India consider second spinner for Boxing Day Test at MCG

Melbourne: India captain Rohit Sharma was coy yesterday on how his team will line up for the Boxing Day Test against Australia, with the option of a s...

Melbourne: India captain Rohit Sharma was coy yesterday on how his team will line up for the Boxing Day Test against Australia, with the option of a second spinner on the table.

Temperatures are forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) tomorrow, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground curator said during the week he expected the pitch to offer plenty for the fast bowlers.

But Rohit left the door open to a second spinner.

“Whatever we have to do to make the best possible XI in these conditions, we will do that -- whether that is playing an extra spinner or not,” he said.

With off-spinning allrounder Ravichandran Ashwin announcing his immediate retirement from international cricket after the third Test in Brisbane, Ravindra Jadeja is expected to keep his place.