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All eyes will soon be on the MCG pitch, which has been much maligned in recent years but produced a better deck for the 2019 Boxing Day Test.

The MCG pitch is likely to boost India's hopes of big total but Brad Haddin expects there will still be enough early assistance for bowlers to ensure there is a result in the Boxing Day Test.

The famed venue produced a much-maligned wicket, which was graded "average" by the match referee, for its previous Border-Gavaskar Test in 2018.

It came a year after a drawn Ashes Test at the MCG was marred by a pitch rating of "poor" that brought global shame.

The MCG, in consultation with Cricket Australia, worked hard to remedy the issue and presented a much-improved deck for last year's trans-Tasman Test.

"It's been an interesting wicket over the last few years," Haddin told SEN.

"They'll leave a bit of grass on it. It'll be a bit bowler friendly for the first few days then it'll be placid over the back end of the game.

"You just want a contest between bat and ball. We've seen those games where it doesn't look like you're going to get a wicket.

"But they've done a lot of work to it, so I think you'll see enough in it to get a result."

Pat Cummins admitted earlier this week that his memories of the most recent Border-Gavaskar Test at the MCG were of a "pretty flat and boring" pitch.

"Last year against New Zealand was a really good wicket. It had a bit of sideways movement, pace and bounce, so hopefully much the same," Cummins said.

Haddin doubted whether India could find a way to fight back in the four-Test series, especially given their pace depth will be tested by the absence of injured veterans Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma.

"Their only opportunity to win a Test was the first Test in Adelaide. I thought the conditions suited their bowling and they'd get enough runs," the former wicketkeeper said.

"You've got one Test up in Brisbane, where nobody beats Australia.

"You've got these two Tests (in Melbourne and Sydney) - these wickets will be a lot more suited to Indian-style wickets but I don't think they'll be able to turn it around.

"I don't think they can cover the third quick."

Uncapped quicks Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini are vying to replace Shami in India's attack.