Australia have announced their playing eleven for the third Test against India at the MCG, starting from December 26. On expected lines, Josh Hazlewood has been picked for the third game after he showcased the ability to extract pace and bounce in the second Test played at The Gabba.
INDIA TOUR OF AUSTRALIA, 2014-15
Steve Smith: Joe Burns will bat at No.6 in the 3rd Test against India
Steve Smith is confident that Joe Burns will make his mark in the third Test. © Cricbuzz
The 25-year-old from Queensland, Joe Burns, will be making his Test debut and is expected to bat at No.6. Burns has impressive numbers to his credit as he averages 42.54 after playing 45 First-Class games. Australian captain, Steven Smith, on his part said: "Joe Burns gets his opportunity on Boxing Day and it's going to be a very special week for him. If you're batting in the top-order in state cricket, you can bat anywhere in the Australian line-up. I just think that [starting at six] is the best way to go about it. Shane Watson is best suited in the top three and Joe Burns is going to slot in at six, and hopefully, do a job for us there."
David Warner and Shaun Marsh, meanwhile have been reported to have sufficiently recovered from their niggles and were declared fit for the Boxing Day Test. Smith was also confident that Watson had recovered completely after he was struck on the head by a vicious James Pattinson bouncer during Australia's practice session at MCG on Tuesday.
"Watto's [Watson] okay. He was a little bit shaken up with the hit the other day, but he trained well yesterday and he's going well so I'm sure he'll be fine. I've just got to manage him right. If we've got to go in to bat, I've got to make sure he hasn't bowled too many overs at the end there so he's fresh when he gets out there to bat. That's the most important thing to me. I certainly think he's a top-three batsman," he said.
Australia will be buoyed by the return of their key seamer, Ryan Harris, who will replace Mitchell Starc. The left-arm pacer put up a disappointing show in the second Test at The Gabba. However, Smith said that there is still a window of opportunity for Starc to make a comeback and play in the ongoing Test series.
"He'll go back and play a bit of
