Rohit Sharma To Open, India To Make Big Playing XI Change For 4th Australia Test: Report

Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma is all set to open the innings while KL Rahul will bat at No. 3 against Australia in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma is all set to open the innings while KL Rahul will bat at No. 3 against Australia in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, according to Times Of India. The report claimed that Rohit will return as an opener after batting at No. 6 in the past two matches. However, no clarity was provided regarding Shubman Gill's position in the batting order. The report further claimed that India are considering playing two spinners with Washington Sundar partnering Ravindra Jadeja. In that case, Nitish Kumar Reddy will miss out despite doing well in the bat in the ongoing five-match Test series.

Meanwhile, Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc is just five scalps away from completing 700 international wickets and he will become only fourth Australian bowler after spinner Shane Warne (1,001 scalps), Glenn McGrath (949 scalps) and Brett Lee (718 scalps) to achieve this milestone.

In 284 international matches, Starc has taken 695 scalps at an average of 25.67, with best figures of 6/28 and 24 five-wicket hauls to his name.

Test cricket is his best format, having taken 372 scalps in 92 matches at an average of 27.55, with best figures of 6/48 and 15 five-wicket hauls. He is Australia's fourth-highest wicket-taker in this format.