Dec 13 , (V7N) - Australia’s Josh Hazlewood has been cleared of injury and will join pace spearheads Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc for the decisive third Test against India at the Gabba, starting Saturday. The series is locked at 1-1, with Australia recovering from a heavy loss in the first Test in Perth to dominate India in the pink-ball clash in Adelaide.

Hazlewood missed the second Test due to a side strain sustained after a five-wicket haul in Perth. Despite Scott Boland's impressive performance in his absence, skipper Pat Cummins confirmed Hazlewood's return after successful training sessions.

"Josh had a really good bowl yesterday and earlier in the week. He and the medical team are super confident," Cummins said.

Boland, who took five wickets in Adelaide, makes way for Hazlewood but remains in contention for later matches. Cummins acknowledged the tough call:

"Scotty has been fantastic whenever he’s played. It’s a shame, but there’s still a lot of cricket left in the series."

The Gabba holds a storied history for Australia, but recent results have been mixed. Although it was a fortress for decades, India ended their unbeaten streak in 2021. Australia has since secured victories there against England and South Africa but suffered an unexpected loss to the West Indies earlier this year.

Cummins downplayed the venue’s significance:

"It's always nice returning to familiar grounds, but the scoreboard starts at 0-0. The venue isn't everything."

Australia XI:

1. Nathan McSweeney

2. Usman Khawaja

3. Marnus Labuschagne

4. Steve Smith

5. Travis Head

6. Mitchell Marsh

7. Alex Carey (wk)

8. Pat Cummins (c)

9. Mitchell Starc

10. Nathan Lyon

11. Josh Hazlewood

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