"I will be walking out with you to bat at the MCG," R Ashwin told Virat Kohli in a short note on X Friday, a subtle and endearing demonstration of their closeness in the team.
Here are glimpses of fans adding some Christmas cheer and just having a good time at the MCG on Sunday...
Can Rahane lead India out of the depths of misery and to the glorious peaks of victory?
India recorded crowds of 67,200 and 66,352 for the first two Twenty20 cricket matches against England at the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad last month.
The Indian team took to the nets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday with all of their players going through a rigorous training session.
'I am really very proud of my son. He made our family very proud.'
India's young guns are fearless and mentally hardened by the IPL exposure. But true mettle will be tested when adversity strikes -- and this time, there will be no Kohli to stir up the crowd, no Rohit to deliver a captaincy masterstroke, and no Ashwin to conjure wickets out of nowhere.
'Rahane led the side brilliantly, bowlers were relentless but the biggest positive is the performance of two debutants. Both of them were confident and not overawed by the big occasion. Strength of Indian cricket is their strong bench strength'
Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey has backed Mitchell Starc to be ready for the decisive fifth and final Test of the series against India when it starts in Sydney on Friday despite doubts over the fast bowler's fitness.
Reddy bowled 26.5 overs in the two 'Tests' against England Lions and Morkel has 'challenged' his ward to bowl more.
A state memorial service for cricketing great Shane Warne will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the evening of March 30.
'What a win this is, absolutely amazing effort by the whole team. Couldn't be happier for the boys and specially Jinks who led the team to victory amazingly. Onwards and upwards from here.'
Over 4000 standing room tickets will be available for 30 Australian dollars and sold on a first come first serve basis.
Captained by Sarfaraz Khan, Mohammed Siraj and Dhruv Jurel, the teams battled it out, showcasing their agility and precision.
India needed Rohit Sharma to open, Washington Washington's variation at MCG: Abhishek Nayar on axing Shubman Gill
For the world, it is another victory of a cricket team, but for all those Black South Africans, who suffered during apartheid, it come as a sweet redemption.
Despite the pitch invasion and the hostile reception from sections of the crowd, Kohli remained unfazed.
'This Border-Gavaskar Trophy (series) has had the biggest Boxing Day crowd ever passing the Ashes and the series is so delicately poised now, it is living up to every hype.'
Jasprit Bumrah emerged as the lone bright spot with a record haul of 32 wickets.
An uncapped Easwaran and a 53-Test veteran Rahul, who is known for his ability to bat anywhere in the order, are the leading contenders to partner Jaiswal in Perth, but both fell cheaply against Australia A.
India will play their 100th Test against Australia as they meet in the Boxing Day Test
Out-of-form skipper Rohit Sharma's batting position will be in focus against a dangerous Australia
In the video shared on X, the most expensive hire in IPL history can be seen playing with a young girl, showcasing his joyous and playful side.
A record-breaking 47,566 spectators packed the stands on day one of the fifth India-Australia Test on Friday.
The ICC confirmed the rating on Tuesday, a marked improvement from the three demerit points that they earned after last year's drawn Ashes Test.
According to the Australian Government's Bureau of Meteorology, rain is set to disrupt three days of the Test match.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri advice to Konstas was to focus on his "strengths".
Nitish Kumar Reddy showcased his mettle on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The Indian batting star and former captain got upset as he felt he and his children were being filmed without his consent. He lost his cool and got into an altercation with an Australian journalist.
A lifeless MCG pitch received a 'poor' rating from the governing International Cricket Council in 2017
'In the last Test match... I had to be honest with myself. I wasn't hitting the ball well. I didn't want to put myself there only because we had dropped the other guys who were struggling as well.'
Kuldeep, who has had an excellent couple of years since making his comeback from the knee injury, also visited the Cricket Australia (CA) headquarters and had an online interaction CEO Nick Hockley.
Rohit Sharma has certain choices to make in the best interests of the Indian team heading into the fifth and final Test against Australia.
Will Rohit Sharma get one final opportunity to salvage his Test career?
The star batter's aggression has been a fire to forge inspiration and motivation, but it has also led to some unnecessary controversies in the red-ball format.
The skipper, however, lamented that his team often stood at the receiving end of such decisions.
Rahul along with wicketkeeper batter Dhruv Jurel flew early to Australia, and will appear for India A in the second four-day game at the MCG.
The MCG is under pressure to ensure a safe pitch ahead of the Boxing day Test.
Images from Day 3 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the MCG on Saturday.
