Pride at stake for wounded England at MCG

Mebourne: It's been a tour from hell for Joe Root's beleaguered team, succumbing to three heavy defeats and rendering the last two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney as "dead rubbers."

Several other under-performing senior players, notably Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali, have also been under the gun with some critics calling for their axing.

England are more likely to call up either Tom Curran or Mark Wood for injured paceman Craig Overton who is in doubt with a cracked rib, while young leg-spinner Mason Crane is pushing for a Test debut.

England and Wales Cricket Board chief Tom Harrison typified the feelings inside the team when he said this week: "I don't think this is the moment for rash decisions."

Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow has called on his teammates to rally behind their under-fire skipper.

Talking is one thing, doing it is another for England, who have had their moments in the series, but have been blown away by big losses -- 10 wickets in Brisbane, 120 runs in Adelaide and an innings and 41 runs in Perth.

Smith's phenomenal form has him in rarefied company and occupying joint second position in the ICC's all-time rankings list along with England's Len Hutton and only behind the legendary Don Bradman.

Smith has a career average of 62.32 from 59 Tests, second only to Bradman's pinnacle 99.94.

The Australian skipper is gunning for his fourth consecutive Melbourne Test century after hundreds against Pakistan, the West Indies and India in the last three Boxing Day showpieces.

There is some respite for England with Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc ruled out on Sunday with a bruised heel and replaced by Jackson Bird.

But Smith has vowed no let-up with short-pitched bowling to England's tailenders despite claims their batsmen deserve more protection from the umpires.

Mitchell Starc will miss the Test due to a bruised heel and will be replaced by Jackson Bird. It will be Bird's first Test since Boxing Day last year, and just his ninth overall in a five-year Test career.

England have also lost a fast bowler to injury. Craig Overton, who has impressed in his first two Test appearances, has a fractured rib and will be replaced by Surrey seamer Tom Curran, who will become the first England player to debut in a Boxing Day Test since wicketkeeper Warren Hegg in 1998.

Teams

Australia: Cameron Bancroft, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith (capt), Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Jackson Bird.

England: Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (capt), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Tom Curran, Stuart Broad and James Anderson

Weather
The forecast for the first two days is for hot and sunny weather, but there is the chance of rain over the final three days.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have won half of the 56 Tests played at the vast MCG, although England won there in 1998 and 2010.
• The last team to beat Australia in a Boxing Day Test was England in 2010-11, when Australia were bowled out for 98 in the first innings and lost by an innings and 57 runs
• Stuart Broad is seven wickets away from becoming the second England player to take 400 in Tests

Match facts
Dec 26 - 30, 2017
Start time 10:30 local | 23:30 GMT (-1d)