Dry SCG pitch could again suit India: Paine

Australia skipper Tim Paine expects India will be excited by the prospect of a dry SCG pitch for the fourth Test in Sydney, saying it's been a "frustration" that conditions so far in the Domain Test Series have at times played into the hands of the tourists.

India secured an unassailable 2-1 series lead with a comprehensive victory at the MCG today on a pitch that kept low from the opening morning of the match.

Australia are expecting another dry and slow pitch in Sydney this week and have added leg-spinning allrounder Marnus Labuschagne to their squad.

India could also have a full complement of spin options to choose from in Sydney, with Ravichandran Ashwin close to full fitness having missed the past two Tests with a side problem.

While acknowledging India had outplayed his side in Melbourne, Paine said he was disappointed that the much-maligned MCG pitch had not favoured the home side's bowling attack.

"We're hearing it's probably going to be a little bit dry (at the SCG) … I'm sure India will be really looking forward to it," Paine told Macquarie Radio.

"That's been the one disappointing thing; it seems we've rolled up some wickets here in Australia that have taken away from our strengths, which is pace and bounce.

"You'd like the slips to come into play at some stage, wouldn't you?

"It's a frustration for us. You never go to India and get served up green wickets. They've come out here and we've served some wickets up that really suit them.

"Having said that, they've outplayed us and we've got to go to Sydney and improve."

There have been eight individual hundreds plus a score of 99 in three JLT Sheffield Shield games at the SCG this season as well as 13 half-centuries, while there were also plenty of runs on offer during India's tour match at the venue last month.

Six Indian batsmen posted half-centuries in their four-day game against a Cricket Australia XI at the historic venue, while recently dumped opener Murali Vijay added a century in the second innings. Young South Australian wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen scored a hundred in the home side's total of 544, with three other local batsmen making fifties.

Paine, who played a Shield game at the SCG in early November, said the pitch would play a major role in determining Australia's XI.

"It was pretty dry (and there were) quite a few runs scored, from memory," Paine said of Tasmania's rain-affected Shield draw against NSW.

"From what I'm hearing it will be dry (and) spin quite a bit, a bit like the old SCG used to be. We'll see when we get up there.

"That will have a huge factor in what combination that first XI looks like going into that Test."

The potential return of Ashwin from injury could leave India with a selection headache in Sydney given left-arm tweaker Ravindra Jadeja took five top-order wickets at the MCG.

A recall for pace-bowling allrounder Hardik Pandya could allow the tourists to play both spinners and leave out one of their frontline quicks, who have performed admirably in the opening three Tests but could be excused for being below their best in Sydney given they've bowled an average of 117 overs each in the series.

Such a move would likely see Ashwin and Jadeja bat at No.8 and No.9 in the order respectively, adding plenty of batting depth for a match they only need to draw to secure their first-ever Test series win in Australia.

"I think Ashwin's very close to being match-fit," skipper Virat Kohli said. "He's been bowling a lot of overs and I'm sure these next four days will make him even stronger.

"It being the last Test match, he will be willing to push himself and start for the team.

"But … it depends on what kind of pitch we get in Sydney."

Domain Test Series v India

Dec 6-10: India won by 31 runs

Dec 14-18: Australia won by 146 runs

Dec 26-30: India won by 137 runs

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, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc

India squad: Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, 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