Ponting predicts India line-up change

With India prodigy Prithvi Shaw on track for a return in the Boxing Day Test, Australia legend Ricky Ponting says veteran Murali Vijay is the man to make way for the young gun.

Shaw has missed the first two Domain Tests with an ankle injury he suffered in India's tour match in Sydney last month.

But on Saturday morning of the second Test, the 19-year-old was seen on the outskirts of the vast Perth Stadium outfield crunching gentle throw-downs and moving uninhibited.

Shaw's expected return means one of opening pair Vijay or KL Rahul will be forced out of the starting XI, and neither player has demanded selection for the showpiece Test in Melbourne. 

Rahul has posted scores of two, 44 and two in three innings this series, while Vijay's output is no better – he's amassed totals of 11, 18 and zero.

Vijay might not have been playing in the first two Tests had it not been for Shaw's injury at the SCG – Rahul was considered the frontrunner to partner the youngster in Adelaide before injury struck.

But with Shaw set to return, Ponting has made his mind up who he replaces. 

"I think it's got to be Murali Vijay who goes," Ponting told cricket.com.au. 

"It was probably a bit of a bat-off coming into the series between those two.

"I saw him (Shaw) out in the outfield today hitting a few balls, starting to look like he's getting around a bit better and with 10 days to go before the next Test you'd think he'll come back in. 

"So I think it's got to be Vijay that goes out."

While Vijay has had a torrid time this series, Ponting puts part of his demise down to his sole conqueror, spearhead Mitch Starc.

The left-armer had Vijay caught behind the wicket on both occasions in Adelaide and on day two in Perth he destroyed the right-hander's stumps with an in-swinging thunderbolt on the stroke of lunch.

Vijay will have the second innings to push his case for Test retention but it will come when batting has been at its most difficult, according to Ponting.

"He's a classy looking player and to be honest, it's actually been quite hard for the openers in both Adelaide and Perth – difficult places to start," he said. 

"Adelaide did something with the new ball in both innings. Obviously here, for any opening batsman going out against the new ball it was going to be hard work, which is why you have to give more praise and credit to what Harris and Finch (Australia's openers who put on 112) were able to do yesterday afternoon. 

"We saw him get out twice in Adelaide to very similar shots; two balls from Starc that just pushed across, didn't swing back in and he nicked both of those and he got the other one today that comes back through the gate. 

"Give credit to Starc for the way he's bowled to him, but I think Prithvi Shaw comes straight back in."

Domain Test Series v India

Dec 6-10: First Test, Adelaide Oval, India won by 31 runs

Dec 14-18: Second Test, Perth Stadium

Dec 26-30: Third Test, MCG

Jan 3-7: Fourth Test, SCG

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c, wk), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Mitch Marsh (vc), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Chris Tremain

India squad: Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Parthiv Patel (wk), Ravi Ashwin, Ravi Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar