The Plot:

India’s record since their last Test series loss in India:

Since they lost to England, late in 2012, India have been practically invincible at home. They won their 17th Test match when they beat Bangladesh in the one-off Test and only 2 teams – South Africa and England – could manage drawing a Test match in a series. This period of dominance by Team India can be credited to some incredible performances with the ball, by the pacers and spinners alike, and their dependable batting line-up. When Australia were set to travel to India, no one expected the visitors to win, with predictions of a 4-0 whitewash being floated around. However, all such expectations were put to rest when the Aussies hammered India in Pune. India bounced back soon after in Bengaluru, while the third Test ended in a competitive draw.

Fast forward to present day, and Australia now have a chance to win the series that is locked at 1-1. They will like nothing more than a series win to avenge their 4-0 loss, four years ago. Not every visiting team receives such a golden opportunity while touring the in the subcontinent. The momentum lies evenly on both sides after the draw in Ranchi. The Australian spinners haven’t been able to replicate the penetrative nature they possessed till the first innings in Bengaluru, and notwithstanding Pat Cummins’ fiery bowling, Mitchell Starc’s absence did hurt them severely in the last Test.

India, on the other hand, have a record to keep intact! Virat Kohli has emerged as a charismatic leader who demands only the best out of his team. His fitness, however, is under the scanner due to the shoulder injury he picked up during the third Test. Shreyas Iyer has been called up as cover for the Indian skipper. The Indian batsmen got back to their best in Ranchi with Pujara’s double ton and Saha’s gritty century that helped the team script a vital fightback. The bowlers, though, had to work hard in both the innings. Steven Smith’s wicket still remains the key for them in the context of this series. A draw will be something both teams will look to avoid, and it all comes down to who will play better cricket in the final Test match. One thing is guaranteed – the contest will be nothing short of fierce.

Stage:

Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala

Two venues have already made their Test debuts in this series. It’s the picturesque Dharamsala’s turn for the final showdown. Situated at a high altitude, the HPCA Stadium should be a bit different from all the previous venues. The weather will be friendlier for the players and the umpires, who’ve been very good with their officiating. The pitch may not be as conducive to spin as the previous three ones, but it is bare and should be reliable to bat on.

Acts:

Peter Handscomb vs spin

It was a pleasing sight to watch a visiting batsman use his feet as Handscomb did in his pivotal second innings knock at Ranchi. He was undeterred to dominate Ashwin and Jadeja, who couldn’t get under his skin. They don’t have Steven Smith as the lone challenge in the Australian batting line-up anymore.

Who will use the rough better?

Mitchell Starc’s absence hurt the Aussies in more ways than one. The rough he would create outside the right-handed batsmen’s off stump was exploited by Lyon against the right-hand heavy Indian line-up. In the third Test, Jadeja exploited the rough created by the right-arm quicks against the left-hand heavy Australian line-up. A relatively unnoticed phenomenon, will the rough create more chances for India, once again?

Wriddhiman Saha vs Matthew Wade

There is always an air of ego between two keepers, but it may not be as strong as the one between the batsmen and bowlers from either side. Keepers love to score runs and avoid being embarrassed behind the stumps. Saha scored a handy century in Ranchi, while Wade has got a few starts, but couldn’t manage to convert them into anything meaningful yet.

Artists:

Both the teams should be relatively pleased with the playing XIs they fielded in the third Test. With the series on the line, it is highly unlikely that India and Australia will want to make any changes or carry out any late experiments in Dharamsala, unless an injury-related issue creeps in.

India are hopeful that Virat Kohli will be back to full fitness, come matchday. If he happens to miss out, Shreyas Iyer could make his international debut, while Rahane will step in once again.

India (Probables) – KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c)/Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Karun Nair, Ravichandran Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav.

Steven Smith has persisted with two specialist spinners throughout this series, so far. With the conditions slightly different in Dharamsala, he could be tempted to replace Steve O’Keefe with Jackson Bird, who was impressive in the warm-ups.

Australia (Probables) – Matt Renshaw, David Warner, Steven Smith (c), Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade (wk), Steve O’Keefe/Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.