India vs Australia 3rd Test: Dream 11 Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tips & Playing XI Updates

The Boxing Day Test is all set to get underway in a couple of days' time at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Both India and Australia have had equal success thus far in the four-match Test series (1-1) heading into the crucial third Test.

There are a couple of additions to the Indian squad. Opener Mayank Agarwal has joined the Indian team in place of the injured Prithvi Shaw. There are fitness concerns for R Ashwin and it looks like Ravindra Jadeja is fit. Allrounder Hardik Pandya is back in the squad and is available for selection. For Australia, Mitchell Marsh could well be back in contention for the Melbourne Test.

Former India cricketer and Sportskeeda's Fantasy Cricket Mantra expert Hemang Badani has come up with his fantasy cricket tips for the third Test. This time around he has picked two teams, instead of just the one. Isn't it better to have multiple options?

Badani backs six players and names them in both sides. They are:

Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Marcus Harris, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.

Pujara and Kohli have been sensational in the series and are obvious picks. Badani picks young gritty Aussie opener Harris. How can one leave out India's pace spearhead Bumrah and the Aussie tearaway quick Starc? What about 'Garry' Lyon? These are match-winners. These are names that could win you big points.

Nathan Lyon (l) during a training session

Interestingly, Badani backs comeback man Pandya in one side and goes for Travis Head in his another side as allrounders. Shami and Cummins are the other pacers alongside Bumrah and Starc in both teams. Impressed with Vihari, Badani picks the young batsman in his second Fantasy XI team, while Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja complete the batting unit in the respective sides. Tim Paine and Rishabh Pant guard the stumps.

Badani picks Lyon, Kohli: Badani has picked off-spinner Lyon as the captain of his first fantasy cricket XI team and says, "you can't miss Lyon."

Can you miss Lyon from your side? Definitely not. And as has been the case before, Badani backed skipper Kohli, who scored a stunning hundred at Perth, to come good in Melbourne and has picked Kohli as the skipper of his second fantasy cricket XI.

Fantasy Cricket XI (suggestion 1): Marcus Harris, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaun Marsh, Hardik Pandya, Tim Paine, Nathan Lyon, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mitchell Starc.

Captain: Nathan Lyon

Fantasy Cricket XI (suggestion 2): Marcus Harris, Cheteshwar Pujara, Usman Khawaja, Virat Kohli, Hanuma Vihari, Travis Head, Rishabh Pant, Nathan Lyon, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins.

Captain: Virat Kohli