36 all, eight wickets defeated, Captain Virat Kohli flew back home and now an exhausted and demoralized Indian team will have to face the mighty Australians in the Boxing Day event at MCG. The odds are stacked for the Indian team before the second test. But with a 1-0 lead already in the four-game series, India will have to fight hard to get back into the game. At the head of the charge will be Ajinkya Rahane, who will also have the difficult task of lifting the spirits of the team before the second test.
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Here is our list of the XIs planned from India for the second test at MCG:
Shubman Gill: Shubman Gill had a good showing in the limited series in Australia, only outperforming Prithvi Shaw in the warm-up game. Shaw had a shot at Adelaide but couldn’t grab the bronze ring, and now Gill may have his shot at MCG.
Mayank Agarwal: Mayank Agarwal struggled in the first test, but is likely to have another chance. If you can hold one winger for two sessions, you can put your team in good stead.
Cheteshwar Pujara: Cheteshwar Pujara would be upset about his firing by 4 in the second inning of the first Test, and he would definitely be working on his defense before the MCG Test. It could be the key player.
KL Rahul: The most promising player for India in 2020 has been KL Rahul and he may have a shot at the second test at position number 4 as a replacement for Virat Kohli. Rahul will hope to show that he can hit any position in Trials, just as he can in ODI and T20I.
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Ajinkya Rahane (c): Ajinkya Rahane will be the captain of India and he would hope to put up a better hitting display than Adelaide. However, the pressure would be enormous on his shoulders.
Ravindra Jadeja: Ravindra Jadeja may also provide India with another regular bowling option, replacing Hanuma Vihari not between races in Adelaide.
Rishabh pants (week): Wriddhiman Saha might be a better goalkeeper according to cricket experts, but in the absence of Virat Kohli, India would have to increase their batting lineup as much as they can, and surely, Pant would be the man who would have a chance to play. MCG instead of Saha.
Ravichandran Ashwin: R. Ashwin was the star of the Indian bowling attack in Adelaide and has given a strong response to critics who said Australian conditions do not suit his style of bowling. I would expect a similar performance at MCG.
Umesh Yadav: Umesh Yadav in Limited and Umesh Yadav in Tests are two different bowlers. He pitched beautifully in the first innings in Adelaide, and Indian fans hope he can do the same in the Boxing Day test.
Navdeep Saini: With Mohammed Shami and reportedly discarded from the Test series, the Navdeep Saini pacemaker may have a shot.
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Jasprit Bumrah: Jasprit Bumrah will have to lead the India-paced bowling attack without his two compadres Shami and Ishant. The pressure will be on him to charge from the front and get early terrain.
Predicted XI of India vs Australia for the second test: Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Jasprit Bumrah
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