India will pick their side for the first test against Australia, which begins in Adelaide on Thursday, from the following 12 players, BCCI said on Wednesday.Team - Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah. In essence, BCCI has indicated that India will be going with six batters.
So the tossup is between Hanuma Vihari and Rohit Sharma. Vihari inspired one and all with his solid technique in England and has subsequently backed it up with solid knocks in warm up fixtures and A team matches. However, Rohit is likely to have team management's faith as he is a man in form with a very good record in Australia. Also, with a strong backfoot game, Rohit is more likely to cope with the pace and bounce offered by the Australian pitches. Yet, Indian team will be wary of backing Rohit in whites after it backfired completely in South Africa. It will be a touch and go, with Rohit slightly ahead at this point of time.
Virat Kohli put his batters in notice on Wednesday when he said that Indians have failed to adapt quickly in the last two away series which lead to their defeat. He said that the team need to bring its A game right from the word go and need to get used to the condition.
Australia vice-captain and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been dropped for the first test against India as selectors backed the team's three specialist seamers to bowl a full workload at Adelaide Oval.
Marsh's place in the side for the series-opener, which starts on Thursday, has been taken by middle order batsman Peter Handscomb, recalled for the first time since the tour of South Africa in March and April.
Despite scoring a century for Sheffield Shield side Western Australia in the leadup, Marsh pays the price for a poor tour of the United Arab Emirates where he managed 30 runs from four innings with the bat against Pakistan and two wickets at the cost of almost 100 runs with the ball.
"Mitch Marsh probably hasn't been as consistent as he would like and we would like," captain Tim Paine told reporters at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday, confirming that Handscomb would bat fifth in the order with local favourite Travis Head at six."We know he’s good enough to be a genuine all-rounder at test level."The quicks are going to have a bowl a bit more and we have full faith that Nathan Lyon can do the job."Paine confirmed Marcus Harris would make his test debut and open the batting with Aaron Finch in the opener of the four-match series,
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "File Picture")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}