India Playing XI 1st Test – India vs Australia LIVE – Australia Batting first: SuryaKumar Yadav and KS Bharat are making their India Test debut vs Australia today. In the Border Gavaskar Trophy opener in Nagpur, Rohit Sharma opted for three spinners and two seamers. India were invited to bowl first at VCA Stadium. India decided not to trust Shubman Gill and go with SKY in the middle order. With vice-captain KL Rahul keeping his place as an opener, India had only 1 spot to fill in the middle order in Rishabh Pant’s absence. And it went to SKY. Follow IND vs AUS LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Scott Boland.
It’s not a simple choice. Gill is Team India’s new blue-eyed boy who has been backed in all three formats. The youngster has also proved his worth slamming centuries in all three. SKY is the more exciting and experienced option even though he has not played any Test for India. In absence of Rishabh Pant, India need an attacking option in the middle-order. SKY can provide that.
India Playing XI 1st TEST: Shubman Gill DROPPED; SKY, KS Bharat make debut, Rohit Sharma goes with THREE spinners in Nagpur: Follow IND vs AUS LIVE Updates
Shubman or SKY?
- It’s a difficult choice. Shubman is in sublime form across formats.
- But SKY can take on the Australian attack — spin and pace alike — to give India a run rate boost in the middle-order.
- With Shreyas Iyer also out of the 1st Test, Shubman Gill is the frontrunner at No 5.
- Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli are undroppable.
- The other option could have been KL Rahul. But considering he is the vice-captain, his spot is safe for the moment.
- Option 3 is to ask KL Rahul to keep wickets and take both SKY and Gill.
- However, with the number of injuries Rahul has had, it is unlikely that Team India will go that route.
- Hence, only one of Gill or SKY will make it to the Playing XI in Nagpur Test.
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“Shubman has been in supreme form, lot of big hundreds, on the other hand SKY has shown what he brings to the range, but we have not decided who we will go with,” Rohit Sharma said at the pre-match press conference.
Why Suryakumar Yadav should be picked? – SKY’s entry into India Test team is no coincidence. Surya isn’t one of those domestic red-ball powerhouses to average over 60. But he is a game-changer. SKY only averages 45.93 in First Class. However, he can take on any bowling attack any day, especially if it’s a turning track.
Picture this, 31 out of 40 wickets in Mumbai vs Saurashtra match. Yet, SKY held the Mumbai innings together, scoring 107-ball 95. Mumbai fell for 230 with 8 wickets going to spinners. His counter-attacking play helped Mumbai score some quick runs.
Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer could do that in the middle order. What Australia like is a traditional batting approach to dominate. What they don’t like is unorthodox batting like Pant’s. That is where SKY could be the one to consider. Gill is more of a conventional player who will leave the good balls and score on the bad ones without thinking of the strike rate or match situation. But SKY can dominate.
Bowling combination: With how the Nagpur pitch looks, it’s almost certain that India will go with at least three spinners if not four. Mohammad Shami will lead the pace attack with Mohammed Siraj. They will be the only two pacers.
In spin department, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are given. But the debate is on the 3rd spinner. India have Kudeep Yadav and Axar Patel. While Axar is more like Jadeja, Kuldeep could have offered new dynamic with his leg-spin. However, it should be noted that Australia have been excellent batters of leg-spin. Furthermore, Axar’s home record is next to none.
India Test squad for first two Tests: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav.
India Playing XI 1st TEST: Shubman Gill DROPPED; SKY, KS Bharat make debut, Rohit Sharma goes with THREE spinners in Nagpur: Follow IND vs AUS LIVE Updates
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