AUS vs IND Dream11 Prediction, 4th Test, Dream11 Playing XI, Player Stats, and Other Updates

Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is set to witness the massive clash between Australia and India in the annual Boxing Day Test extravaganza. It is already a sold-out affair, as fans are waiting with bated breath to watch the two behemoth teams in action in what will be the penultimate game of the massive Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024. 

Australia (AUS) came into the game firmly in control of the series after the massive win in Adelaide and the drawn game in Brisbane. One of the biggest worries for the home team is Josh Hazlewood's loss due to injury. Scott Boland is expected to walk into the team, while Sam Konstas is set to make his debut in place of Nathan McSweeney.

India (IND) barely managed to avoid the follow-on during the last game, thanks to the resilience of their lower order. R. Ashwin's sudden retirement paves the way for Washington Sundar to come into contention and fight for a place in the team with Ravindra Jadeja. Rohit Sharma’s form will be a worry, with the Indian skipper scoring just 19 runs in the last two matches for the visiting side. The onus will again be on Jasprit Bumrah, who has been the best bowler in the series so far.

Match Details:

Match: Australia vs India, 4th Test

Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Date and Time: 26th to 30th December 2024, 5:00 AM IST

Live Coverage Details: Star Sports (TV), Disney Hotstar (WEB and OTT)

Head-to-Head

Matches: 110

Wins for Australia: Australia: 46

Wins for India:33

Tied Match: 1

Drawn Games: 30

Head-to-head at Melbourne

Matches: 14

Wins for Australia: 8

Wins for India: 4

Drawn Games: 2

Pitch Report

Melbourne Cricket Ground has, over the years, become hard to predict. Few Test matches have seen dull draws taking place. The last time India played at this venue was in 2020 under Ajinkya Rahane, as they bundled out the hosts for just 195 in the 1st innings and won by 8 wickets. The captain winning the toss could look to bat first, considering the weather in Melbourne is set to be hot; the wickets could break up in the latter half of the game and bring the spinners into play.

Dream 11 Australia vs India Predicted XI

Australia: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Mitchell Marsh, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant,Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep

Dream11 Top Picks for Australia vs India

Jasprit Bumrah: Indian pace ace Jasprit Bumrah will hold the ball during the third Test in Brisbane. The 31-year-old pacer has already picked 12 wickets in the series, with one fifer and four-wicket haul in the last match. None of the Indian bowlers have managed to trouble Australia as much as Bumrah has in the last few years. If the right-arm pacer can continue his good form, there is a chance India could head to Melbourne with a series lead under their belt.

Travis Head: The best batter for Australia in the first two games of the series has been star player Travis Head. The 31-year-old scored 140 runs in Adelaide from 141 balls, which gave the home side much-needed momentum. Travis Head has played 5 Test matches in Brisbane and scored 352 runs with one century and two fifties.

Dream 11 Budget Picks for Australia vs India

KL Rahul: India's KL Rahul is one of the best players in the series so far. He has been incredible in all the games, starting from the first one. He is the second-highest run-scorer of the series, scoring 235 runs in three games at an average of 47. Being the consistent scorer, he has become the backbone of the team, and a lot will be expected from him in the upcoming games. 

Pat Cummins: Australian skipper Pat Cummins has been incredible in the series. In three games, he has taken 14 wickets at an average of 24, which is great. Cummins is the key bowler of the hosts, helping the team during critical situations. Also, his experience has helped him tackle the Indian batters. 

Dream11 Players to avoid for Australia vs India

Rohit Sharma:  Indian skipper Rohit Sharma’s form has taken a huge plunge in red-ball cricket lately. The Indian skipper has scored just one fifty in the last 8 innings, leading to questions being asked about his form. Rohit Sharma didn’t play the first Test and scored just 9 runs with the bat in the 2nd Test match. The 37-year-old needs to come good with the bat for his sake and his team if they have to win the game in Brisbane.

Steve Smith: 35-year-old Australian batting ace Steve Smith has scored a total of 19 runs from the 3 innings he has batted so far. 2024 has been a difficult year for Smith, who began by opening the batting before moving back to middle-order. The lack of runs with the bat from Smith has put pressure on the Australian middle order to come good. Steve Smith could face yet another huge test, with the conditions in Brisbane likely to favor the bowlers.

Suggested playing No. 1 for AUS vs IND Dream11 Fantasy Cricket

R Pant, KL Rahul, V Kohli, S Smith, T Head (C), Y Jaiswal, M Marsh, NK Reddy, P Cummins, J Bumrah (VC), M Starc

Suggested playing No. 2 for AUS vs IND Dream11 Fantasy Cricket

KL Rahul, A Carey, V Kohli (VC), T Head, M Labuschagne, Y Jaiswal, R Jadeja, NK Reddy, P Cummins (C), J Bumrah, S Boland.