AUS vs IND: Team India name starting XI for the first day/night test match; no place for Rahul, Pant and Gill

BCCI have released the starting XI for India’s first day/night test match against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar trophy set to begin on Thursday, 17th of December 2020.

Advertisement

Despite the much awaited and anticipated selection of Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw gets the nod ahead of him as the opener alongside Mayank Agarwal. Middle order consists of Pujara, captain Kohli, Rahane and Vihari as there is no place for KL Rahul as well. Wriddhiman Saha is picked up as the wicket-keeper batsman ahead of Rishab Pant who scored a century in the warm-up game as well as on his last tour to Australia. Ashwin, Bumrah, Shami consist of the bowling department along with Umesh Yadav who gets the nod over Siraj due to experience of the longer format. There are many expected changes in the lineup over the course of the long test series, especially with the absence of Virat Kohli after the first test match and the arrival of Rohit Sharma after the 2nd test match.Â