Djokovic tamed local favourite Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-3 in what was the top seeded Serbian's first tour-level singles match since October.
India will look to overcome batting inconsistencies and finish the tour of Australia with authority when the two sides clash in the fifth and final T20 International in Brisbane on Saturday.
England batter Harry Brook has cautioned against underestimating Australia in the Ashes series, even as doubts linger over the availability of their captain and fast bowler, Pat Cummins, for the opener in Perth.
14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi set a new world record, taking his tally to 39 sixes in only 10 innings in Youth ODIs.
The Indian batters' inability to grind it out against a relentless Australian pace attack in testing conditions left the team precariously placed at 51/4 at the end of a rain-marred day three.
This was India's fourth defeat in the last six Tests at home and in all four Tests -- including three against New Zealand -- their batters have flopped against spin.
McDonald also said the selectors would consider a Test recall for Mitch Marsh, even if Australia's white-ball captain said last week he would be watching the Ashes series beer in hand.
Shafali, Bist make fifties as India Women A move ahead of Australia
Novak Djokovic's bid for a 100th ATP Tour title gained momentum on Thursday
'...the guys who are just part of Test cricket, I think for them to prepare and play domestic cricket is very, very important.'
Australia captain Pat Cummins said on Monday he was more likely than not to miss the first Ashes Test in Perth next month and is not absolutely certain of being fit for the second in Brisbane.
Cummins, who was previously optimistic of taking part in a significant chunk of the series, appears to have no chance of playing the series opener in Perth from November 21 and could even miss all five Tests, leaving superstar batter Steve Smith as his stand-in captain.
'He should be blooded into the senior team immediately, like Sachin was all those years ago.'
Nadal to make tour return at Brisbane International
Suryavanshi, Mhatre give India U19 unassailable 2-0 lead over Australia in Youth ODI series
Aryan Sharma and Yash Deshmukh were named in Australia's 15-member squad for the upcoming home series against India Under-19 team next month.
Smriti Mandhana's second-fastest hundred in women's ODIs went in vain as India's quest for a world-record chase in the series-deciding third game against Australia ended in a 43-run defeat, in New Delhi on Saturday.
The Aussies also named a 14-player group for the first two T20I matches against India, with Nathan Ellis and Josh Inglis earning recalls after they missed the recent T20I series with South Africa.
Youth ODIs: Vedant, Rahul shine as India make clean sweep of series vs Australia
Rajinder made his senior debut in October last year during a two-match series against Germany, where he shone bright and eight months later, he became a key member of the Indian senior team.
Batting stalwart Alyssa Healy has acknowledged that Australia will have to negotiate the spin challenge in a big way to stake claim to the World Cup for a record-extending eighth time in the Indian subcontinent.
Australia A skipper Tahlia McGrath was the pick of the bowlers with 3/49 in eight overs.
India will play three ODIs and five T20Is during their tour of Australia, starting on October 19.
Australian star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is hopeful of regaining fitness in time for the latter half of the upcoming T20 International series against India after undergoing surgery on his fractured right wrist.
Having to sit out of Test matches on away tours "eventually got to me", says Indian spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin of his abrupt international retirement in the middle of the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
At the Hong Kong Tennis Open, top-seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia pocketed his 15th career title with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori.
The Australia A top-order fired in unison after off-spinner Amy Edgar completed her five-wicket haul as the hosts defeated India A by six wickets
Cricket Australia informed in a release that middle-order batter Rodrigues, a 'fan favourite' in Brisbane, was retained by the Brisbane Heat
India Women's A slip to 93/5 against Australia on rain-truncated Day 1 in unofficial Test
There were speculations that Ashwin could enter the SA20 2026 auction, considering players retired from Indian cricket being eligible to participate in the overseas league
Aus ODIs: Bumrah, Gill workload to be discussed, battle between Jaiswal and Abhishek
Poor execution with the bat undid India A's superb bowling performance as Australia A made a clean sweep
'I knew the finger was broken but I told the physio that I don't want to take any painkillers.' 'I was in very good rhythm and I just wanted to carry on.'
Fine half-centuries by Yastika Bhatia, Radha Yadav and Tanuja Kanwar propelled India A to a thrilling series-clinching two-wicket victory over Australia A, after Alyssa Healy's brilliant knock set the bar high for the visitors, in the second women's one-dayer, in Brisbane, on Friday.
Local favourite Thompson saved three match points before prevailing 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-3 against Nadal, who was playing his first tournament after nearly a year out with a hip injury.
'It was tough to give up cricket. But I received very good guidance from my mother. She told me to become a nice human being, whether I am a good cricketer or not.'
One flyer read: 'More Indians in 5 years, than Greeks and Italians in 100', adding, 'This isn't a slight cultural change, it's a replacement plain and simple'.
Rafa Nadal returned to action for the first time since January at the Brisbane International on Sunday, losing his doubles match but overall showing no obvious after-effects of the hip injury that ruined his year.
Former India batter Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday lauded current head coach Gautam Gambhir for his conviction during the gruelling England tour and asked his detractors if they would now "stand up and salute him" for the 2-2 draw.
England batter Joe Root said his experience of 158 Tests makes him better equipped than ever to end a victory drought in Australia, as he ramps up preparations for the upcoming Ashes series.
