The Indian team has already retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after defeating Australia by 137 runs in the historical Boxing Day Test match at Melbourne last month. They will be riding high on confidence and will go into the game at Sydney with the aim of winning their first-ever series Down Under. While Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara have been the mainstays for the visitors in the batting front, Jasprit Bumrah has led the bowling attack with ease and his rise in Test cricket in the last 12 months has been nothing less than inspiring.
Australia, on the other hand, looked below par for most parts of 2018 and they would be eager to begin the new year with a series-levelling win over a formidable Indian unit. The side has performed well in patches, but they have failed to deliver the knockout punch and the absence of Steven Smith and David Warner seems to have had a drastic impact on their progress. However, with the track at Sydney likely to be slow and help the spinners, Nathan Lyon, India's nemesis at Perth could get into the game once again and cause serious damage.
Australia have named the same 13-member squad from Melbourne for the upcoming game, while India will have to find a replacement for Rohit Sharma, who has headed back home after the birth of his first child.
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Wicket-keeper: Rishabh Pant (8.5 credits)
The Indian keeper has been getting starts throughout, though he has been unable to settle
The Indian team has already retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after defeating Australia by 137 runs in the historical Boxing Day Test match at Melbourne last month. They will be riding high on confidence and will go into the game at Sydney with the aim of winning their first-ever series Down Under. While Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara have been the mainstays for the visitors in the batting front, Jasprit Bumrah has led the bowling attack with ease and his rise in Test cricket in the last 12 months has been nothing less than inspiring.
Australia, on the other hand, looked below par for most parts of 2018 and they would be eager to begin the new year with a series-levelling win over a formidable Indian unit. The side has performed well in patches, but they have failed to deliver the knockout punch and the absence of Steven Smith and David Warner seems to have had a drastic impact on their progress. However, with the track at Sydney likely to be slow and help the spinners, Nathan Lyon, India's nemesis at Perth could get into the game once again and cause serious damage.
Australia have named the same 13-member squad from Melbourne for the upcoming game, while India will have to find a replacement for Rohit Sharma, who has headed back home after the birth of his first child.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Rishabh Pant (8.5 credits)
The Indian keeper has been getting starts throughout, though he has been unable to settle down and convert his knocks into a big score. Very little separates the performances of Tim Paine and Pant in this series - the Aussie skipper has amassed 169 runs while the latter has 191 runs to his name - but I have gone in with the youngster as he has the ability to tonk the ball out of the ground at will, which can make him a dangerous player. He scored a rapid-fire 43-ball 33 in the second innings at Melbourne with three fours and a six, and this aspect of his game sees him inch ahead of Paine.
Batsman: Cheteshwar Pujara (10 credits)
A lot of focus was on Pujara's poor run of form in overseas conditions before the series began. However, with two hundreds and a score of 71 in this series, the Saurashtra player has put all doubts to rest. He has held firm, even though questions have been asked about his strike-rate and has played an important role in India's twin victories in the series. On a low Sydney track, Pujara's resilience will be crucial.
All-rounder: Travis Head (8.5 credits)
The 25-year old impressed with his ability to bide time in the first two Tests, looking comfortable against the nagging line and lengths of Ishant Sharma, Shami and Bumrah at Adelaide and Perth. With 217 runs to his name, Head has been the anchor in an otherwise inconsistent middle-order.
Bowler: Nathan Lyon (9 credits)
Lyon will be the bowler to watch out for as the track for the last Test is likely to be slow and dry. Shane Warne had done well at the SCG, picking up 64 wickets in 14 games, and with Lyon pitching in with good showings against India - he has 81 wickets against India in 17 games, including 7 5-wicket hauls, Australia's hopes of leveling the series will rest on how well the offie does.
Captain: Nathan Lyon
Vice-captain: Cheteshwar Pujara
