Travis Head injury scare brushed off by Pat Cummins as Australia make two changes for Boxing Day Test

Australian captain Pat Cummins insists Travis Head has overcome an injury scare and will be good to go for the Boxing Day Test against India.

Australian captain Pat Cummins has confirmed Travis Head will play in the Boxing Day Test against India despite an injury scare.

Cummins won the toss and elected to bat on Thursday, with Head coming into the match as Australia's most important batter after belting centuries in the last two Tests.

The 30-year-old got through a series of sprints and net sessions over the last couple of days, with Cummins saying on Christmas Day that he'll play in the fourth Test without any injury concerns.

"Travis is good to go, he'll play. He ticked off some final things today and yesterday, but no stress, no worries about injury for Trav," Cummins said after training on Christmas Day.

"He'll go into the game fully fit. I don't think you'll see too much management of him throughout the game ... maybe around fielding if he's a bit uncomfortable."

Cummins said Head's pressure on the opposition is evident from the moment he walks out to bat.

"You can see the pressure that he shifts back onto the opposition, literally from the first ball that he walks out there,” Cummins said.

Head comes into the Boxing Day Test averaging 81.80 across the first three Tests of the Border-Gavaskar series so far, with 409 runs to his name.

The Aussies have made two changes from the starting XI at the Gabba, with 19-year-old Sam Konstas replacing Nathan McSweeney at opener and local hero Scott Boland coming in for injured quick Josh Hazlewood.

Cummins said the heat in Melbourne will be a factor in the decision-making of whichever captain wins the toss.

"It (the heat) is another layer - you get to the ground tomorrow, you look at the pitch," he said.

"You get a bit of a sense of what (sort of) day it's going to feel like and make a decision from there. It is a factor ... I don't think it scares us too much."

Cummins and coach Andrew McDonald have both suggested that the MCG pitch has been a 'bowl-first' wicket in recent years and were happy with the state of it after an inspection on Christmas Day.

But the fact temperatures are expected to get close to 40C at the MCG on day one of the fourth Test made it an even more crucial toss to win, with Cummins deciding to bat on Thursday after the coin landed his way.

The last thing Head needed if there was even the smallest hint of concern around his quad is to field all day in the sweltering heat at the MCG and putting even more strain on his body.

Cummins would have also surely been reluctant to ask his bowlers and fielders to have to battle through the oppressive and energy-sapping conditions expected on day one.

However, Cummins says the Aussies would be ready for whatever eventuates after Thursday morning's toss after pointing to the hot and humid conditions they battled through in the washed out third Test at the Gabba.

"We had a taste of it in Brisbane, it was pretty hot and humid there. I think we're prepared for whatever comes our way, whether we're bowling or batting first," Cummins said.

"We'll get to the ground tomorrow, have a look at the pitch and make a decision from there."

Cummins is also hoping the Aussies can stop India from winning a third straight Test at the MCG, having not lost at the ground since 1985.

"It's a huge Test for us, we haven't lost here at the MCG since '85, so we want to keep that record going," Cummins said.

"They've won the last two here, so we're really keen to turn that around and get back into the series."