SYDNEY, Jan 02 (AFP): Australia captain Tim Paine insisted Wednesday that his priority was to develop his inexperienced cricket team for the future even as they face the prospect of losing a home series against India for the first time.
But he pledged that Australia would still pick the "best XI that we think is the best combination to win this Test" once they had seen the Sydney pitch.
Australia, who have never lost a home series against India, go into Thursday's fourth Test 2-1 down and in danger of Virat Kohli's men completing a historic landmark Down Under.
While Australia must win to level the series, Paine said that his aim was on improvement, particularly in the batting department, with home Tests to come against Sri Lanka ahead of an Ashes tour to England this year.
"It doesn't for me personally," he said on whether preventing an India series win was his key motivation.
"Other guys may use it but my focus has been on us improving and on us playing the best possible cricket that we can and when we haven't, making sure we learn from it."
The hosts' top order has largely failed to fire and the odds are mounting that the underperforming Aaron Finch will either be pushed down or axed, with number three Usman Khawaja moving up to open alongside Marcus Harris.
Meanwhile, India reversed their decision on Wednesday to rule out top spinner Ravichandran Ashwin from the fourth Test against Australia, while pace spearhead Ishant Sharma was mysteriously missing from their 13-man squad.
Indian officials had earlier told reporters Ashwin had not recovered from an abdominal strain that has kept him out of the last two Tests, and skipper Virat Kohli had lamented the offspinner's absence, saying he was "very disappointed" to miss the final match of the series.
But barely an hour later, his name was on the squad list tweeted by the BCCI, India's governing body.
"A decision on R Ashwin's availability will be taken on the morning of the Test," it said ahead of what is expected to be turning wicket at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
In a surprise, first-team regular Sharma was not included with the reasons unknown. Fast bowler Umesh Yadav was named as his replacement.
Squads: Australia (possible): Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb/Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Tim Paine (capt & wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
India: Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, Hanuma Vihari, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav.
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