AUSTRALIA
Steve Smith (c)
Age: 25
Tests: 24
Runs: 1910
Ave: 47.75
Has well and truly come of age as a cricketer and not even the extra burden of leading his country in Michael Clarke's absence has curtailed his meteoric rise. With his confidence at an all-time high, Smith is dominating this series. He is the leading run-scorer with 375 and looks almost impossible to dismiss.
David Warner
Age: 28
Tests: 34
Runs: 2988
Ave: 48.98
The explosive opener has also left a big impression on this series with only Smith and India's Murali Vijay ahead of him in the runs column. He is under an injury cloud but it will take more than a sore thumb to keep him out of the Boxing Day Test.
Chris Rogers
Age: 37
Tests: 18
Runs: 1258
Ave: 35.94
The veteran headed into the last Test under immense pressure to keep his spot and responded in fine style with twin half-centuries – the second of which was a critical knock during a tricky run chase that saw his side lose six wickets for just 130 runs.
Shane Watson
Age: 33
Tests: 54
Runs: 3480
Ave: 35.51
Wickets: 70
Ave: 32.71
Continues to struggle with the bat and lacks the appropriate temperament needed by a No. 3 batsman. While runs remain hard to come by for him, he is an effective bowling weapon and has the best economy rate of the series (2.45).
Shaun Marsh
Age: 31
Tests: 10
Runs: 542
Ave: 31.88
Has a big opportunity to cement his spot in the top order. Was recalled at the Gabba in place of Clarke and failed to have a meaningful impact but hit a career-high 148 just six innings ago against South Africa at Centurion and will hope to recapture that form in Melbourne.
Joe Burns
Age: 25
Tests: 0
Runs: -
Ave: -
The Queenslander will become Australia's Test cap No. 441 on Friday, following the omission of the injured Mitch Marsh. A versatile batsman, Burns deserves his chance at the top level, having averaged 54.87 in his five Sheffield Shield matches so far this season for a career first-class average of 42.54.
Brad Haddin
Age: 37
Tests: 61
Runs: 3099
Ave: 33.32
Dismissals: 249
Under pressure to retain his spot and needs a big score to keep the axe at bay, having averaged a paltry 8.36 with the bat in his last seven Tests. However, his form with the gloves is still top-notch. At the Gabba he took nine catches – including an Australian record-equalling six in the first innings.
Mitchell Johnson
Age: 33
Tests: 63
Wickets: 278
Ave: 27.71
Runs: 1825
Ave: 23.10
The human wrecking ball has failed to disappoint in the first half of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. He turned the second Test on its head with a devastating spell of bowling on day four and trails only teammate Nathan Lyon (17) as the leading wicket-taker of the series with eight scalps.
Ryan Harris
Age: 35
Tests: 25
Wickets: 105
Ave: 23.12
Arguably Australia's best fast bowler, big "Ryano" looks set to reclaim his spot in the Test team at the expense of Mitchell Starc after overcoming injury. He will be a very welcome return to the line-up too – in the history of Australian cricket, no bowler who has taken 100 wickets has a better strike rate than Harris (49.7).
Josh Hazlewood
Age: 23
Tests: 1
Wickets: 7
Ave: 20.28
The big New South Welshman made a dream Test debut in Brisbane with a first-up five-wicket innings for a match total of seven in a performance that will almost certainly keep veteran Peter Siddle out of the team. The prodigious quick looks to have a long and successful international career ahead of him.
Nathan Lyon
Age: 27
Tests: 37
Wickets: 132
Ave: 34.40
Is having a standout series with 17 scalps to his credit – more than double Johnson who is next best with eight. Played the game of his career in the first Test with a 12-wicket haul and fought off twin century-makers David Warner and Virat Kohli for man-of-the-match honours.
Mitchell Starc
Age: 24
Tests: 14
Wickets: 45
Ave: 36.22
Was recalled last match in place of Harris and although he hit his fourth Test 50, the paceman failed to have an impact with the ball and looks set to be replaced by Harris in Melbourne. Continues to struggle for continuity with his 14 Test matches spread across nine series.
Peter Siddle
Age: 30
Tests: 56
Wickets: 192
Ave: 30.45
The heart and soul of the Australian squad, the lion-hearted paceman has a battle on his hands to win a reprieve in his home Test match. Was dropped for the second Test and his replacement, Hazlewood, was extremely impressive on debut with seven scalps.
