Australia wins the toss and bats first in 4th test against India at the MCG

Australia and India prepare for the fourth test in a closely contested series, with lineup changes and high stakes.

Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss Thursday (December 26, 2024) and decided to bat first against India in expected hot conditions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the fourth test of the five-match series.

The series is level at 1-1 after a rainy draw at Brisbane,

A crowd of over 90,000 was expected to attend the first day of play, despite a predicted top temperature of 39 degrees Celsius (103 Fahrenheit).

Australia made two changes to the side which dominated the drawn test in Brisbane. Seamer Scott Boland has been recalled for Josh Hazlewood, who suffered a calf-muscle strain in Brisbane.

Teenager Sam Konstas replaced struggling opener Nathan McSweeney, who averaged 14.40 in three tests in his debut series. Konstas, 19, is the fourth-youngest Australian male debutant.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald said Konstas would provide an attacking weapon against the brilliant pace bowling of India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who has taken 21 wickets in the series.

Cummins, who was player of the match on his test debut for Australia aged 18, added: “There’s a level of naivety, that you just want to go out and play, like you did when you were a kid in the backyard.”