India are all set to take on Australia in the first test of the much awaited Border Gavaskar Trophy starting tomorrow. But there is a difference of heaven and earth between both the sides. The Australians have a lot of experience in their side, meanwhile India are packed with youth and inexperience. To give context to how dire this situation is, 6 players out of the Indians squad, Devdutt Paddikal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna have all played only 7 Test Matches amongst themselves.
On top of this, two guaranteed starters for India, skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubhman Gill are out of the 1st Test. So with all these conversations happening around who would get the start for India, let’s try and predict the XI that will play at Perth.
Top Order For India
Yashasvi Jaiswal is a guaranteed started and would most likely be accompanied by KL Rahul as a replacement to Rohit Sharma. While KL Rahul isn’t in top form, his elegance of playing against the quicks would come in handy against the Aussies.
Devdutt Paddikal who had a great outing in the first unofficial test between India and Australia will most likely get the nod at number 3. The left handed batter provides a challenge for bowling attacks due to his height as good length deliveries somehow fall into the driveable category for the lanky batsman.
A Stable No. 4 & 5, But Who Will Back Them Up?
King Kohli and RIshabh Pant would play at their natural positions and will have to take up the mantle of being India’s most potent weapons throughout the Border Gavaskar Trophy. The fate of the series depends on how well the Number 3 and 4 of India play in the next month and half.
But the problem lies in who comes in after them. Will it be Sarfaraz Khan who has proven himself on Indian pitches? Or Dhruv Jurel who has impressed massively in Australia over the last month. For now, it would be Sarfaraz Khan getting his first Border-Gavaskar Trophy experience.
India Has A New Allrounder Combination
We will most likely see Ravichandran Ashwin being the only spinner for the Perth Test as the pitch suits pace more. He should be picked ahead of Jadeja since Australia has a left-handers-heavy batting lineup. But it will be his partner in crime getting more attention as Nitish Kumar Reddy will have to get into rythm quickly and be able to bowl atleast 8-10 overs in a day. If he does his new role to perfection, don’t be surprised if he earns himself the moniker of the “new Shardul Thakur”.
India Will Have A Fearsome Pace Trident
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj are surely untouchable given the need for experience that India have currently. So who will be the third pacer to accompany them? While it might not be a popular choice, it should be Harshit Rana who makes up the trio. The 22-year-old has hunger in his eyes everytime he marks his runup. This fire within him is very similar to what the Australians pride themselves for and would be crucial for the youngster to find his rhythm.
Would you make any changes to this Indian XI? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.
