Oct. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Australia cricket captain Adam Gilchrist won the toss and chose to bat against a depleted India in the third of four Tests between the teams at Nagpur.

India captain Sourav Ganguly and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh were ruled out of the match because of injury and illness.

Gilchrist, whose side leads 1-0 in the series, opted to give his batsmen first use of a pitch that has an even spread of grass on its surface, possibly to the advantage of his players.

``It's almost an Australian looking wicket,'' Gilchrist told Fox Sports after the toss. ``It will be interesting to see how it plays.''

The top-ranked Australians won the first Test in Bangalore by 217 runs before rain prevented a result in the second match in Chennai with both teams chasing victory. A draw or Indian win over the next five days would set up a series-deciding Test in Mumbai next week. Australia last won a series in India in 1969.

Sachin Tendulkar, India's top run-scorer who averages 156 in Tests at Nagpur's Virdabha Cricket Association ground, returned from an elbow injury in one of four changes from the second Test.

Ajit Agarkar comes in for injured fast bowler Irfan Pathan and Murali Kartik replaces Singh, who has a virus. Opening batsman Akash Chopra was also recalled.

Australia, for whom fast bowler Glenn McGrath will play his 100th Test, named an unchanged team.

``It looks like a wicket that may help us a bit,'' McGrath told Fox Sports.

India: Rahul Dravid (captain), Akash Chopra, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Mohammad Kaif, Parthiv Patel, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Murali Kartik, Zaheer Khan.

Australia: Adam Gilchrist (captain), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Simon Katich, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Clarke, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Baynes in Sydney dbaynes@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: October 26, 2004 00:11 EDT