Ravindra Jadeja in contention for Boxing Day Test

Jadeja was a key figure during India's demolition of the West Indies in October and November, taking seven scalps in the ODI series and notching another seven wickets in the two Test matches. He also hit an impressive unbeaten century in his only red-ball showing with the bat.

He began to experience discomfort in his left shoulder following the ODI series, and the MRF Tyres No.2 ranked Test all-rounder received guided injections in a bid to aid his recovery.

He made good progress, turning out in the Ranji Trophy from 12 to 15 November for Saurashtra and bowling 64 overs, before suffering a recurrence of his symptoms during the warm up match against a Cricket Australia XI in Sydney on 30 November.

Despite providing a focused rehabilitation programme, the Indian management team decided to rest Jadeja for the first two Tests, citing a lack of intensity in his bowling during net sessions. However, a significant improvement to his shoulder has led to Jadeja's availability for the third Test in Melbourne.

The series is currently tied at 1-1, and who Jadeja might replace in the India line-up, should he be selected in the final XI, is unclear. Ravi Shastri revealed that Ravichandran Ashwin is a potential absentee to injury, while Rohit Sharma has made significant progress in his bid to regain fitness and force his way back into the team.