4th Test: Labuschagne ton, partnerships carry Australia to 274/5 at stumps on Day 1

Well, that morning Rathour talked about is here, and we are not too far away from the toss for the suspense over Bumrah and Ashwin to end.

"We would like to give them (injured players) as much time as we can, and only tomorrow (Friday) morning you will know which XI is going to play." India's batting coach Vikram Rathour made that statement on Thursday.

India will be more concerned about the bowling unit. Doubts remain over Jasprit Bumrah's fitness, which has been kept under wraps. His participation, or not, was left to be decided on the morning of the match.

Prithvi Shaw or Wriddhiman Saha may be slotted in to replace the ruled-out Ravindra Jadeja, while whispers of Washington Sundar making a Test debut by replacing the injured R Ashwin are also doing rounds.

While Australia's customary announcement of playing XI came on the eve of the match, all eyes are on who will -- and will not -- make it to India's eleven, as the think-tank led by coach Ravi Shastri and stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane lost count of injuries in lead-up to the decider.

The fate of a tantalisingly poised Border-Gavaskar Trophy hinges on the final match of the series, which is tied at 1-1. A draw or a win for India will mean the trophy stays with the defending champions, but a victory for the hosts will result in the silverware changing hands. Five days of an enticing battle is in the offing. We can't wait for it to begin, and surely you can't either.

After much scheduling drama ahead of the fourth and last Test in Brisbane, we are finally at The Gabba with everything settled, both on and off the field -- except the series. Good Morning, fellas, and a pretty early one if you are joining Timesofindia.com from India. A humdinger is about to get underway.