Big picture: SCG showdown to decide Border-Gavaskar Trophy
From that first day, when 17 wickets fell in Perth, there has been intrigue in this Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Even the game ruined by rain in Brisbane threw up something unexpected - a sudden retirement. Now as a hard fought, highly entertaining series comes to an end, Australia have the chance to cement their legacy - the reigning ODI and Test world champions have one hand on a trophy that has eluded them for 10 years - and India still have the chance to deny them.
There were reports of friction inside India's ranks. The captain Rohit Sharma is so short of runs his place in the team isn't looking so good. The coach Gautam Gambhir did not confirm if the captain would be in the XI, which created a very different feel to India's build-up. Shubman Gill, who was left out at the MCG Test, was one of the first in the nets and Dhruv Jurel, who hasn't played since Perth, was the last to leave. If that's any indication of a change in India's batting line-up, is Rohit going out?
India have been struggling to score first-innings runs - their average of 22.40 is their seventh lowest in a season where they've played at least five Tests - and have had to play catch-up constantly in Australia. Sydney is a place they might enjoy though. The SCG isn't quite the batting paradise it used to be, like when India declared on 705 here in 2003, but it is still offering 34.85 per wicket which is better than any other ground in Australia over the last three years. That could be one of the reasons Australia are bringing in bowling reinforcements. The short turnaround between the Boxing Day and the New Year's Tests is another. Beau Webster will be making his Test debut in place of Mitchell Marsh.
For a while it looked like India might be able to escape the MCG with a draw. Yashasvi Jaiswal once again proved to be India's best batter. At the end of that game, Rohit said the juniors still had a bit to learn about Test cricket, but it seems like they're doing alright. Jaiswal is India's highest scorer of the series. Nitish Kumar Reddy produced their best moment. Akash Deep has won Steven Smith's admiration, but he's out of the Sydney Test with a bad back. India's vulnerabilities lie elsewhere.
Form Guide
Australia: WDWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India: LDLWL
In the spotlight: Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins
Will Sydney be the last of Rohit Sharma in Test cricket or is he already done? India's win in Perth came without him. He tried not to upset their momentum by moving himself down to the middle order but then felt that wasn't working well enough. With not enough runs behind him, his on-field decisions backfiring, and India's next Test not until June 2025, by which time Rohit will be 38, it feels like the end of something. He did bat in the nets on Thursday, facing only throwdowns, which is what he did ahead of the Melbourne Test as well.
If this series didn't have Jasprit Bumrah in it, Pat Cummins would be its best bowler. After a wayward start in Perth, he looked pumped in Adelaide, keeping the rich tradition of fast bowlers and their nerve-popping celebrations alive. He was Player of the Match in Melbourne for contributing with the bat as well. A win at his home ground in front of what is expected to be record crowds again to seal a place in the World Test Championship final would be the perfect way to end the season for Cummins.
Team news: Webster in; Akash out
Mitchell Starc will play in Sydney while managing a side/rib complaint. Webster, who bats right-handed and bowls both medium pace and offspin, will be the third debutant for Australia in this series after Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas. He was the highest scorer in the Sheffield Shield last season with 938 runs at 58.62 and took 30 wickets at 29.30.
Australia: 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Sam Konstas, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Scott Boland, 11 Nathan Lyon
With Akash ruled out with a stiff back, India will have to rejig their bowling attack, with either Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana set to replace him. There appear to be changes in batting line-up as well with Gill receiving direct attention from Gambhir, who gave him throwdowns. Jurel also seems like a chance to make the XI with Washington Sundar possibly sitting out.
India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt)/Shubman Gill, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 KL Rahul, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rishabh Pant, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dhruv Jurel, 8 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 9 Prasidh Krishna/Harshit Rana, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj
Pitch and conditions: A good cricket wicket
A day out from the Test match, there was a bit of grass on the SCG pitch. The feedback Cummins has received about it from the two Shield games that took place here this season is that it's been a "good cricket wicket", with enough in it for the bowlers, particularly that there's a bit more pace in it. The weather for the start of the Test is expected to be clear, although there is some rain forecast on the final two days.
Stats and trivia
Steven Smith is 38 short of 10,000 Test runs. He will join Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting as the only Australians to have got to the mark. He'll be the second fastest among them, behind Ponting in 196 innings, if he gets there in Sydney.
Sydney might be his home ground but Starc's record here is under par: he has 24 wickets in nine Tests at an average of 44.16.
History isn't on India's side as they look to draw the series. They have won only one out of 13 Tests at the SCG.
Quotes
"If someone had said 40-45 days ago that we would be in this situation, that we can come to Sydney and draw this series, it's a good position to be in."
India coach Gautam Gambhir
"You go into every Test trying to win so no different this week. Really happy with the last three Tests, how the boys have played. We've shown for most that we've been the frontrunner, that's the aim again this week, keep it up."
Australia captain Pat Cummins
