Australia drop Mitchell Marsh in playing XI ahead of Fifth test against India in Sydney; Webster to debut

As per ICC, Beau Webster is set to become the 469th Test player for Australia, and is the preferred sixth batter for the side.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Leading the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series at 2-1 while stepping into the fifth and final Test, Pat Cummins is bent upon seizing another triumph. Speaking to the media at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday (January 2, 2025), the Australian captain said: “You go to every Test match, trying to win. It is no different this week. Happy with the last three Tests. We have been the front-runner and we aim to keep it up.”

The skipper admitted to one change in the playing eleven: “(Mitchell) Marshy misses out and Bo (Beau Webster) is debuting. Mitchie obviously hasn’t quite got the runs, or perhaps wickets. So it felt like it was time for a freshen up.”

There was a worry about Mitchell Starc’s fitness in the lead-up to the fifth Test, but Cummins offered a positive update: “He went off for a scan yesterday and got the all-clear to play this match. It’s a big game in the context of the series, World Test Championship too. It’s a home game. So yeah, he was never going to miss.”

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Asked about the surface, the host captain said: “It’s a bit different to the traditional SCG (pitch). For two (Sheffield) Shield wickets this year, they seamed really well. It felt like there was a bit on offer for the bowlers, but also runs to be scored. There will be some stages where it is pretty good for batting, but potentially break up and spin towards the end.”

Cummins was also queried about whether he sensed anything new from the Indian team, be it Rohit Sharma’s captaincy or Virat Kohli’s proactive role on the field. The speedster offered a straight bat: “I don’t know, it’s probably not for me to judge. I am in my own little bubble, so I haven’t noticed anything different.”