India vs Australia | Mitchell Marsh to replace Peter Handscomb keeping MCG track in mind

In the Adelaide Test, Peter Handscomb fell to a classic seamer from Mohammed Shami, who was pitching the ball up, but the one that dismissed Handscomb was a short one. He failed to counter short balls in the second Test, which forced Shane Warne to ask for his head on Twitter. And now, it seems like the Victorian will make way for Mitchell Marsh who found serving drinks as his job in the first two Tests. The decision was partly down to Handscomb’s own form as well as the need to go with one extra bowler on the lifeless MCG pitch.

"In a perfectly balanced side, you've got someone who can bowl some overs. And Mitch becomes an attractive commodity on a wicket (that), unlike Adelaide and Perth … although there's a bit of moisture in it, we also know the history of it,” Langer said, reported Cricket.com.au.

"Our fast bowlers have been lucky, we've bowled lesser overs than India's bowlers at the moment, particularly (Jasprit) Bumrah, and that's an important part of the series. The more we can look after the guys, the better."

MCG was under scrutiny this year following the lifeless track used for last summer’s Test against England, which was officially rated “poor” by the International Cricket Council and criticised widely by players and pundits. The fear also increased as all four Shield matches last season were also drawn games while two of the three domestic matches in the 2018-19 season have ended in draws. However, curator Matthew Page has left some grass cover on it, but as Marcus Harris suggested, it might significantly change over the course of the game.

“Although it looks like there’s some grass on the wicket, there’s a bit of moisture in it, we also know the history of it. Our fast bowlers have been lucky, we have bowled less overs than the Indian bowlers at the moment, particularly Bumrah, and that’s an important part of the series. The more we can look after those guys the better.”