1. M Vijay
The Tamil Nadu batsman has made the opening slot his own. He has grown in confidence and stature with every innings in this series. With 402 runs in six outings, Vijay is behind only Virat Kohli in the list of highest run-scorers this series. Another big one knock in the offing, perhaps.
2. KL Rahul
Picked as a reserve opener, the Karnataka lad must be given another shot. And he ought to bat right at the top. Yes, he played two atrocious shots in his debut Test, but making him bat at No. 6 and then at No. 3 was unfair. In any case, Shikhar Dhawan has failed to get going.
3. Cheteshwar Pujara
Make no mistake, the upcoming Sydney Test is an important one for Pujara. The Rajkot-based right-hander hasn't been his reliable self on this tour. You ought to expect a lot more than 201 runs in six innings from your No. 3 batsman. It's time he scored a big one.
4. Virat Kohli (C)
The man under the spotlight. Having made his point with the bat this series (499 runs in six innings at an average of 83), Kohli will now have to lead the side with the same intent and aggression. This match will be more a test for Kohli the captain than Kohli the batsman.
5. Ajinkya Rahane
Over the past 12 months, the Mumbaikar has been India's best batsman in overseas series. With 348 runs in three Tests, Rahane has shown what one can achieve with a talent, technique and temperament can do. Don't be surprised if he gets going again.
6. Suresh Raina
The most debatable spot, this. The reason Raina gets the nod ahead of Rohit Sharma is that the latter has more work to do. A rejuvenated Raina, who seems to have worked on his technique, is worth a shot. His part-time off-spin and superb fielding can help the team.
7. Wriddhiman Saha (WK)
An automatic pick after the retirement of MS Dhoni. He did play the first Test, throwing his wicket away in the second innings to harm India's victory push. This is his chance to cement his spot in the team, especially with a few other contenders fighting for the wicketkeeper's spot.
8. R Ashwin
He still seems to be bowling a touch too straight in this series.. But with seven wickets in two Tests at an economy rate of 3.18, the offie has made a decent comeback. The Sydney pitch should provide him plenty of assistance to make a big impact.
9. Axar Patel
India will need two spinners in Sydney. The 20-year-old Gujarat lad gets the nod ahead of leg-spinner Karn Sharma. The latter was a surprise pick in the first Test, but most spin experts felt he wasn't quite Test material yet. Patel can provide that variety with his left-arm spin. He is a handy batsman too.
10. Ishant Sharma
The lanky pacer has looked threatening only in patches. He is India's most experienced bowler and should play the final Test despite the excessive workload. Fit or not, Bhuvneshwar Kumar should be preserved for the tri-series and the all-important World Cup.
11. Umesh Yadav
He's been the best among the quicks, both in terms of number of wickets and pace. Yes, he has been expensive — that's something he needs to work on — but most captains will take 10 wickets from two Tests. The others — Mohammed Shami and Varun Aaron — have been ineffective to say the least.
){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}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}