AB said he would gamble on bowling first if win toss. Pidge maintains utilise whatever moisure is under the surface to  assist the quicks. With temps to rise into mid 30s over the next two days the pitch will dry out and be better for batting. Most of the other  coms..say bat first.

Mitch Marsh, Stoinis and Wildermuth have no place batting in the top six of the test match team. If you really must have a batsman who can bowl some medium pace pick Matthew Wade.

Also putting two new Indian openers in on a wicket offering assistance might pay benefits. 

CA seem to have a pet love for an all rounder. I see their point in that it provides greater balance. But unless your all rounder can be relied on to score half centuries and the odd ton plus take vital wickets rather than chip in with one or two per innings then there is no place for a bits and pieces player. I still maintain that Mitch Marsh is the most talented of our so called all rounders. 

Could well do. Starc and Hazlewood have done well with the new ball in the first two Tests. 

Mitch Marsh probably is but he is also a worse all rounder than Andrew MacDonald who only played 4 tests. He averaged almost 40 batting and well under 30 bowling in FC.

Playing a bad all rounder is effectively playing with 10 men, while playing a good all rounder can mean all most playing with 12.

Kohli speaking at the toss:
It's going to get slower and slower and tougher to bat on the third and fourth day. We're taking this one as the last Test and we want to be at the top of our game. We played well and Australia came back like we expected them to. This Test is big for both teams. Mayank and Vihari will open. Rohit will come in at No. 6. We considered Rohit as an opener, but he can be lethal with the tail. He can change the game in a session batting with the tail. We want him to play freely.

His comments about Rohit are just stupid.

Anyway India are batting.

So they are expecting the deck to deteriorate something the MCG  drop in  does not do often. Not sure our quicks will mind having first crack with the ball.

It looks a pitch which will give a bit to the bowlers but good batsmen should be able to get runs. India will be very pleased to get to lunch 1 down, Australia need 3 wickets. 

Agarwal has a nude bat, guess it shows how quickly he got into the side.

Starc and Hazlewood don't seem to be getting any assistance despite the green looking pitch. It might be too good for batting.

A slow low pitch which is only going to get slower and lower is how it is looking. Maybe it will dry out and get quicker and bouncier.

My biggest criticism of Hazlewood is his looking for swing early in his spell. He is not a natural swing bowler and can leak runs doing this. Mike I am not this blokes promotions manager. He has flaws obviously on unfavorable tracks..ie flat and grassless. He has to learn how to manufacture ways of taking wickets on these decks that do not assist his form of bowling.  If he does not then he deserves to be passed over for someone like Tremain who can.

Trent Copeland pointing out that this deck has a good covering of grass which should suit Hazlewood and Cummins, specially. There has obviously been a concerted effort to make Australian pitches more bowler friendly. This should create a spike in the wicket tally of our best seamers.

The Swarmi Army is in today. Where were they for Perth?

Unlucky Josh. 

Looks like Lyon is going to be the key bowler this test, if there is some spin.

First bowling change after only 6 overs.

As they say if it seams it will spin. or Warne says that anyway. Lyon is loving these grassy decks.

Reckon India will look to go after Lyon more this game. They let him get away with too much in Perth.

India may have found an opening pair here, certainly a big improvement on Vijay and Rahul although it is not the most testing batting conditions.

Very little in first 10 overs to suggest this deck has anywhere near the life of the past two. MCG looks like you have done it again. Another batting borefest.

The stupid thing is the new groundsman managed to get life into the pitch in two of the three Shield pitches, the two which were prepared the same way. The third one he tried to do something a bit different and it was terrible. 
I have some hope he has over watered the pitch being scared of the heat and later in the day and over days 2-4 it will be much better when it dries out. 

I just assumed Melbourne were going to get some very hot weather because Adelaide, where I am, is going to be cooked over the next few days but the weather is going to be much milder in Melbourne. 

DC will be pleased by what we are seeing from Cummins. He looks to have added at least 5ks.. He is also sending down some short thunderbolts that has their openers ducking and weaving.

A lot of Kohli in Agarwal the way he plays spin.

Yes Cummins. Are we seeing a resurgence in him?

Vihari a turgid 8 from 66 dels..

And thats how you bowl on these wickets, good aggression from Cummins and he gets the reward. 

I cannot believe they make the breakthrough and on comes Marsh. This is not good from Australia. First ball down leg for 2. You can't tell me that Hazlewood and Starc aren't fresh after only 4-5 overs.

We need some of that from our other quick quick too. I love an express Cummins. No better site in cricket.