Australia axe Marsh, call up Webster for fifth India Test

Out-of-form all-rounder Mitch Marsh was axed Thursday from Australia's team for the series-deciding fifth Test against India in Sydney with Beau Webster to make his debut.

Fast bowler Mitchell Starc retained his place for Friday's match despite carrying a rib niggle and will line up in the attack alongside Pat Cummins, Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon.

"Mitchy obviously hasn't quite got the runs or wickets he would have liked this series and felt like it was time for a freshen up," said skipper Cummins.

"Beau's been with the squad and been great.

"It's a shame for Mitchy because we know how much he brings to the team, but we feel like now is a good time for Beau to get a chance."

Marsh's position had been under intense scrutiny after a poor series with bat and ball and his axing could potentially herald the end of the 33-year-old's Test career.

After making his debut in 2014, he struggled to cement his place in the team and with the emergence of Cameron Green had been on the red-ball sidelines in recent years.

He returned to the Test side when Green was ruled out of the series following surgery on his spine.

Cummins said Marsh, who remains a key figure for Australia in the white-ball game, took the news well.

"He was totally understanding. I think his words were, 'I'm not necessarily blindsided.'

"He knows he hasn't scored the runs or (taken) wickets he would have liked so that makes you vulnerable."

Tasmanian Webster, 31, has toiled for years in Sheffield Shield cricket and will be Australia's third debutant in the series.

Teenage opener Sam Konstas was called up for the fourth Test in Melbourne, in place of Nathan McSweeney who had made his debut in the first Test in Perth but had a poor run and was dumped after the third in Brisbane.

Konstas announced himself with a quickfire 60, audaciously ramping India's premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah for a six.

Webster can bowl pace and off-spin and was considered a better option in case left-armer quick Starc has any issues.

Starc bowled 41 overs in Melbourne -- which Australia won by 184 runs on day five -- but clearly struggled in the latter stages.

But despite this Cummins said: "He was never going to miss this one."

Australia are 2-1 up in the series and will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw the Test which begins on Friday.

Victory would also guarantee them a place in the June World Test Championship final at Lord's against South Africa.

Australia: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

Coach tight-lipped on whether Rohit will play final Test

India coach Gautam Gambhir declined to confirm Thursday whether embattled skipper Rohit Sharma would play in the decisive fifth Test against Australia, but said he was "extremely confident" his team could win.

There will be at least one change to the side that lost the fourth Test at Melbourne this week by 184 runs after pace bowler Akash Deep was ruled out with a back problem.

Either Harshit Rana or Prasidh Krishna could play instead in the match which begins in Sydney on Friday.

Opening batsman Rohit has failed to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings in Australia, with speculation mounting that the veteran could be axed.

The captain was not at India's eve-of-match press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Instead Gambhir faced the media but offered no confirmation of Rohit's fate.

"Everything is fine with Rohit and I don't think it's anything traditional," he said when asked why Rohit was absent from the usual media duties.

"The head coach is here and that should be good enough.

"We are going to have a look at the wicket and finalise (the team) tomorrow."

Asked again if Rohit would be part of that team, Gambhir responded: "The answer remains the same."

Rohit missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child, with Jasprit Bumrah assuming the captaincy and guiding India to their only win of the five-match series so far.

Superstar batsman Virat Kohli is also under pressure.

Aside from scoring 100 not out in Perth, he has struggled to get out of single figures.

In contrast, younger batsmen such as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy have excelled.

"It is not about phasing out senior players or getting the youngsters in," Gambhir said.

"Ultimately the only thing that can keep you in that dressing room is performance."

Australia lead the series 2-1 with India needing to win in Sydney to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Gambhir said he remained upbeat despite the victory in Perth being India's only win in their last seven Tests.

"Extremely confident," he said. "We know we have the skill sets, the individuals, we've got everything in that dressing room that can win a Test match here.

"Not only here, but will probably go on to do some unbelievable things in the future as well."