Before India traveled to Australia for the next series, big news emerged from the BCCI camp. India’s captain Virat Kohli received paternity leave in December, which means that he will only play the first test against Australia and will miss the remaining test matches. It was a great decision and while many cricket experts have called it a necessary move for Kohli to be with his family, many also wonder how India’s batting order will fare in Kohli’s absence.
Kohli had a fantastic season last time in Australia, having scored 282 runs in 4 rounds with an average of 40.29. Under his leadership, the Indian team had created history by becoming the first Asian nation to win a series of events in Australia.
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But last time, Steve Smith and David Warner weren’t on the team, serving their 12-month suspension. The duo will return this time around and provide much-needed depth to Australia’s batting order.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell believes Kohli’s absence will leave a big hole in India’s batting order. “India also faces a selection dilemma when skipper Virat Kohli goes home for the birth of his first child after the opening test. This creates a huge void in the Indian batting order and an opportunity for one of their talented young players to make a name for himself, ”Chappell wrote in his column on ESPNCricinfo.
Chappell also pointed to the confusion over the starting pair in the Australian camp, something that has become a focal point in recent weeks.
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“Speaking of confusion, I was baffled by the Australian coach’s summary of the choice between incumbent Joe Burns and rising star Will Pucovski for David Warner’s starting partner job,” Chappell wrote.
“If no one else is running for the job, Burns retains his spot. However, Pucovski has been banging on the door for a while, something Langer yearns for. Pucovski has brought a deck to the entrance by doing six centuries at Shield level, three of them double; two of those double hundreds arrived this season. He has very and truly shown that he is good enough at that level, so it’s time to see if he can succeed in the test arena, ”he added.
“What was already shaping up to be an exciting fight now has the added stimulus of crucial selection decisions. The result could well come down to who is the bravest group of selectors, ”concluded the former Australian cricketer.
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