Australia chase series-sealing victory

December 26-30, 2015
Start time 1030 local (2330 GMT)

Melbourne Test matches between Australia and West Indies have produced plentiful moments to cherish, and others that stick in the memory even if not so pleasant: Kim Hughes' courageous first-day century in 1981, Viv Richards' magisterial 208 in 1984, Patrick Patterson's terrifying pace in 1988, Shane Warne's 1992 announcement of his talent with 7 for 52 on the final day. But the fact that the Caribbean side have not been granted cricket's biggest stage in 15 years says plenty about the parlous state of their cricket, and another horrid display in Hobart has left administrators carolling in hope rather than expectation - all they want for Christmas is to avoid Boxing Day embarrassment.

A bleak weather outlook for Boxing Day morning is another cause for some concern, meaning spectators will have to battle doubts about rain in addition to those about West Indies. After becoming used to December 26 gatherings anywhere from 70-100,000 in recent times, the Melbourne Cricket Club have admitted they would be delighted to see the day one crowd better 50,000. Whoever do turn up can expect an Australian side still eager for home success and swift victory, keeping them as it would in the hunt to chase down cricket's No. 1 Test ranking, Ashes defeat notwithstanding.

For Jason Holder's team, there is simply the need to produce something - anything - worthy of Test-match standard. They can take some inspiration from the batting of Darren Bravo and Kraigg Brathwaite, each of whom conjured staunch innings at Bellerive Oval, and from the unstinting example set by Holder himself. What is needed of course is a collective effort that shows pride as well as performance, something numerous senior players have not managed thus far. Whether it was Marlon Samuels dawdling around the field in Hobart or Jerome Taylor not even watching the player in Geelong, too many have shown themselves to be thinking less of the team than of absent friends in the Big Bash League. For this Boxing Day Test to be anything other than a disheartening rout, they must lift.

Australia: WWDWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)

 West Indies: LLLLL

Granted time out from the Big Bash League to rest his problematic knee, Steven Smith will want to demonstrate greater freedom of movement than he managed in Hobart. Similarly, his batting has trailed off slightly under the glare of captaincy - one century in four Tests at home this summer is far from disastrous but nothing like his dominance against India a season ago. Australia's last meeting with the West Indies on Boxing Day had Steve Waugh putting together a stern hundred on an overcast day, and Smith will be hopeful of turning in a similar performance to cap the year in which he took over the national captaincy as smoothly as could have been expected from an impressive 26-year-old not even in the team four summers ago.

It was no exaggeration when Jason Holder spoke about how his bowlers had let the team down in Hobart. Jerome Taylor had produced one of the best Test bowling displays of 2015 against Australia in Jamaica, swinging the ball at pace and troubling every batsman. But at Bellerive his listlessness was unsettling as Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh made themselves so at home that only an impending declaration on the second afternoon was ever likely to separate them. Given what Brathwaite and Bravo showed with the bat, it is imperative that Taylor summons something approaching his best this week, or the Test will quickly go the same way as its predecessor.

Usman Khawaja's return meant the selectors dropped Shaun Marsh to not split up the opening pair of David Warner and Joe Burns. Australia made no other changes to the XI and Scott Boland would have to wait for his debut as Peter Siddle and James Pattinson were fit to join Josh Hazlewood.

Australia 1 Joe Burns, 2 David Warner, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Peter Nevill (wk), 8 James Pattinson, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan Lyon

Carlos Brathwaite is likely to come in for his Test debut in place of Shannon Gabriel, with the injury replacement Miguel Cummins having spent only a few days in Australia.

West Indies (possible) 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Rajendra Chandrika, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Jermaine Blackwood, 6 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Carlos Brathwaite, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Jerome Taylor, 11 Jomel Warrican.

The MCG curator David Sandurski has predicted a surface that may offer some early movement before flattening out into an ideal batting track - pointedly saying it will have less in it for the bowlers than the recent Sheffield Shield match that resulted in a three-day victory for South Australia. The Boxing Day forecast is for showers early on before the skies brighten later in the day.

"We know we've got a big Test series here then against New Zealand to achieve the number one status. Things have to play into our hand as well with South Africa's series against England. We've got a big job at hand, our goal is to be number one in all three formats."
David Warner explains Australia's wider goal

"We need to understand the position we're in. We have a very young side, very inexperienced, and we have some guys that we need to build a core of players around. Once we understand that it's easier to move forward."
Jason Holder assesses the state of West Indies cricket