Team India is heading into the first Test against Australia at Adelaide Oval without regular skipper MS Dhoni, who is currently nursing a thumb injury and is deemed unfit to keep wickets.
All eyes will be on stand-in skipper Virat Kohli as the Delhi-lad is making his debut in whites as a captain. His captaincy record has been quite good and lately he led Team India to a whitewash over Sri Lanka in a five-match home series.
Kohli, importantly, has got his touch back after a dismal outing in England earlier this summer and his record is also more than decent in Australia. He was the only Indian to score a ton in Tests on last tour Down Under and would be hoping to repeat that feat this summer.
Pacer Ishant Sharma’s record against Australia is not very impressive, leave alone the memorable spell he delivered to Ricky Pointing. The lanky pacer has taken 11 wickets in seven Tests at an average of 73.55 – definitely not impressive numbers.
Ishant, however, has been in great form lately and has taken 34 wickets in past 12 months for the Indian team. He is way ahead of Mohammed Shami, who has taken 21 wickets for Team India in whites.
“This is one of the best bowling attacks we have had in Test cricket for a while now with guys who bowl quick, are fit, ready to go and most importantly, are bowling well. It feels good as a captain,” stand-in skipper Virat Kohli said.
“(Whether we go in with five bowlers or four) is a decision we will take after seeing what serves us best,” he added. “We have to believe that whatever combination we go in with, we are going to get positive results out of it.”
“There is no point taking a safer approach. Rather than going in with a combination that looks safe, I’d prefer having an attack that is more aggressive and more out there.”
Where to Watch 1st Test Live Scores
The Australia vs India 1st Test is scheduled for a 05:30pm IST (10:30 local | 00:00 GMT) start at Adelaide Oval. The live score updates of the match will be available HERE, HERE & HERE. Catch the live streaming of Australia vs India, Day 1 HERE & HERE.
Squads: Australia: Chris Rogers, David Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (c), Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris and Nathan Lyon. Josh Hazlewood (12th), Phillip Hughes (13th).
India (probable): Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli (c), Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav.
