Team India on Wednesday announced the playing eleven for the first Test of the four-match series against Australia, a pink-ball D/N fixture at the Adelaide Oval.
Most of the debates before the squad announcement centred around one of the opening slots and the wicketkeeper’s position.
Prithvi Shaw has been selected as an opener alongside Mayank Agarwal. On the other hand, Wriddhiman Saha has been picked up ahead of Rishabh Pant to do the glove work.
The Indian team is going in with a batting heavy side for the first Test of the four-match series, with four bowlers including a spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin besides three pace bowlers. They have picked six batsmen.
India captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday said that the onus will be on the senior batsmen and the team management will ask young Shaw to play freely and not worry much.
“They are obviously very, very talented players that is why they are here. Shubman obviously hasn’t got opportunities at this level yet in Test cricket. As and when he gets opportunity, it will be interesting to see because he is obviously a confident young man, Prithvi has performed at Test level but he will be playing in Australia for the first time. It is exciting to see his progress,” Kohli said while speaking on the eve of the first Test.
“Mayank (Agarwal) performed the last time we came here and he batted brilliantly without any baggage. That is what you expect from the young guys, just go out there — they have no baggage from the past — and express themselves and put the team in strong position and play that brand of fearless cricket along with being calculated and reading situations. It is exciting to have young guys as I said who can play more freely.
“(With youngsters we) Just tell (them) to go there and enjoy their skill sets and when they have the opportunity to capitalise as much as possible for the team. And let the senior guys take more responsibility and load of what comes playing a Test match and a full Test series. It is pretty exciting. Looking forward to it and we are confident about them,” added the Indian skipper.
The Virat Kohli-led team will begin their title defence of the Border-Gavaskar trophy with the pink-ball Test in Adelaide from December 17.
The first Test at Adelaide will be India’s first day-nigt Test outside home soil. It will also be skipper Virat Kohli’s only appearance in all-whites in Australia this time as he would return to India on a paternity leave after the opener.
The day-night Test will be followed by Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (December 26), the Sydney Cricket Ground (January 7) and the Gabba (January 15).