As Australia prepare to play a first Test at Melbourne since a docile pitch was given a "poor" rating a year ago, two of the side's pacemen are expecting a journey into the unknown against India on Boxing Day.

The MCG moved to improve the playing surface after receiving the negative rating from the International Cricket Council following last year's drawn Test against England, when only 24 wickets fell in five days.

Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc admitted he did not know how the new pitch would behave ahead of the third Test, but Peter Siddle is confident it will at least yield a result.

"I didn't play last year. I had to watch from the side and it didn't do a thing for five days, so hopefully they've sorted it out," Starc said.