India vs Australia 2nd test playing XI – India is likely to make 5 changes to the game XI it played in Adelaide as they finalize their squad for the second Test which begins in Melbourne on Saturday. On the other hand, Australia will enter Melbourne Test with no team changes.
Indian team plays XI in second round: India will probably make 5 team changes
Indian Playing XI for the second round is almost decided. KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant are ready to make the Indian play XI for the boxing day test. At the same time, the door will be shown to Prithvi Shaw, Wridhimman Saha based on information available with InsideSport.
Virat Kohli’s unavailability and Prithvi Shaw’s nonchalant manner with the bat have opened the doors for KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, who are the main contenders to take those two spots in the batting order. Additionally, wicketkeeper / hitter Wriddhiman Saha will be replaced by Rishabh Pant, while Mohammed Shami, who has been ruled out of the Test series due to a broken arm, will likely be replaced by Mohammed Siraj.
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Another likely change could be that Hanuman Vihari is removed by Ravindra Jadeja. The Indian off-roader is in shape now and is likely to return to the No. 6 position in Vihari’s place.
These are the changes the India team is set to make for the Boxing Day test:
KL Rahul to replace Virat Kohli: As Kohli will not be available for the remainder of the tour as he will return to India for the birth of his first child, KL Rahul will replace the Indian skipper for the Melbourne test. The Karnataka hitter is a seasoned fighter now and performed decently even in the series of limited overs against Australia before the first test. Additionally, Rahul can hit as a starter or will be ranked No. 4 from Virat Kohli.
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Shubman Gill to replace Prithvi Shaw: Starter Prithvi Shaw was a huge disappointment for Team India, as he posted scores of 0 and 4 in the two innings of Test 1. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc brutally exposed Shaw’s flawed technique, sending the ball to send his stumps through the large space between his bat and pad. It seems highly likely that Shaw could face an ax in favor of Shubman Gill, who has been receiving much praise and attention for his composure in the fold and decent performances at the 2020 IPL, where he racked up 440 runs.
Additionally, Gill, who started in the second warm-up match against Australia A with Shaw, posted scores of 43 and 65 in the first and second innings, respectively. Gill also has an outstanding first-class record to support his reputation and plays as a starter for his state side of Punjab. Therefore, it could be the most likely option if India does not choose to persist with Prithvi Shaw.
Rishabh Pant to replace Wriddhiman Saha: It has been more than three years since Wriddhiman Saha scored fifty or a ton in test cricket. He has been impeccable with his skills behind the field, but has yet to make an impact with the bat on bigger venues.
Saha’s losing streak continued in the Pink Ball Test against Australia, where India went through the worst batting collapse, posting their lowest team total in the Tests. He managed to score 9 and 4 in both innings respectively. Saha is likely to be replaced by Rishabh Pant, who played a brilliant blow in the second day-night warm-up against Australia A. The 23-year-old had achieved a staggering 103 runs in 77 deliveries.
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Furthermore, on his last tour of Australia, India, led by Virat Kohli, he had created a story by winning his first round of tests on Australian soil 2-1 in 2018-19. Rishabh Pant had rehearsed the role of the wicketkeeper throughout the tour and had played a pivotal role with both the bat and the gloves in his team’s victory.
The southpaw had finished 350 runs in four games with an average of 58.33 and had received up to 20 receptions. He had also launched an assault on Australian bowlers in the Sydney Test by posting his highest score in the Test of 159 * from just 189 deliveries.
Mohammed Siraj to replace Mohammed Shami: India Shami’s pacemaker has already left the Border-Gavaskar series with a broken arm.
And his place is likely to go to Mohammed Siraj. Siraj, according to sources, is the top contender to replace Shami for the Melbourne test starting on Boxing Day. Siraj put on an impressive show in both games on the tour and was also lethal at IPL 2020, in which he became the first bowler in IPL history to throw two maiden overs and finished in 4-4 numbers. 2-8-3 against KKR. while playing for RCB.
Australia will enter Melbourne Test without any change to its XI
David Warner is excluded from the MCG test, which means that Australia is unlikely to make any changes to the XI of play on Boxing Day. Coach Justin Langer also hinted on Thursday that Australia will make no changes to the XI that defeated India in Adelaide.
Vodafone Test Series v India 2020-21 – Probable roster for both teams for the second Test Match
Australia will probably play XI: Tim Paine (c), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade
India will probably play XI: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant (week), Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj
