Handscomb.

Speaking of the batting order, Matt Renshaw looks a longshot to be called upon again, having filled in as concussion sub for Warner in Delhi. Steve Smith will step up to captain the side in the wake of Cummins’ news.

Leadership roles may also be shuffled in the Indian camp. Vice-captain KL Rahul has struggled of late and could make way for classy young batter, Shubman Gill. Elsewhere, pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the series and upcoming IPL tournament with a back injury.

KEY QUESTIONS

Will Australia persist with three spinners?

The availability of Starc and Green throws a spanner into the works of Australia’s three-pronged spin selection. It would be near-impossible to omit either one of Lyon and Murphy, leaving Kuhnemann most likely to be edged to the outer. Green may be the latter’s saving grace, given Starc looms as a straight swap for Cummins, and Boland has also done little wrong to not warrant a recall. The pitch will spin, but just how much it does may shape the selectors’ decision.

Can Cam Green’s inclusion help Australia strike the perfect team balance?

A genuine allrounder is perhaps what Australia has lacked in the first two Tests, and Green has thus been sorely missed. With the West Australian becoming available, he allows Australia to be flexible with its bowling attack. Starc will be the frontline quick and Green can support him, perhaps seeing the tourists persist with their three spinners. If not, Boland also waits in the wings. Green’s batting quality also means there will be no issue in sticking him in at number six or seven, arguably bolstering the batting order with Head promoted to opener and Matt Renshaw remaining out.

How much will Mitch Starc’s availability help Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy?

Much is made of Starc’s importance to Lyon in Australian conditions, and that will only be compounded on the more extravagantly spinning Indian wickets. The left-arm quick leaves ideal footmarks on the pitch for Lyon to aim at, and now Murphy can be a secondary beneficiary of the naturally manufactured variation. Both offies have already fared well in the series, so could become even more dangerous with Starc’s inclusion. As for Starc himself, his raw pace and swing loom as handy points of difference.

Does India go in unchanged, or axe its vice-captain?

For all the selection chatter surrounding Australia throughout three matches, India has been relatively settled. The news of Bumrah being unavailable arguably made things easier, though queries remain regarding the hosts’ ideal batting order. Intrigue was piqued when vice-captain KL Rahul had the ‘VC’ removed from next to his name, and his form could open the door to change. Having showcased strong form heading into the series, Gill deserves a shot, but axing a leader such as Rahul is no easy decision.

SQUADS

Australia: Pat Cummins (c)*, Ashton Agar*, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood*, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson*, David Warner*

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat, Ishan Kishan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Suryakumar Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat

* – indicates player has returned home from tour

PREDICTION

Australia builds on the promise of its Delhi showing and finds the right formula to take out a fighting victory.