3rd Test: Agarwal to debut for India at MCG; Marsh back for Aus

India dropped both their struggling openers and opted for Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin for the Boxing Day Test against Australia in their bid to reclaim the lead in the four-match series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Openers Lokesh Rahul and Murali Vijay have paid the price for putting together just one double-digit stand at the halfway point of the four-Test series, hardly the starts that would help bring India a first Test series win Down Under.

Mayank Agarwal will make his Test debut on Wednesday with spinning all-rounder Hanuma Vihari joining him in a new-look opening pair.

After their decision not to play a specialist spinner spectacularly backfired in Perth, where Australia levelled the series 1-1, the tourists included Jadeja in the playing XI after first choice Ravichandran Ashwin failed to recover from an abdominal strain.

India also left out paceman Umesh Yadav, while Rohit Sharma returned to bolster the middle order.

Australia have recalled all-rounder Mitchell Marsh at the expense of middle order batsman Peter Handscomb in the only change to the side who won the Perth Test by 146 runs.