The five-Test series is level at 1-1.
India dropped number three Shubman Gill, promoting equally out-of-form captain Rohit Sharma to the position, surprising by adding all-rounder Washington Sundar as a second spin bowling option rather than another fast bowler.
The fast trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep were retained in the Test draw in Brisbane.
Australia had already confirmed that 19-year-old talent Sam Konstas will make his Test debut and open the batting with Usman Khawaja, replacing the dropped Nathan McSweeney.
Fan favorite Scott Boland replaced injured pacer Josh Hazlewood, returning to the team for his second Test of the series after bowling in Adelaide. With the weather forecast to be 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit), meteorologists said the temperature could reach a record high for the first day of the traditional Boxing Day test. Cummins said it seemed like a “good selling point.”
“Always a bit of grass, it seems still,” he added.
Rohit said India would also choose to bat.
“We have to play well. The series is 1-1 and there is a lot to play for. We fought very well in (Brisbane),” he said.
Teams:
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capitano), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
India – Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.
