Team India has announced the playing eleven for the first match of the four-match Test series against Australia. The players whom Team India will field to face the Australian challenge in the Adelaide Test starting on Thursday, were disclosed a day before.
In the Pink Test of the series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Wriddhiman Saha has been given the responsibility of wicketkeeping. Prithvi Shaw has been included as the opener, while KL Rahul is out.
Adelaide Test: Playing XI –
Virat Kohli (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Riddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mo. Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
Apart from spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, three bowlers have been included. Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Jaspreet Bumrah will be the fast bowlers. India has preferred Prithvi Shaw as Mayank Agarwal’s opening partner over Shubman Gill in good form.
Prithvi is in poor form and his technique is also being questioned, but captain Virat Kohli made it clear in the press conference before the match that Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are not part of his strategy yet.
With this, veteran Wriddhiman Saha has been given priority over Rishabh Pant in the selection of wicketkeeper. Pant scored a century in the practice match played with pink ball. Saha played a combative half-century, which was preferred by the team management.
