Fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are set to become Australia’s finest new ball partnership when the hosts start the first Border-Gavaskar Test as favourites against India today.

Unseasonal rain leading into the five Test series may leave the wicket fresh throughout, which is unlikely to see familiar characteristic cracks opening, therefore making batting easier as the match progresses over the scheduled five days.

Left-arm swing bowler Starc and seam bowler Hazlewood need just two wickets to become the first Australian new ball attack to claim 400 wickets together.

With the pitch expected to stay fresh, Australia will opt for a three pronged pace attack with skipper Pat Cummins joining his fellow fast bowlers Starc and Hazlewood.

Veteran Nathan Lyon will provide the off-spin option.

Australia will introduce Nathan McSweeney to fill the big shoes of the retired David Warner at the top of the Australian batting lineup, partnering left hander Usman Khawaja.

McSweeney, 25, will open for Australia, with star batsman Steve Smith dropping down to No.4.

Australia’s middle order has failed recently and No.3 Marnus Labuschagne and prolific run-getter Smith will be looking to re-establish themselves.

Smith, 35, has not scored a century in his past 10 Tests but has always been notorious for scoring big in showcase series.

Australia and India are one and two in the World Test Championship standings.

India will be without skipper Rohit Sharma, who is on paternity leave, and the injured Shubman Gill, a prolific run scorer in recent times.

Gill broke his finger while attempting a catch in a practice match between the Indian squad at the WACA ground last week in Perth.

Australia is perfect at the new Optus Stadium, which replaced the WACA ground.

It won the first Test at the ground in 2018 against India, beat New Zealand in 2019, West Indies in 2022 and Pakistan last year.

Australia has dominated world cricket under Cummins’ captaincy, but only current players Smith, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon have played in a series win over India.

“Almost every challenge that have been thrown at us we’ve stepped up,” Cummins said.

“For half the change room we haven’t won the Border-Gavaskar. It’s one of the last thing to tick off for a lot of us. We know India is right up there with the best teams in the world… we’re excited.”

India is coming off a historic 3-0 loss to New Zealand at home, and its task in the series had been made even harder with a reshuffled batting lineup in the absence of the experienced duo of Rohit and Gill.

India has won its last two series in Australia.

“We’re not carrying any baggage from India,” said skipper Jasprit Bumrah, who is standing in for Rohit.

“We’re disappointed and we did have a tough series last time (at home)… we come with a fresh mindset against a different opposition. We’re very well prepared.”

India’s focus will be on young batting prodigy Yashasvi Jaisval, who is expected to open alongside KL Rahul, who will replace Rohit at the top of the order.

Although India has yet to announce its playing XI for the series opener, it is most likely batsmen Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel will feature in the reshuffled batting lineup.

Jaisval, a 22-year-old left hander, has scored 1,407 Test runs at 56.28 with three centuries and eight half centuries since he made his debut against the West Indies in 2023.

Virat Kohli, one of the finest batsmen of the modern game, like Smith has had a lean spell and had managed just two centuries in his past 60 innings.