Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon miss out as Australia make changes for Boxing Day Test

Cummins will miss the remaining two Tests of the series as the captain continues to manage his back injury while spinner Lyon is set to go for surgery on a torn hamstring.

The home side have added slow-bowler Todd Murphy and paceman Jhye Richardson to their 15-man squad.

Steve Smith, who missed the third Test in Adelaide due to illness, will return as captain in the absence of Cummins.

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said of Cummins: "We were taking on some risk and people that reported on that would understand the risk associated with that rebuild.

"We've now won the series and that was the goal. So, to position him for further risk and jeopardise him long-term is not something that we want to do and Pat's really comfortable with that."

While Murphuy seems a shoe-in to replace Lyon in the XI, McDonald did not ruled out playing an all-pace attack in Melbourne.

Australia Test squad: Steven Smith (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster. 

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