(Reuters) -India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field first in the third test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday.
India made two changes to the side that was beaten by 10 wickets in the day-night test in Adelaide, with Ravindra Jadeja replacing spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Akash Deep replacing struggling paceman Harshit Rana.
Australia made only one change, with quick Josh Hazlewood replacing Scott Boland after recovering from a side injury.
Rohit, whose poor form with the bat has heaped pressure on his captaincy, will continue to bat at number six, with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal retained as the opening combination.
With the five-test series poised at 1-1, the Gabba pitch had a green tinge on a steamy, overcast morning, promising a stiff examination for Australia’s top order.
“There’s a lot of grass and it looks a little soft as well so we want to try and make the best use of the conditions and try and see what we can do with the ball up front,” said Rohit, who added the mood in the Indian dressing room was “absolutely buzzing”.
“The guys are looking forward to the test match. It’s been always nice to come here and play some really good cricket and yeah, when you talk about how everyone’s feeling, they want to come out here and showcase themselves.”
Australia captain Pat Cummins was coy on what he would have chosen if he won the toss.
“It’s been a fantastic series so far,” he said. “I think we’re going to sell out at the Gabba today so I’m sure it’s going to be pretty lively out there.”
Teams:
Australia – Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma (captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah , Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Nick Mulvenney)
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