India vs Australia

India will enter the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday with five bowlers as they look to fill the void left by the absence of pace bowler Mohammad Shami, who has been ruled out of the remaining three Test because of a fracture in his right hand he sustained in the first Test.

Right-handed batsman Gill, who had made 127 runs in the two warm-up games, will open the innings alongside Mayank Agarwal. Gill, who has played three ODIs, replaces Prithvi Shaw in the playing XI. Shaw had come under severe criticism following his failure in the pink-ball Test which India lost by eight wickets.

Paine says the Australians are well aware of the danger posed by the likes of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul who could come into the Indian side as replacements for the Boxing Day Test. Australia won the first Test by eight wickets after bowling out India for 36 in the second innings. India will be led by Rahane in Melbourne after regular skipper Virat Kohli returned home to attend the birth of his child.

The right-arm pace bowler will need to undergo a brief period of quarantine on arrival in India. Shami, 30, suffered a fracture on his bowling hand after he was hit by a ball from Australia pace bowler Pat Cummins. He could not pick the bat and was in pain. It has been learned that scans have revealed a fracture on his hand, and as a result he will not participate in the last three Test matches to be played in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Both Burns and Shaw were in the same boat before the second innings at the Adelaide Test, having coming to it after a string of poor scores in first class games and also in the first innings of the first Test. However, while Shaw continued to struggle as he was bowled for four in the second innings Burns scored a half-century.

Shami was hit on his bowling arm by fast bowler Pat Cummins on Saturday, the third day of the first Test that saw India fold for 36. He is likely to be ruled out of the Test series. Kohli will return home to attend the birth of his first child.

While India managed to score 244 in the first innings of the first Test in Adelaide, they were blown way for just 36 runs in the second innings and Australia won the match by eight wickets within three days. Hussey said that the lack of footwork makes it difficult for batsmen to get through the initial phase of their innings while playing in Australia.

The second Test starts on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. "There could be a good chance (of a sweep). Let's hope we do get a result in Melbourne and if we do, I think India is going to find it really hard to bounce back and win a game," Ponting told cricket.com.au.

"The third Vodafone Test is more than two-and-a-half weeks away, which provides us with time to assess the evolving public health situation on the northern beaches of Sydney," said CA interim CEO Nick Hockley.

Shami was hit on the right hand just above the wrist on Saturday by a delivery from Australia pacer Pat Cummins as the India No. 11 tried to take evasive action. He could not pick the bat due to severe pain and had to retire hurt as India's second innings folded for 36.