'He'll push through': Carey backs Starc to be fit for finale

Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey has dismissed concerns surrounding the availability of Mitchell Starc for the series-deciding final Test against India at the SCG, claiming the fast bowler will "push through" despite sustaining a rib injury earlier this week.

Starc was in obvious discomfort when bowling during the fourth and fifth days of Australia's 184-run win over India at the MCG, which handed the team a 2-1 lead heading into the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series decider starting in Sydney on Friday.

It is understood the left-armer underwent a scan on the injured area in Sydney this afternoon but the results of that are yet to be revealed.

Starc had played down the severity of the injury during the course of the fourth Test, pointing out his bowling speeds were not impacted by the problem as shown by his performance on the final day when he regularly clocked 142kph during several decisive spells.

Australia skipper Pat Cummins had expressed confidence in his spearhead's capacity to play through pain and complete his fifth consecutive Test of the summer despite noting after the win in Melbourne that he was "clearly carrying something".

But Carey was even more bullish at the SCG today as Australia held an optional net session that reflected the workloads all players had shouldered during a gruelling five days at the MCG, and the truncated turnaround for the fifth and final Test.

"He'll be fine, he'll push through," Carey said of the 34-year-old who is Australia's second-highest wicket-taker of the NRMA Insurance Series with 15 at 28.73.

“I've played with 'Starcy' for a long time now, and (he's) one of the toughest cricketers I've played with.

“He'll grimace, he'll grab his rib no doubt, but he'll be ready for the contest."

Neither Starc nor his fellow bowling teammates – Cummins, Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon – were involved in Australia's training session at the SCG today and instead underwent fitness work in the adjoining gymnasium.

The fact they (along with allrounder Mitchell Marsh and part-timers Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne) were called on to bowl a collective total of more than 200 overs at the MCG meant rest and rehabilitation will be their priority before Friday.

But uncapped squad members Sean Abbott and Beau Webster were prominent in this afternoon's hit out to ensure they are ready to debut should circumstances demand a late change to Australia's starting XI.

Teenage opener Sam Konstas was the only specialist batter not to have a hit in today's session.

With so much riding on the final Test – where an Australia win would ensure their place in this year's World Test Championship Final, with India needing to triumph to level the series and retain the Trophy – it's no surprise Starc is desperate to play despite the duress.

In the wake of their memorable day-five triumph at the MCG, Cummins described the first two hours of Australia's bowling in India's second innings as being close to "perfect".

Starc played a vital part in that crucial phase, regularly shaping the ball at pace past the outside edge of in-form opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's bat before claiming the prized scalp of ex-India skipper Virat Kohli when he returned for a second spell.

"I thought first spell without the reward was some of the best bowling I've seen this series from him," Carey said today of Starc's final-day effort at the MCG.

“He's a quality player and has been for a long time.

"He's got an opportunity now to help this team in a Test match. 

"He'll be up for the contest, and I think his bowling's just gotten better throughout the series."

Australia head into the home summer's final men's Test knowing a drawn result will be sufficient to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which has been in India's hands since 2017.

They will also be aware they have not lost a Test match at the SCG since the final match of the 2010-11 summer when they surrendered the Ashes to England at home, although six of those 13 Tests have ended in draws often due to Sydney's fickle new year weather.

The forecast for the coming week suggests mainly fine with a possibility of showers on days four and five, but the greater threat to Australia's hopes of a first home-series win against India in a decade is the visitors' star bowler Jasprit Bumrah.

With 30 wickets at 12.83 from the four Tests to date, Bumrah could conceivably overtake English seamer Maurice Tate's benchmark of 38 wickets a century ago to become the most successful touring bowler in the course of a series on Australian shores.

Glenn McGrath, who with 50 wickets from 12 matches is the most successful Test pace bowler at the historic venue, today rated India's idiosyncratic strike weapon as among the best he's witnessed first-hand.

"Bumrah to me is class," McGrath said in launching the 17th iteration of his eponymous Foundation's Pink Test, which this year will raise money to provide nursing care for people battling all forms of cancer.

"He is unique, has an action you wouldn't teach a young guy, but he has found a way to adapt it.

"He's just incredible the way he powers in those last few steps in the crease.

"He has a bit of hyper-extension, which I used to have he as well (but) is coping with that and has just got incredible control both ways.

"His stats are unbelievable.

"I am a massive fan of Jasprit.

"I met him when he was younger and what he has grown into is unbelievable.

"He has been a massive part of the Indian team and of the summer, and without him this series might be a little bit more one-sided."

NRMA Insurance Men's Test Series v India

First Test: India won by 295 runs

Second Test: Australia won by 10 wickets

Third Test: Match drawn

Fourth Test: Australia won by 184 runs

Fifth Test: January 3-7: SCG, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head (vc), Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar. Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal