Australia vs India 2018-19: Australia's Predicted Playing XI for the fourth Test

Team India won its first ever Boxing Day Test match in Australia last week and both the teams will lock horns next at Sydney in the New Year's Test starting from 3rd January. Virat Kohli and co. would most likely retain the same team combination except the one change (Rohit Sharma) they would be forced to make.

However, the same cannot be said for the home team. Tim Paine's team had failed miserably with the bat in the third Test match. The Australian selectors have hinted at a potential change in the playing XI by naming Marnus Labuschagne in the Australian squad for the fourth Test.

With everyone except Pat Cummins failing to perform well at Melbourne, we can expect the Australians to make some serious changes. Here's the predicted playing XI of Australia for the final Test.

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Openers - Marcus Harris and Usman Khawaja

Usman Khawaja should open the innings instead of Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch is one of the greatest names in world cricket when it comes to white ball cricket but Finch is not the same player while donning the whites. In the three Tests he has played against India, Finch only has 97 runs to his name at a poor average of 16.16. Even Pat Cummins has scored more runs than Aaron in the series and it is high time that he is dropped from the team.

Debutant Marcus Harris has impressed everyone with his temperament in the series and will undoubtedly open the innings for Australia in the fourth Test. Usman Khawaja should be used as his partner because he has been a phenomenal opener for Australia in the past and possesses the ability to build a solid partnership at the top of the order.

Middle-order - Shaun Marsh, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne

Travis Head is the leading run scorer for Australia in this series

Shaun Marsh has improved his form and looked in fine nick against India in the three Tests thus far. Marsh has scored 175 runs at an average of 29.16 and is the third highest run scorer for Australia in the series. He has not played a big innings since long and Australia would be hoping that Shaun scores a daddy hundred in Sydney.

Travis Head has been Australia's best batsman in the series and there is no doubt that the left-hander will retain his place in the Aussie middle-order.

As far as the no.5 position is considered, Tim Paine would like to have Marnus in the team in place of any other batsman. Labuschagne can replace out of form Aaron Finch in the playing XI and can come out to bat at no. 5 for the home team.

Wicketkeeper - Tim Paine

This will certainly be Tim Paine's last test as Australia's captain

The stand-in skipper of the Australian team, Tim Paine has failed to inspire the team to glory and thus, the Sydney Test would most probably be Paine's last Test as the team captain. Paine became the first Australian captain in history to lose a Boxing Day Test match against India and the wicketkeeper has not done anything special with the bat as well.

Indian middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has aggregated almost double the runs than Tim Paine which shows how poor Paine's performances have been with the bat.

Australia will host Sri Lanka in January later this year and if Australia faces yet another defeat in the final Test match against India, expect the selectors to name a new 'stand-in' skipper for the upcoming series until Steve Smith and David Warner return in March.

All-rounder - Mitchell Marsh

Australia v India - 3rd Test: Day 4

Mitchell Marsh replaced Peter Handscomb in the third Test match and despite a poor outing in Melbourne, the all-rounder is most likely to retain his place in the playing XI. Marsh bowled 26 overs with the ball in the match and had an enviable economy rate of 1.96.

A talented all-rounder like Mitchell Marsh should not be dropped after just one match and so he should be included in the playing XI of the final Test.

Spinner - Nathan Lyon

It seems that Nathan Lyon needs to perform with the bat as well to save Australia from a series defeat

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon is the leading wicket-taker for Australia in the ongoing series and he will once again be the key player for the home side in Sydney. Lyon has picked up 17 wickets in the series and would be looking to add some more in the fourth Test match.

Fast bowlers - Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Peter Siddle

Peter Siddle can be Australia's 3rd pacer in the final test match

Mitchell Starc has bowled brilliantly in the series thus far and will be Tim Paine's go-to bowler in Sydney. Starc has picked up 12 wickets in the series and he would be looking for his first five-wicket haul of the series in the New Year's Test.

Pat Cummins, who was ineffective in the first two Test matches made a superb comeback in the third Test match and has cemented his spot in the playing XI with his all-round abilities.

The only change that Australia would make in the bowling department is to replace Josh Hazlewood with someone who has performed well against India in the past, Peter Siddle. Siddle was excluded from the playing XI in the three matches and the right-arm fast bowler could return to the team replacing an under-performing Josh Hazlewood.