No doubt lots of questions will be asked about Australia’s batting line-up for the SCG Test and beyond after the disappointing performance against India on day three in Melbourne.

But to be honest, there’s no possible replacement really jumping out of the pack that’s not already in the Aussie Test squad.

Peter Handscomb was dropped for Mitchell Marsh for the MCG Test against India. But because there’s no Shield cricket being played at the moment due to Big Bash League, it’s hard to pick someone who’s in form in the longer form.

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The batsmen in the Australian side now can play. They’re still probably the best batsmen in the country. Yes you’d love blokes to be averaging 50 in Shield cricket, but they’re not doing that.

Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh are very classy players, Marcus Harris has looked pretty good in nearly every innings and Travis Head has been good at times. There are some positive signs.

But the Aussies have just got to find a way to score more runs with the bat, which is clearly the side’s biggest issue.

There’s been a lot of starts but not enough big scores and not enough big partnerships to stay in the game. On day three at the MCG, every top-six Australian batsman faced between 35 and 61 balls but couldn’t go on to produce a decent score.

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Mitch Marsh dismissed against India. Photo: Julian Smith/AAP Image. Source: AAP

But this isn’t an issue that’s exclusive to the six or seven batsmen currently representing the country. Since the Ashes last summer, only one Australian has scored a Test century, which was Khawaja against Pakistan in the UAE in October. That’s not enough big scores.

When it gets tough, Australia needs every member of its top six to push through and score. This will happen once they get their shot selection right and are thinking straight out in the middle. And when they are settled at the crease, they’re more likely to make the opposition pay.

As for changes to the Australian side for the SCG Test, you’d have to assess the Sydney wicket. But first, we’ve still got the fourth innings in Melbourne, which will be a telling factor for players in the side. Until that innings, it’s hard to say changes have to be made.

My hunch is they’ll probably stick with the same squad for the next Test. You just need the players to identify where they can improve — and hopefully they can improve quickly.

It was probably a little too late, but it was still a great fight back by the Aussies with the ball late on day three, led by Pat Cummins.

AUS v IND: Day 3 Highlights 2:21

Cummins has worked hard all series, consistently putting in big efforts without getting a big haul of wickets. That last session where he took four wickets in a few overs was great, because if India had come out and blasted Australia away, it would’ve put a whole dent in the spirit of the team.

Cummins has been so tough and durable over the last 12 to 15 months. He’s bowled a lot of overs on flat pitches and kept on running in.

No doubt he’ll be stiff and sore after stumps, but the good news is Cummins is showing no signs of any injury. And we can’t forget his batting has been excellent this series, chewing up a lot of balls.

Cummins is one Aussie that’s performing well at the moment. Now it’s time for the batsmen to lift.