"I expect the Indian team to do better in Melbourne" - Aakash Chopra on visitors heading into BGT 2024-25 4th Test

Aakash Chopra expects Team India to fare better in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. He pointed out that the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has been the visitors' happy hunting ground.

The five-match series between India and Australia is tied at 1-1 heading into the final two games in Melbourne and Sydney. While the visitors won the first Test in Perth by 295 runs, the hosts registered a 10-wicket victory in the second Test in Adelaide, with the third Test in Brisbane ending in a draw on Wednesday, December 18.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener expressed optimism about the visitors performing better in the Boxing Day Test.

"What should be expected from Melbourne? We have played well in Melbourne. Interestingly enough, we have not done as well in Sydney as we should have as those conditions suit us a lot. The historical numbers say that. I expect the Indian team to do better in Melbourne," he said (5:25).

Chopra opined that Rohit Sharma and company would be confident despite being mostly dominated in the Brisbane Test.

"I genuinely feel we will go with a little confidence. Under normal circumstances, if you see a game where you were far behind, where you had to work hard to save the follow-on, it can absolutely smash your spirits, that you were destroyed," he observed.

"After that, you just go downhill, you go from bad to worse, but here I am getting a feeling from within that it won't happen like that because of the way they have fought. Sometimes the unity in the team triggers something. It's a spark that has the ability to become a fire," Chopra added.

Akash Deep (31) and Jasprit Bumrah's (10*) 47-run last-wicket partnership helped India avoid the follow-on in Brisbane. Australia were then reduced to 89/7 in their second innings in search of quick runs before rain allowed them to bowl only 2.1 overs in quest of a victory.

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"I feel they will go with a renewed vigor to Melbourne" - Aakash Chopra on India's fighting performance in Brisbane

Jasprit Bumrah was one of India's star performers in the Brisbane Test. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj's performances in Brisbane will ensure that India head to Melbourne with renewed vigor.

"The way Rahul batted, the way Jaddu batted, the way Bumrah and Akash Deep batted, the way Bumrah bowled in both innings, and Akash Deep and Siraj bowled in the second innings, once you reduce the opposition team to 33/5, agree they were far ahead in the game and could declare because of that, I feel they will go with a renewed vigor to Melbourne," he said.

The cricketer-turned-analyst reckons India will field the same playing XI in Melbourne unless Siraj is unavailable.

"If you are thinking that there would be some changes, I don't think there will be any unless Siraj's side-strain issue is persistent. I feel almost cut, copy, paste, the same team, but renewed vigor going to a ground where you have done well previously," Chopra observed.

Siraj was off the field for some time during Australia's first innings in Brisbane due to a niggle. However, he returned to the field to pick up a couple of wickets and accounted for two dismissals in the hosts' second innings as well.