The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced India’s playing XI for the first Test against Australia, which gets underway at the sprawling Adelaide Oval from Thursday. It will be India’s first Day/Night Test on overseas soil.
Dashing opening batsman Prithvi Shaw has been included in the playing XI, while Wriddhiman Saha will play wicketkeeper’s role over Rishabh Pant as the BCCI took to Twitter to announce the XI for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
In the second and last warm-up game last week before the inaugural Test, both Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill impressed with their batting performance and staked their claim for the spot in the playing eleven. However, the BCCI and team management decided to go with the tried and tested Saha and the more experienced Shaw.
Orange City’s Umesh Yadav has been included as one of the three fast bowlers in the team. ‘Vidarbha Express’ Yadav stamped his authority in style during the warm-up game in Australia before the Adelaide Test.
Virat Kohli will return to India after the Adelaide Test to attend the birth of his first child, and the captain confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday that Ajinkya Rahane will be leading the side in the remaining three Tests in his absence. Rohit Sharma, who has now been fully recovered from the injury, will join the squad soon and likely to play the last two Test matches.
Indian Test Eleven
Virat Kohli (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
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