Team India’s training session on Tuesday made the batting line-up for the upcoming IND vs AUS first Test, clear. As per an image, that went viral on social media, India’s potential top five were seen practicing catches in the slip cordon — Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Devdutt Padikkal, and Rishabh Pant.
IND vs AUS, 1st Test
But there was another takeaway from that session. Virat Kohli, who has been struggling for form this year in Tests, put in extra effort to iron out the glitches in his technique. The 36-year-old did not leave the nets for long at the Optus Stadium, even after the session was halted due to rain.
Virat Kohli Braves Rain
Virat was widely criticised for failing badly in the IND vs NZ series, where he managed to score only 70 in one of the innings. But then, IND vs AUS series could just be the turnaround he needs in his Test career. For the record, Virat has an excellent record in Australia where he has scored 1352 runs in 13 Tests, at an average of 54. That also includes four tons in the 2018-19 series.
Meanwhile, for the upcoming series, there are a few concerns that the Indian team has to address. Shubman Gill is injured, Rohit Sharma won’t be available for the 1st Test, due to the birth of his second child, while the others are in poor form. For the same, Devdutt Padikkal and Abhimanyu Easwaran have been asked to stay back for the series.
Now, all eyes will be on India’s batting order. Virat will stick to his no. 4 position, while Jaiswal will open with KL Rahul. Rishabh Pant will follow at no. 5, and Washington Sundar could follow at No. 6.
India squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (Wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Rishabh Pant (Wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
