**Official** 4th Test at Melbourne, 26-30 Dec 2024

[Test fan]

Fresh practice wickets for the Aussies ahead of the Boxing Day Test, while Team India practiced on used pitches. Akashdeep called them ‘good for white-ball cricket.’ A level playing field or home advantage at its peak?

 

[the big bambino]

Curator said it'll be a pitch for fast bowlers. That's great - lets just change the name of the game from cricket to seam bowling.

 

[Betterpolo]

There's been more grass left on Australian pitches over the last three years than the previous thirty combined.

Thanks, but how very strange. Seems a little self-defeating.

 

[GirthQuake]

Virat kohli picking up a fight with journalists who could not care an ounce about him or his precious family is still making me laugh.

Also tells a bit about the imaginary enemies he sees everywhere.

 

[Gnske]

I can't hold it against him. The mainstream journalism / media world is packed with scum, particularly our main free to air channels.

Remember when he called out supersport for CHEATING? He's been leading this charge for years

 

[Son Of Coco]

Fresh practice wickets for the Aussies ahead of the Boxing Day Test, while Team India practiced on used pitches. Akashdeep called them ‘good for white-ball cricket.’ A level playing field or home advantage at its peak?

Home advantage at its peak would be mucking around with the actual playing surfaces.

 

[Qlder]

Fresh practice wickets for the Aussies ahead of the Boxing Day Test, while Team India practiced on used pitches. Akashdeep called them ‘good for white-ball cricket.’ A level playing field or home advantage at its peak?

Or just you trying to make a conspiracy out of nothing. This is how the curator responded:

“For us, three days out, we prepare Test match pitches for here. If teams come and train before that, they get what pitches we have had,” Page told reporters.

“Today, we are on fresh pitches. If India had trained this morning, they would have been on those fresh pitches. It’s stock standard procedure for us, three days out.”

 

[honestbharani]

Or just you trying to make a conspiracy out of nothing. This is how the curator responded:

“For us, three days out, we prepare Test match pitches for here. If teams come and train before that, they get what pitches we have had,” Page told reporters.

“Today, we are on fresh pitches. If India had trained this morning, they would have been on those fresh pitches. It’s stock standard procedure for us, three days out.”

Yeah both sets of media are desperately trying to create something out of nothing. Media is just media no matter where they are, I guess. Just as **** there in Australia as they are here in India.

 

[govinda indian fan]

Tanush kotian to be added to india squad for final two tests. Promising young off spinner

 

[ankitj]

Why not Axar Patel?

 

[silentstriker]

Why not Axar Patel?

Both Axar Patel (personal reasons) and Kuldeep Yadav (fitness) are unavailable.

 

[Burgey]

It’s like all the media has flipped the switch to vaudeville ahead of Boxing Day, I suspect because the two actual teams get on pretty well and they have to manufacture something.

 

[social]

Couple of articles have been absolutely embarrassing

 

[Niall]

It’s like all the media has flipped the switch to vaudeville ahead of Boxing Day, I suspect because the two actual teams get on pretty well and they have to manufacture something.

Due to the IPL, nobody will fall out with the Indian team tbf.

Indian captain looking slick.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1870816409334554898

 

[silentstriker]

Due to the IPL, nobody will fall out with the Indian team tbf.

Indian captain looking slick.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1870816409334554898

jfc. Surely that's a video of me batting with Rohit AI'd on top.

 

[the big bambino]

If this is going to be another green top 2.5 day shoot out then I don’t see the point of Lyon and prefer a 4th seamer instead.

 

[halba]

re Beau Webster. Reminds me of Colin funky Miller.

He may well serve as an option for the Sri Lankan tour given he can bowl both medium pace deliveries and off-spin.

 

[halba]

Would like to see this XI - 5 changes for a green or faster pitch. Selectors are CR*P with a capital C and wont do it..

This allows 5 pace bowling options to attack the Indians, with one express fast (145kph) bowler in Jhye. It also has a proper all rounder in Webster, Marsh is effectively playing as a fielder, and its basically a 10 man team..


Changes are

Konstas in for McSweeney
Inglis in for the struggling Labuschange(hes in horrendous form)
Webster in for the struggling and injury prone Marsh
Boland in for the injured Haze
Jhye Richardson in for the largely ineffective on these pitches Lyon (the pitches are only for pace bowling)

1Konstas
2Khawaja
3Inglis
4Smith
5Head
6Carey (w/k) - promoted up the order to allow for Webster late hitting.
7Webster (all rounder)
8Richardson
9Starc
10Cummins
11Boland

Instead, we will watch Labuschagne, and Marsh likely fail for the 7th time this series, Marsh not being bowled, and Lyon remaining largely ineffective an producing no wickets and possibly another Australian loss as the hands of Indian crickets answer to Malcolm marshall- Jasprit Bumrah.

 

[honestbharani]

Due to the IPL, nobody will fall out with the Indian team tbf.

Indian captain looking slick.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1870816409334554898

CA have to do everything in their power to ensure Rohit is fit and fine for the test.

 

[Qlder]

Being reported Konstas is confirmed to open, so at least that kills the rumour of moving someone up (or Inglis doing it).

Also reported Head struggling with his injury with very little net time. Concern over where he would be able to field. That could open the door for an Inglis debut at 5

Selectors and coach yet again saying Marsh is fit to bowl as many overs as needed so sure to play as the allrounder