Australia got a huge morale boost after losing the Boxing Day Test when the experienced David Warner and Will Pucovski were included in updated squad for the third and fourth Tests against India.
But Joe Burns, the out of form opener, has been omitted after posting scores of 8, 51*, 0 and 4 in the opening two Tests.
Warner is recovering from a groin injury that he sustained during the white-ball leg of the tour and Pucovski had been in line to make his Test debut in the first match of the series in Adelaide before he suffered a concussion that ruled him out of the opening two games.
Earlier, Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins said he had “every confidence” Australia’s top batsmen would return to form following an underwhelming first two Tests against India.
With the series level at 1-1 heading into the third Test in Sydney, Cummins parried talk of crisis and said batters like Steve Smith – who was named Test player of the decade this week, but has managed just 10 runs in the first two games – would rediscover their touch.
“Absolutely no stress,” Cummins said. “They’ll come good.”
“Steve’s been champion for a dozen years or so, so absolutely no stress at all. Every batter, every player, goes through ups and downs and the great ones find a way to get back, so yeah absolutely no stress that they’ll come good, I’m sure.”
Australia won the first Test in Adelaide by eight wickets after India suffered their worst ever Test collapse, scoring just 36 in their second innings.
But it was India who won by eight wickets in the second Test in Melbourne as their injury-depleted attack twice dismissed Australia cheaply.
Cummins also said the return of opener David Warner – who is back in training after missing the first two Tests with a groin injury – would be a “huge boost”.
Despite a Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney, the next Test will start on January 7 as planned, with the teams facing some form of quarantine for the final Test in Brisbane from January 15.
Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
(With inputs from AFP)
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