Steve Smith is embarking on only his second Test as Australian captain, but he has already shown he is prepared to make big statements off the field as well as on it.

Speaking on the eve of the biggest day on the cricket calendar – the Boxing Day Test at the MCG – Smith hit out at the touring Indians, accusing them of whingeing.

• Boxing Day: five of the most memorable Tests

This came after the tourists condemned the state of the training pitches at the Gabba, blaming them for blows suffered by Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan before play on the decisive fourth day.

The injury to Dhawan caused him to delay his arrival at the crease, which skipper MS Dhoni said had been a source of disruption in the Indian dressing room.

All smiles in the Australian camp. Nathan Lyon (C) crashes a photo shoot with Dave Warner, daughter Ivy and fiancee Candice Falzon. Photo: Getty

Kohli was also struck by a short ball, but batted in place of Dhawan.

Kohli lasted only 11 balls, with the Hindustan Times reporting that he blamed Dhawan for the dismissal and accused his teammate of feigning injury in a heated confrontation.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India is reportedly investigating why Dhawan did not come out to bat straight away, with former skipper Anil Kumble suggesting that he might have been trying to protect his place in the side.

Smith, asked about the increasingly testy verbal exchanges between the sides at the Gabba, indicated that Australia might not need to try to put the Indians off their game in Melbourne.

Indian skipper MS Dhoni has had to downplay talk of a rift in the Indian camp. Photo: Getty

“They’re doing a lot of whingeing and complaining among themselves,” Smith said.

“They’re doing it all for us. Hopefully that can hinder them this week.”

Dhoni, who must lead his team to a win in Melbourne to keep the series alive, was forced to move into damage control.

While he admitted last week that there was “unrest” in the dressing room, he employed sarcasm to try to play down reports Kohli and Dhawan had to be separated by team director Ravi Shastri.

Joe Burns has a Christmas Day net. He will bat at No. 6. Photo: Getty

“Virat used a knife. He stabbed Shikhar, who just recovered out of that then we pushed him to bat,” he said to initially raised eyebrows.

“These are all stories. Marvel, maybe Warner Bros or somebody, should pick up this and make a nice a movie out of it.”

He said “journalists start making their own stories” during Indian tours.

“If somebody from the team has actually told you this, it’d be interesting if you could give us the name,” Dhoni said.

“Because his imagination is really brilliant and he should be working for one of the movie companies.

“He doesn’t deserve to be in our dressing room, because he has entirely created something that has not been there at all.”

Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar suggested India should not make the incident “an excuse”.

Gavaskar also opined the tourists should tone down their “verbal spats”, which had fired up Mitchell Johnson.

But Dhoni indicated that would not be happening.

“I feel a bit of chirping is good on the field,” Dhoni said.

“That’s what makes cricket interesting … if the guidelines are followed, I’m not really bothered.

“The chirping has nothing to do with our performance.”

Dhoni’s words will be music to the ears of David Warner, who vowed on Christmas Eve his “banter” won’t stop any time soon.

“I like to go at them, to try and get them to bite back at me when I go out there and bat. At the moment, it’s working,” Warner said.

Warner swapped barbs with India en route to a century in Adelaide after being bowled off a no-ball, while lippy fielders Kohli and Rohit Sharma fired up Mitchell Johnson in Brisbane.

Meanwhile, Smith revealed debutant Joe Burns would bat at No.6 and that paceman Ryan Harris would take Mitchell Starc’s place in the XI. 

That would leave Shane Watson at No. 3, despite his mediocre form with the bat in this series.

With AAP