The selectors have already made a call, but there are a number of ways they could perform the following test.
Australia will enter 2021 with plenty of questions about their batting lineup after hitting totals of 191, 195 and 200 in their full innings in the first two Tests against India. There will be at least one change to the starting combination after Joe Burns was eliminated, and possibly two. Here’s a look at the options on the table.
Warner to the rescue
This is the number one priority for Australia: getting David Warner in shape for Test 3. His network sessions at the MCG garnered almost as much attention as the medium’s action. His absence at the top of the order has certainly changed the dynamics of the lineup. That’s not to say that he will definitely score runs against this excellent attack from India, but if he hits two hours, the total will have moved faster than has been the case thus far. While Warner’s absence isn’t the only factor, it’s worth noting that Australia’s execution rate in its last six Tests against India, all of which Warner has missed, is 2.61. It won’t be an easy task for him to go straight without cricket in a long form in a year (Test against New Zealand at SCG) and Justin Langer raised some doubts about whether he would be ready, but it could be that even with less than 100%, it is a bet they make.
Pucovski debut
Tim Paine said Will Pucovski “was not far” from recovering from the concussion he suffered in the first warm-up game against India in early December when he was knocked down by a Kartik Tyagi goalkeeper at Drummoyne Oval. National coach Trevor Hohns has also indicated that he was on the right track. He was on the cusp of a debut at the time, having made hundreds in a row at the Sheffield Shield. However, given Pucovski’s history of concussions, a very cautious approach is likely to be taken.
Double shift on top
Using Matthew Wade at the top has been a stopgap solution, though he has adapted well to the new challenge, facing 137 balls for his 40 in the second inning at MCG. However, since he is a natural middle order hitter, a twin trade is very likely to be made if Warner and Pucovski check all the boxes for a return. This would bring the spotlight on Travis Head in the middle order. Wade wouldn’t deserve to lose his spot, and Cameron Green’s second-inning hit at MCG has likely secured his spot, so Head would have to be the one to lead the way. Although he scored 38 in the first innings in Melbourne, he fell twice to bad shots, playing away from his body to get caught in the slips.
Harris retreat
If Warner and Pucovski remained unavailable, although that seems unlikely, Australia has another starter on the team, having selected Marcus Harris before Test 1. Like Pucovski, the left-hander was in impressive Shield form during Adelaide’s center earlier in the season scoring 239 in the record position of 486 with Pucovski. He made scores of 35, 25 *, 26 and 5 in the two preparation games against the Indians in Sydney. Harris made his testing debut during the 2018-19 series and the 79 he achieved at SCG remains the highest score by an Australian hitter in the last six tests between the two teams.
Andrew McGlashan is deputy editor of ESPNcricinfo
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