AUSTRALIA has named an unchanged 12-man squad for the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG, starting on Boxing Day.

The national selectors chose not to make any changes to the squad after their 267-run victory over England in the third Test at the WACA ground, meaning left-arm spinner Michael Beer keeps his place.

Captain Ricky Ponting's fractured finger will be assessed closer to the start of the match, with a shadow player to be named if needed.

"Mike Hussey is in the same boat, as is [Shane Watson], Ryan Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus and Brad Haddin, so we've got a number of guys playing somewhere near their best and that is why I'm confident in this group. It is amazing what impact confidence and that winning feeling amongst the group can have. It can make the team achieve some special things."

The crushing 267-run success gave the hosts some much-needed momentum as the sides heads to Melbourne for a Boxing Day Test that will now be a blockbuster.

"We got a nice old hiding in Adelaide last week and so to bounce back as drastically and dramatically as we have done, it says a lot about us and where we're at," Ponting said after missing the final morning with a broken little finger. The result caused a dramatic shift as the campaign swung in a similar way to the see-sawing 2009 Ashes in England.

"There was a lot of emotion in this win, we hadn't had much to celebrate up to now," Ponting said.

Unchanged Australia take confidence from Perth...

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