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The fourth Test of the ongoing five-match Ashes series between Australia and England will begin on January 5 at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The hosts have already retained the urn will big wins in the previous three games and will be looking to add more misery to the hapless English side in the upcoming Test.
For Australia, middle-order batter Travis Head has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the fourth Test with Usman Khawaja coming into the side in former’s absence.
On the other hand, fast bowler Stuart Broad has returned into England’s playing XI after being left out in the third Test, whilst the visitors’ preparations have been hit hard by a Covid-19 outbreak among their coaching staff, with the likes of Jon Lewis, Jeetan Patel and head coach Chris Silverwood all contracting the novel coronavirus.
Pitch Report
The pitch at Sydney Cricket Ground is a balanced track. The pacers are expected to get some seam movement off the deck. The batters need to be patient early in the game, and once they are well-settled, they can play their strokes freely.
Weather Forecast
On the opening day of the match, the temperature in Sydney is expected to hover between 21 and 26 degrees Celsius. However, there are high chances of rain in the next four days.
Playing XI:
Australia: Marcus Harris, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
England: Haseeb Hameed, Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Mark Wood, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson.