INDIA
M.S. Dhoni (c)
Age: 33
Tests: 89
Runs: 4841
Ave: 38.11
Dismissals: 285
Returned to the Indian line-up at the Gabba after overcoming a thumb injury but didn't perform as well as he would have liked – especially in the second innings when he made a two-ball duck during a spectacular top-order collapse in which the visitors lost 5-46.
Murali Vijay
Age: 30
Tests: 29
Runs: 2029
Ave: 39.78
The classy opener has been one of India's best so far this series and is his country's leading run-scorer with 323 at 80.75. Only Smith has scored more runs than Vijay over the first two Tests and Virat Kohli is the only other Indian to hit a century.
Shikhar Dhawan
Age: 29
Tests: 12
Runs: 795
Ave: 37.85
The potentially devastating batsman threatened to erupt in his first three innings of the series with a strike rate of 81.7 but was successfully nullified each time. Played a gutsy role on day four of the second Test with a largely circumspect 81 that gave India faint hope of achieving an improbable victory.
Cheteshwar Pujara
Age: 26
Tests: 26
Runs: 2027
Ave: 48.26
Has looked likely in Adelaide and Brisbane but would be disappointed not to have converted at least one of his four starts into a century. His 73 in the first Test would be a particular source of frustration for him. Don't be surprised if he has a big say on proceedings at the MCG.
Virat Kohli
Age: 26
Tests: 31
Runs: 2131
Ave: 41.78
One of India's most potent weapons, was absolutely magnificent at the Adelaide Oval with twin centuries that almost helped the tourists save the first Test. Was quiet at the Gabba but will once again loom as a key wicket for the Australian bowling attack in Melbourne.
Ajinkya Rahane
Age: 26
Tests: 12
Runs: 831
Ave: 39.57
Like Pujara, the talented Rahane will be kicking himself that at least one of his two half-centuries in this series didn't become a triple-figure score. Showed what he is capable of at Lord's in July with a ton against England and will be hoping to replicate that effort at another of the world's great cricket grounds in Melbourne.
Rohit Sharma
Age: 27
Tests: 9
Runs: 570
Ave: 40.71
There's no doubting his potential as one of the world's hardest hitting batsmen but he has failed to live up to it so far in Australia. In fact, given his last nine Test innings have failed to yield a 50, he could be a chance of being dropped in favour of Suresh Raina.
Ravichandran Ashwin
Age: 28
Tests: 22
Wickets: 109
Ave: 29.30
Runs: 948
Ave: 37.92
Not only capable of taking wickets but can also be a major lower-order thorn in the side of opposition bowling attacks. Still has a lot to prove away from home, though. His overseas bowling average is 64.43 compared to the 24.13 he enjoys in India.
Umesh Yadav
Age: 27
Tests: 10
Wickets: 37
Ave: 32.08
Was brought into the side in place of Mohammed Shami in the second Test and did a good job by taking five wickets and providing late fireworks in the second innings with an entertaining 30. Can be expensive but bowls very fast and is able move the ball both ways.
Varun Aaron
Age: 25
Tests: 5
Wickets: 13
Ave: 57.00
Has had a tough initiation to Test match cricket, which has continued in Australia. Gives his all but has failed to have the impact he would have liked, as shown by his series average (72.40), economy rate (5.64) and strike rate (77.0).
Ishant Sharma
Age: 26
Tests: 60
Wickets: 185
Ave: 36.88
The pick of the Indian bowlers so far this summer, Sharma had a particularly good time of it up at the Gabba with team-best match figures of 6-155. Sent Australia's top three bats packing in the second innings and is the only bowler to have dismissed Smith.
Suresh Raina
Age: 28
Tests: 17
Runs: 768
Ave: 28.44
With Rohit Sharma failing to fire, Raina is waiting in the wings to potentially serve as his replacement. Despite his modest average, Raina is similar to Sharma in that he likes going for his shots and isn't afraid to show some aggression.
Mohammed Shami
Age: 24
Tests: 10
Wickets: 35
Ave: 37.82
The paceman was dropped for Yadav in Brisbane after only managing three wickets in the first Test. Could be a chance of taking Aaron's spot at the MCG.
Karn Sharma
Age: 27
Tests: 1
Wickets: 4
Ave: 59.50
In somewhat of a surprise, the leg-spinner was chosen ahead of Ashwin in the first Test but was promptly replaced by Ashwin after a modest return in his debut at the Adelaide Oval.
