As the Australian bowlers worked on adjustments to catch up Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, pacer Mitchell Johnson has been identified as the front man to prepare the ball to extract reverse-swing early in the game.
India made two changes to their side with opener Virender Sehwag recalled for Praveen Kumar and S Sreesanth replacing Munaf Patel.
Australia left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson is unhappy with the lack of enough practice games ahead of their Test series against India in October and said it would make the series more harder for them. Australia are scheduled to play just one four-day match before the first Test begins in Bangalore on October 9.
Factbox World Cup match between Australia and England at the MCG.
Australia ripped out England's top order to take a vice-like grip on the second Ashes Test after completely dominating the second day at Lord's on Friday.
Glenn McGrath blamed Mitchell Johnson's average Ashes show on kinks in his mind and asked the left-arm pacer to stay relaxed and keep it simple to be back among the wickets again.
Anil Kumble bagged five wickets and Mathew Hayden scored a century as Australia ended the opening day of the Melbourne Test on 337 for 9.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat in the first Test against India.
Former Australian captain Allan Border on Tuesday advised struggling pacer Mitchell Johnson to take a break international cricket for a week to recapture his rhythm.
Mitchell Starc's send-off celebration after dismissing Indian opener Murali Vijay did not find approval from captain Steven Smith.
Left arm quick Mitchell Starc will replace injured seamer Mitchell Johnson in Australia's lineup for the fourth and final dead rubber Test against India starting on Tuesday.
Mumbai Indians beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 13 runs in their Indian Premier League match, in Mumbai, on Sunday.
With the second Test set to start on Wednesday, here is a quick fact check on how both teams stand at the Gabba.
Former Australia paceman Brett Lee has picked his country's bowling attack as the most balanced for the World Cup and hopes the pitches during the tournament will retain their tradition of being conducive to fast bowling.
Both the teams have made one change each from the elevens that won their respective semi-finals.
Mitchell Johnson took three wickets as Australia defeated India by 50 runs in a low-scoring tri-series one-day international at Adelaide Oval on Sunday to move closer to a place in the tournament finals.
Gilchrist, 34, the leading one-day stumper, caught Kevin Pietersen off left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson for one run to reach the milestone.
Injured captain Michael Clarke has been named in Australia's 15-man squad for the World Cup in February and March.
Sunrisers Hyderabad stand in the way of two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders, who would be looking to bring their campaign back on track at home during an Indian Premier League T20 cricket clash, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson revealed that his side gambled on Rahul Dravid's orthodox batting style to get the better of him in the first Test.
Kolkata Knight Riders would look to usher in a fresh era under new captain Dinesh Karthik with a victory when they open their Indian Premier League campaign against heavyweights Royal Challengers Bangalore, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
The Australian fast bowler said that verbal exchanges with the Indian close-in fielders when he came out to bat only made his resolve stronger in the second Test at Brisbane.
The former England captain has urged pitch curators against preparing flat decks
Australia's Phil Jaques will replace the retired Justin Langer in the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Australia have opted for experience over youth in an attempt to win a maiden World Twenty20 title by selecting veterans Brad Hogg, Brad Hodge and Brad Haddin in their 15-man squad for the tournament in Bangladesh next month.
Australia captain Michael Clarke is fit to lead the side into the first Test against India on Tuesday and his return is a "huge boost" for the hosts, fast bowler Mitchell Johnson said.
Seamer Mitchell Johnson claimed his first five-wicket haul in one-day internationals as Australia scored a crushing nine-wicket victory over India in the fifth one-dayer in Vadodara.
Australia have named Michael Clarke in a 12-man squad for the first Test against India starting in Brisbane next week, but the hamstrung captain must prove his fitness in a tour match starting on Friday.
Lee has a chest infection and Johnson a stomach injury.
Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson feels India would be under pressure ahead of the third Test despite leading 1-0, as the hosts would want to seal the four-Test series by wrapping up the issue in New Delhi.
Fast bowler Jason Gillespie was recalled to the Australian Test squad for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh.
The leaden-footed Australians found themselves bamboozled by Pakistan's wily spinners and their trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand can expect similar treatment from Misbah-ul-Haq and his men in a three-Test series starting in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Images from the fourth day's play of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Monday.
New Zealand reached their victory target with 23 overs to spare, skipper Stephen Fleming ending on 70 not out and Lou Vincent hitting Mitchell Johnson for six to seal the win and finish unbeaten on 73.
All-rounder Andrew Symonds retained his place along with seamer Mitchell Johnson, who was the 12th man in Perth.
Australia named all-rounder Andrew Symonds in place of the retired Damien Martyn in their team for the third Ashes Test against England.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum batted with freedom in the nets on Wednesday and should be fit to play Sunday's ICC World Cup clash against Afghanistan.
Clearly he didn't get the length of contract extension offer that he was after so it hasn't been ideal, but I don't subscribe to the fact that it was individuals that were key to making the decision, said selection chief, George Bailey.
Australia named five fast bowlers in a 13-man squad for next week's first Ashes Test against England.
