New Delhi: Veteran Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja missed from India’s playing XI for the first Test match against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth for the opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 on Friday.
Youngsters Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana earned their maiden Test caps as India field a four-pronged pace attack led by stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah. Regular captain Rohit Sharma will be unavailable to play for the first match after opting to stay back in India following the birth of his second child.
As many as five Indian players will play their first Test match in Australia after Karnataka player Devdutt Padikkal was held back after the India A tour to chip in as a cover for Rohit Sharma. Padikkal is likely to be slotted in at No.3 in the batting order with Yashasvi Jaiswal to have a new opening partner in KL Rahul.
Former Indian captain Virat Kohli will cement his place at No.4. Wicketkeepers Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel will be key in the middle order with the former to don the gloves behind the wickets. All-rounder Washington Sundar has pipped Ashwin and Jadeja to take the lone spinner’s spot in the Indian team after coming from a terrific home series against New Zealand, where he bagged 16 wickets in two matches, including a 10-wicket match haul in Pune.
Mohammed Siraj will join Bumrah to brace up the challenge to bowl the new ball.
India playing XI vs Australia 1st Test: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj
Veteran Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja missed from India’s playing XI for the first Test match against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth for the opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 on Friday. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
