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CRICKET Australia has officially announced the squad for the upcoming 4th and 5th Tests against India which will be held in Melbourne and Sydney respectively. Chankesh Rao Updated : Dec 20, 2024, 04:12 PM IST The Australian team for the final two Test matches against India in Melbourne and Sydney has been revealed. After poor performances, Nathan McSweeney, who opened with Usman Khawaja in the first three Test matches, was dropped. Sam Kontas, a 19-year-old hitter, has been called up to the Australian team for the first time to replace him. With back-to-back hundreds against South Australia in the Sheffield Shield, a century against India A in a practice match, and a magnificent 88 against Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield match, Kontas has been recognized for his exceptional play this season. On his Sydney Thunder debut in the Big Bash League, he also scored a fast 56 off 27 balls. Josh Inglis is Australia's backup batter and might be selected before Kontas, even if Kontas is not assured to play at the MCG. Jhye Richardson has also returned to the team to fill in for Josh Hazlewood, who is unable to play in the series due to injury. Scott Boland is probably going to take Hazlewood's position in the starting lineup. Sean Abbott has been kept in the final squad, although Brendan Doggett, who was originally brought in as cover for Hazlewood in Perth, did not make it. So far, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been an exciting event. India defeated Australia by a commanding 295 runs in the first match of the series in Perth, setting off the series in dramatic manner. But Australia responded quickly, winning by a resounding 10-wicket margin in Adelaide. In the third Test at GABBA, the hosts showed their strength and were ready to take the series lead, but bad weather stopped them in their tracks, allowing India to escape loss by a slim margin. With the series now tied at 1-1, the sides will travel to the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the third test. To allay any worries about the final two Tests, Australia purposefully arranged the first three Tests at Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane. Nevertheless, they are now still a long way from winning the series. Both sides need to win this series in order to advance to the World Test Championship final. One of them might be eliminated if the series ends in a tie, but if South Africa defeats Pakistan 2-0, the winner will guarantee a spot in the series. The outcome of Australia's Sri Lanka trip will then determine the finalist. Australia squad for last 2 Tests: Pat Cummins, Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster Also read| R Ashwin's call log screenshot is dream come true, guess whose names are there None
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