• Source:JND

India National Cricket Team vs Australia Mens National Cricket Team 4th Test:

In a boost to the Australian team, star batter Travis Head has been declared fully fit to play in the Boxing Day Test against India at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Meanwhile, Australian captain Pat Cummins announced on the eve of the match that Sam Konstas will make his debut and Scott Boland will return to the playing XI, with the duo being the two changes made by the hosts.

"Trav's good to go, he'll play. He just ticked off some final things today and yesterday. But no worries about injury with Trav. He'll go into the game fully fit," Australia's skipper Pat Cummins said.

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While batting in last week's Test in Brisbane, Head had a minor quad strain that raised questions about his chances for the Boxing Day Test. After completing a gruelling fitness test on Christmas Day, it cleared the Australian vice-captain will play in the fourth Test of the series, which is currently level 1-1.

"I don't think you'll see too much management of him throughout the game. He just kind of plays as is. Maybe around fielding, if he's a bit uncomfortable, we will (manage him), but he's fully fit," Cummins said.

"It feels like the last 12 months, he's been in this unbelievable vein of form and he just keeps going on with it. He's hitting the ball really cleanly. You can see the pressure that he shifts back onto the opposition literally from the first ball that he walks out there," Cummins added.

"I'm loving that he's in our team and I don't have to try to set a field and bowl to him. He's hitting the ball as well as I've ever seen anyone. So long may it continue."

Sam Konstas joins the Australian roster replacing Nathan McSweeney after the latter was dropped due to his lack of form since debuting in Perth. At only 19 years old, Konstas is poised to go into history books as the youngest Test opener ever for Australia once he takes the field at the MCG.

"There's a level of naivety that you just want to go out and play like you do when you're a kid in the backyard. You just want to take the game on, have fun, and not overthink it. That's the message to Sam. That's definitely how I felt as an 18-year-old. I was just really excited, and once the game started, you go into game-mode and it's just like any other game," the Australia captain said.

Local hero Scott Boland makes his series return, with his last appearance in Adelaide during the second Test. Boland comes in place of Josh Hazlewood, who suffered a calf injury and will not be available for the remainder of the series.

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"He bowled beautifully in Adelaide. Whenever he gets his chance, he steps in and looks like he's one of the best bowlers in the world. I expect him (to do) much the same. He loves bowling here, he's played probably more than anyone else here at the MCG in our team. He's prepared really well," Cummins said.

"It is pretty awesome that even with an unfortunate injury like Josh has, you can have someone like Scotty to come straight in seamlessly."

Australia Playing XI: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.