The veteran Indian cricketer, Rohit Sharma has finally found a place in the Indian Test squad as the team management announced their final 12-member squad for the first Test against Australia at Adelaide Oval, starting Thursday. India will be playing a four-Test series in Australia and as they look for a first-ever Test series victory down under, the beginning to which will be very crucial.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been excluded from the first Test in Australia as India went with three genuine pacers in Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah. India has also included one genuine spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin while Hanuma Vihari might feature as the part-time spinner in the Test. Ahead of the first Test, former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan had backed Umesh Yadav in place of Ishant Sharma for the first Test but captain Virat Kohli decided to carry the experience of Ishant in the Australian conditions.
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In terms of the batting department, it looked more or less sorted with the only change of plan that the Indian management had to make was triggered by Prithvi Shaw’s unfortunate injury in the warm-up match.
Team India's 12 for the 1st Test against Australia in Adelaide: Virat Kohli (C), A Rahane (VC), KL Rahul, M Vijay, C Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, R Pant (WK), R Ashwin, M Shami, I Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah #TeamIndia #AUSvIND
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 5, 2018
It will be interesting to see if Rohit Sharma will be in the playing XI and if he does make it, there are certain chances that he will bat at No.6 with Vihari being sacrificed. Adelaide is expected to be a green pitch that might suit the bowlers of both the teams. The Adelaide curator said ahead of the match that he has decided to leave the green top of the pitch that he particularly created to facilities day and night Test.
India’s final XII for the first Test against Australia:
Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah
