Team India gets into Test match practice mode ahead of Australia tour

The Indian cricket team is getting the feel of the red and pink balls in their practice sessions before the series against Australia takes off next week.

Even though the tour begins with the limited-overs series (3 ODIs and 3 T20Is), the players from all three squads were seen taking part in the test match practice.

The skipper Virat Kohli and batsman KL Rahul shared their net sessions on their Twitter handles facing the pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami and spin of Ravindra Jadeja with the pink and red balls.

Love test cricket practice sessions pic.twitter.com/XPNad3YapF

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) November 17, 2020

Good to be back in blue pic.twitter.com/cCo8UecBWg

— K L Rahul (@klrahul11) November 17, 2020

The pace duo of Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Shami were seen hitting their straps in tandem bowling with the coloured balls.

The master and his apprentice

When @MdShami11 and Siraj bowled in tandem at #TeamIndia's nets. Fast and accurate! pic.twitter.com/kt624gXp6V

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 17, 2020

Mohammed Siraj got a maiden call-up into the Test squad on the back of consistent performances in domestic cricket and better returns in the recently concluded IPL. 

He got the ball to seam and caused the trouble for the opposition batsmen. With Ishant Sharma still recovering from his oblique muscle tear injury, Siraj has high chances of donning the India blue in the longest format.

While, Shami continued his exceptional international form in the IPL too, with excellent lines and lengths and accuracy whether in the powerplay or at the death.

The Border-Gavaskar trophy begins on December 17 with the sole day-night test at Adelaide Oval, which will also be the only test Kohli will be playing in the series. 

This will also be their first pink-ball overseas test after they played their inaugural game against Bangladesh in November last year. The series opens with the 50-over games with the first match going to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 27 November.