Dec 14 (V7N) - Brisbane, Saturday: In a high-stakes clash at the Gabba, India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bowl first in the third and final Test against Australia, with the series locked at 1-1.

The decision comes on a morning of steamy, overcast conditions, with a green-tinged pitch promising plenty of assistance for seamers. Speaking after the toss, Rohit said, “There’s a lot of grass, and it looks soft. We want to make the best use of the conditions up front. The mood in the dressing room is buzzing—we’re ready to showcase our skills.”

India made two crucial changes to their XI:

Ravindra Jadeja replaces Ravichandran Ashwin to strengthen the all-rounder slot.

Akash Deep steps in for Harshit Rana, who struggled in the second Test.

Australia made a single change:

Josh Hazlewood returns to the lineup after recovering from a side strain, replacing Scott Boland.

Australian skipper Pat Cummins, while diplomatic about the toss, expressed optimism about the day ahead. “It’s been a fantastic series so far. The Gabba crowd is nearly sold out, and it’s going to be a lively atmosphere.”

Pitch and Conditions

The iconic Gabba surface is green and moist, likely to offer early movement for pacers. With the series poised on a knife’s edge, the conditions could heavily influence the outcome of the match.

Playing XIs

Australia:

Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

India:

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

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