Rohit says India won't rush Shami's return unless '200% sure'

India will not rush Mohammed Shami return to international cricket in the last two Tests in Australia unless they are "200% sure" about the seamer's fitness, captain Rohit Sharma said on Wednesday.

Shami has not played international cricket since the 50-overs World Cup last year because of an ankle injury that needed surgery.

The 34-year-old, an automatic choice as India's second seamer when fit, has returned to domestic cricket to prove his fitness.

The lack of support for pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in Australia has prompted demands for Shami's recall but Rohit was cautious about rushing back the bowler, who reported a knee swelling on his comeback trail.

"I understand he's playing a lot of cricket back home, but there have been some complaints about his knee as well," Rohit said after India snatched a draw in the rain-blighted third Test in Brisbane on Wednesday.

"The last thing you want is the player coming here and then pulling out in the middle of the game. You know what happens when that kind of thing happens."

He said he would go by the advice of the medics at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) where Shami did his rehabilitation.

"Unless we are not 100% but 200% sure, we're not going to take any risk... the door is open if those guys at the NCA feel that he is okay to go and recover and play. We'll be happy to have him."

Bumrah is currently the leading wicket-taker in the five-Test series in Australia but Mohammed Siraj has not been equally impressive as his new ball colleague.

India will take heart from third seamer Akash Deep's bowling at the Gabba where the right-arm quick claimed three wickets to go with a defiant 31 that helped India avoid follow-on.

'Not beholden to stats'

Meanwhile, Australia captain Pat Cummins has leapt to the defense of his top order batsmen after they again struggled for runs in the drawn third Test.

Australia collapsed to 33 for five in their second innings at the Gabba on Wednesday, with the top four all dismissed for single-digit scores before Cummins declared at 79 for eight.

The new opening combination of Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney has failed to build a partnership of more than 21 runs in the series, while number three Marnus Labuschagne is averaging 16.40 from his five innings, despite a half-century in the second test in Adelaide.

Cummins said his batters fell quickly on Wednesday while chasing quick runs to allow a declaration that could set up a small chance of victory.

"We are not beholden to stats," Cummins told reporters.

"We know there are certain roles and easier times to bat and harder times to bat, just like bowlers.

"You are looking at the best seven batters as a unit to play the best you can."

The top order's struggles have coincided with eye-catching scores by 19-year-old talent Sam Konstas, who scored a century against an Indian selection in the tour match in Canberra.

He also became the youngest player to score a half-century in the Big Bash League this week on debut in Australia's domestic T20 competition, making 56 from 27 balls for Sydney Thunder.

Pundits have called on selectors to blood Konstas in the test squad after he missed out on selection in favour of McSweeney, who has been retooled as an opener after playing largely at number three.

Cummins defended McSweeney's lean output while declining to comment on whether selectors would stick with him for the remaining matches in Melbourne and Sydney.

"I have been impressed with the way he has gone about it," said Cummins of McSweeney, who was caught behind for four on Wednesday after making nine in the first innings.

"Today for someone starting out his career he was selfless to go out and try and play his shots rather than preserve (his wicket) and get a score.

"He probably hasn't got the runs he would have liked but he has played important knocks that have set up a win in Adelaide and a good result here."