Last Updated on 4 years by Charbel Coorey

AUS vs IND 3rd Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | AUS vs IND 3rd Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Australia vs India 3rd Test Key Players | SCG Pitch Report

India’s superb victory at Melbourne, one of their greatest triumphs overseas, has the much-hyped 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy perfectly poised at 1-1. Many experts, including the likes of Michael Vaughan and Mark Waugh, thought that India were standing down the barrell of 4-0 after that day in Adelaide, which preceded the loss of key players Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami.

It was a ruthless display by the Indians at the MCG, where they didn’t give Australia an inch. The Australians tried to fight and crawl to achieve parity, but just as they looked to make some progress, Ajinkya Rahane’s men stopped them in their traps.

So, it makes for a great third Test. However, the build-up has almost been anything but the cricket. The emergence of another wave of COVID-19 infections in Sydney has put the presence of a crowd at the SCG under significant debate, with the capacity now limited to 25%. Also, fans from certain suburbs considered as “COVID-19 hotspots” will not be allowed to attend, and fans who do attend will need to wear masks.

As a result, it is an SCG Test that will be very different to those we are accustomed to. But, for Australia, it is about bouncing back as fast as they can, as a defeat here means that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will remain in the subcontinent. Eyes will certainly be on Steve Smith, where he will look to play a more positive style, particularly against the wily and skilful Ravi Ashwin. And, with Rohit Sharma and David Warner back, and Navdeep Saini and Will Pucovski set to debut, some new storylines are just waiting to be written.

A potentially great Test match is upon us.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Australia:

• Can David Warner hit his straps right away? Australia have missed their dynamic opening batsman, who has a wonderful record at the SCG. In eight Tests on this ground, Warner has struck 732 runs at an average of 66.54, with four centuries.
• The big question, though, will be whether Steve Smith can break his lean run of form. Remarkably, Australia’s great batsman has struck just 10 runs this series (0, 1*, 1 and 8), and the spotlight will be on him. Like Warner, Smith has a superb record at the SCG: 10 inns, 611 runs, avg. 67.88.
• Marnus Labuschagne, currently Australia’s highest run-scorer this series with 129 (avg. 32.25), struck a superb double hundred (215) on this ground vs New Zealand a year ago. However, that was a depleted NZ attack without Southee and Boult, so a big effort is needed here against the likes of Bumrah and co.
• Pat Cummins will be crucial to Australia’s hopes. He has a great overall record against India (32 wickets, avg. 25.06), and enjoys bowling at the SCG (12 wickets, avg. 24.42).
• Josh Hazlewood has taken seven wickets this series, which is dominated by his 5/8 at Adelaide. So, can he deliver at the SCG? He has taken 16 wickets on this ground at an average of 27.13.
• Both Mitchell Starc (19 wickets at 37.84) and Nathan Lyon (36 wickets at 37.63) average nearly 40 on this ground. However, Lyon enjoyed his best performance at the SCG last year, taking 10/118 in the Test against New Zealand.

India:

• Rohit Sharma returns for India. Can he make an immediate impact? He averages 31.00 in five Tests in Australia, so India will be hoping for a better return.
• Shubman Gill looked very impressive on debut in the second Test. He struck 45 and 35* at an overall strike rate of 79.20.
• Ajinkya Rahane is coming off one of his finest ever Test knocks at the MCG. He will be key once again in blunting Australia’s attack.
• Cheteshwar Pujara has had a quiet series to date (63 runs, avg. 15.75). So, India will be hoping he can produce the same kind of form at the SCG that he did in 2018/19, where he scored 193. Rishabh Pant scored 159* in the same Test.
• Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin have been excellent in this series. Jadeja scored a half-century and took three wickets in Melbourne. Ashwin has taken 10 wickets, and has had the better of Smith. An excellent battle awaits.
• How well is Jasprit Bumrah bowling? The superb India seamer has taken eight wickets this series at an average of just 23.62. Mohammad Siraj will also be key, after taking five wickets at 15.40 in a very impressive performance on debut.

Stats and Facts

• Since the start of 2018/19 Test series, the highest score by an Australian batsman vs India was Marcus Harris’ 75. In that time, Indian batsmen have scored six centuries.
• Steve Smith is without a century in his last 14 Test innings, which is his longest drought since the start of his Test career, where he went 22 innings without a Test century.
• Australia are scoring at just 2.52 per over this series, which is their slowest-scoring rate in a home series this century.
• Only Stuart Broad (12) has dismissed David Warner more times than R Ashwin in Tests (9 dismissals).
• Lyon needs six wickets to reach the 400 mark in Test cricket. Cheteshwar Pujara is 97 runs short of the 6,000 mark in Tests
• India lost Ishant Sharma before the series, Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami after one Test and will now be without Umesh Yadav, which makes their win in Melbourne all-the-more impressive.

Possible Playing 11

Australia are yet to confirm their XI, but it looks like David Warner and Will Pucovski will open the batting. After Cameron Green’s promising showing under pressure in Melbourne, either Matt Wade or Travis Head could give way.

Australia: 1. David Warner, 2. Will Pucovski, 3. Marnus Labuschagne, 4. Steve Smith, 5. Matthew Wade, 6. Cameron Green, 7. Tim Paine (c & wk), 8. Pat Cummins, 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Nathan Lyon, 11. Josh Hazlewood

India have confirmed their XI. Rohit Sharma is back, and will partner Gill at the top. Navdeep Saini will debut, replacing the injured Umesh Yadav.

India: 1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Shubman Gill, 3. Cheteshwar Pujara, 4. Ajinkya Rahane (c), 5. Hanuma Vihari, 6. Rishabh Pant (wk), 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. R Ashwin, 9. Navdeep Saini, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Jasprit Bumrah

SCG Pitch Report and Weather

Rain has often ruined SCG Tests in recent years. Three of the last six Tests on this ground have ended in a draw. With persistent rain in the lead-up to the Test, there were fears that the weather would play spoilsport again. However, the forecast looks promising, with only a few showers predicted throughout the Test.

With regards to the pitch, curator Adam Lewis has promised a hard track with plenty of grass. So, expect the seamers to have a strong say on the opening few days, with the spinners to also enjoy the bounce on offer. The batsmen will have to play very well to score their runs.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1

Option 2:

Match Prediction

A lot depends on how well Steve Smith performs. It is clear that Australia rely heavily on his runs, and if he gets going against an inexperienced Indian seam attack, it will hold Australia in great stead. This should be a cracker of a Test.