Zimpapers Logo

Match facts

January 6-10, 2015, Sydney

Start time 1030 local (2330 GMT)

Big picture

The 2014 calendar year began with Australia at the SCG in celebration mode. The Ashes had won and a 5-0 clean-sweep was there for the taking. The 2015 calendar year begins with Australia at the SCG, another series already in their grasp, but this time the mood is more subdued. It is the first time the Australians have played at the ground since their team-mate Phillip Hughes was struck down there by a bouncer on November 25, and died two days later.

Nearly half of Australia’s XI for this Test — David Warner, Shane Watson, Nathan Lyon, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Starc — were on the ground when Hughes collapsed. If the Adelaide Test was about raw emotion, this one will be about memories. A permanent memorial plaque for Hughes will also be unveiled at the ground.

On field, this Test will be about trying to finish the series on a high. Australia will raise the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the match no matter what happens, but they can do so with a 3-0 series win. India, on the other hand, could drop to seventh on the ICC Test rankings if they lose in Sydney.

It is their first Test in the post-MS Dhoni era, with Virat Kohli officially the captain after temporarily taking the reins in Adelaide earlier in the series. India have been in all three Tests so far and have performed better here than Australia did in India in 2013, yet they have still found themselves on the losing side. Here is one more chance to change that.

Form guide

Australia DWWLL

India DLLLL

In the spotlight

There has been something of the hokey pokey to Mitchell Starc’s Test career so far — in, out, in, out, in, out. He has not played two consecutive Tests in a series since his first two matches in 2011. He gets another opportunity at the SCG as the replacement for Johnson, and after struggling to find his line and length at the Gabba it is an important match for Starc, whose bowling average of 36.22 from 14 Tests is underwhelming. At the SCG his record is also disappointing — his first-class bowling average there is 42.15. It is time for Starc to shake it all about.

Virat Kohli has been the batsman who has worried Australia most this series, but Ajinkya Rahane is also causing them major problems at No.5. His 348 runs for the series have come at 58.00 and his century at the MCG was sublime, confirming why he is one of the most promising Test batsmen in world cricket. Of his 1026 Test runs, 1018 have come outside India and his average in the first innings of Tests is 62.66 – more than half the time he passes fifty in the first innings.

Team news

Australia have confirmed their starting XI, with Mitchell Johnson ruled out due to hamstring soreness. He will be replaced by Mitchell Starc in the only change to the side that played in Melbourne.

Australia 1 Chris Rogers, 2 David Warner, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Shaun Marsh, 6 Joe Burns, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Ryan Harris, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan Lyon.

Suresh Raina batted extensively in the nets in the lead-up to the Test and might come in for KL Rahul after his dreadful debut, although moving Rahul up to open and axing Shikhar Dhawan is another possibility. Varun Aaron is back from India, where he attended his grandfather’s funeral, and could replace Mohammad Shami. Wriddhiman Saha will take the gloves from the retired MS Dhoni and it remains to be seen whether Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s ankle has recovered sufficiently for him to play.

India (possible) 1 M Vijay, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Suresh Raina/KL Rahul, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Umesh Yadav, 10 Varun Aaron, 11 Ishant Sharma.

Pitch and conditions

The SCG historically is renowned for offering more spin than other Australian venues but last summer it was the fast bowlers who did most of the damage for both Australia and England. However, Steven Smith noted on match eve that there was a lot less grass on the wicket than for last year’s Test and he expected spin and reverse swing to play a part. The forecast for the duration of the match is for temperatures in the high 20s, with showers possible on several days.

Stats and trivia

Australia have won 10 of their past 11 SCG Tests, the only loss having come against England in the disastrous 2010-11 Ashes series

Should Virat Kohli score a century in Sydney, he will join Herbert Sutcliffe and Wally Hammond as the only visiting batsmen to make four hundreds in one Test series in Australia

This will be the third captaincy combination of the four-Test series – Kohli and Michael Clarke in Adelaide; Smith and Dhoni in Brisbane and Melbourne; and Smith and Kohli in Sydney

Quotes

“To have the series wrapped up I think we can play a bit more relaxed this week.” — Steven Smith

“I hope I can be as calm as him.” — Virat Kohli on replacing MS Dhoni as captain. — ESPN.