IND vs AUS Test Series: When India and Australia face each other for the first time in this season of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the historic Optus Stadium in Perth on November 22, this match will be special in many ways. This time the Indian team will be led by fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, as regular captain Rohit Sharma is out of this match. This will be the first time that fast bowlers will captain both the teams in this prestigious series.
Challenges in choosing the playing XIDeciding the playing XI has become a big challenge for Team India, which has been practicing on the fast and bouncy pitch of Perth for the last few days. Captain Rohit Sharma's absence was already certain, but Shubman Gill's thumb injury during practice has made the team's strategies more difficult.Now coach Gautam Gambhir and the team management will have to take careful decisions to fill the place of two key players.
How will the batting order be?Yashasvi Jaiswal is almost certain to play in the opening. KL Rahul is expected to get a chance with him. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant will be the mainstay in the middle order. Young batsman Devdutt Padikkal can get a chance at number three, whose performance in domestic cricket has been impressive.Young batsman Dhruv Jurel can be given preference at number six to strengthen the innings. Jurel has scored two half-centuries against Australia A, showing excellent form.
All-rounder and spin departmentRavindra Jadeja is certain to play as an all-rounder. Jadeja will be the only spinner in the team on the fast pitch of Perth and can also make useful contributions with the bat. Nitish Kumar Reddy's name is in discussion as the second all-rounder. Although his first class experience is limited, the team management can give him a chance considering the conditions in Perth.
Fast bowler: Who will accompany Bumrah?The Indian fast bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah will be the biggest strength of the team on the fast and bouncy pitch of Perth. Harshit Rana is likely to debut with him. Harshit has proven his ability to extract bounce from the pitch in practice sessions and can also prove to be helpful with the bat.There is a competition between Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj as the fourth fast bowler. However, Siraj's recent form is under question. Based on the current form, Akash Deep can be included in the final XI, who has recently performed well against Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Probable Playing XI- Yashasvi Jaiswal (opener)
- KL Rahul (opener)
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Virat Kohli
- Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)
- Dhruv Jurel
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Jasprit Bumrah (captain)
- Harshit Rana
- Akash Deep
Importance of the matchThe Perth Test will introduce a new generation and new plans in Indian cricket. This will be Jasprit Bumrah's first experience as captain, and this is a golden opportunity for the young players to make their mark. It will be interesting to see how much impact this new Indian team makes on the fast pitches of Australia.Will this balance of youth and experience lead India to victory? The answer to this will be known on November 22.