Wed Dec 25 22:07:30 UTC 2024: ## Head and Sharma’s Fitness in Doubt Ahead of Boxing Day Test
**Melbourne, Australia** – The fitness of key players Travis Head (Australia) and Rohit Sharma (India) dominated the pre-match build-up to the highly anticipated Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Both players sustained injuries in the lead-up to the match, raising concerns about their participation.
Head, hampered by a quad strain suffered during the Brisbane Test, participated in a limited training session. While Australian coach Andrew McDonald expressed confidence in Head’s ability to play, stating that his batting looked good, he admitted the team is assessing the risk associated with his injury. McDonald confirmed at least two changes to the Australian team, with Sam Konstas replacing Nathan McSweeney as opener and Scott Boland replacing the injured Josh Hazlewood. He also confirmed Mitchell Marsh is fit to bowl.
Meanwhile, Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who injured his left knee during Sunday’s training, initially caused concern by spending much of the practice session in conversation with coach Gautam Gambhir and selector Ajit Agarkar, rather than actively participating. However, Sharma later participated in batting practice, displaying powerful shots, seemingly putting any doubts about his fitness to rest. Sharma, whose recent form has been poor (averaging 11.69 in his last 13 innings), will be hoping for a strong performance. The match begins Thursday.
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