McGrath happy with four fast men on Boxing Day

Glenn McGrath believes the MCG Test is the ideal time for Australia to relax the tradition of playing a spinner and pick a pace quartet instead. Stuart MacGill's wrist surgery has left Brad Hogg as the only frontline slow-bowling choice, but McGrath thinks Australia's speed options provide enough variety.

McGrath said with India's prowess against turn, using four fast men on Boxing Day was a possibility. "Australia has always gone in with a spinner, but it isn't the way it has to be," McGrath told AAP. "You have to look at the make-up of the team, Stuey Clark, Mitchell Johnson and Brett - they've all done a great job."

If a fourth quick bowler was required McGrath said it would have to be Shaun Tait. Tait seems to have shaken off an elbow injury, bowling strongly in the Pura Cup, and was promoted to Australia's limited-overs teams to face New Zealand this week.

"It would be pretty awesome to see Brett, Mitchell and Shaun coming in, bowling 150kph plus," McGrath said. "That would be something that hasn't been seen around world cricket for a long time."

McGrath, who retired after the World Cup in April, was confident Australia could deflect the challenge of India during the four-Test series. "The way the Australian team plays, especially at home, India are going to have to do something very special," he said.

"If you look at our batting line-up, and then the bowlers, it's a pretty awesome team still. Sourav [Ganguly] and the Australians have always had a love-hate relationship, but he's a quality player, and Sachin [Tendulkar] is class, so I'm sure there'll be testing times there but I back Australia the whole way."