Australia v India, first Test: Bumrah captain, Rahul, Kohli to lead team with top young duo
Behind the team’s official shroud of silence – and late night fun involving e-scooters – there remains a mystery about how India will line up for the first Test. BEN HORNE has the edge on some potential changes for the Perth clash, with starts on Friday.
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India might have spent much of the build-up to the first Test hiding around corners, but after dark the cricketing superstars come out to play zooming around Perth on e-scooters.
Multiple members of the squad including wicket keeping weapon Rishabh Pant have been spotted gleefully embracing the e-scooter craze which has taken over the Perth CBD.
Their night time escapades highlight how much the Indians embrace the freedom they can have in Australia, despite the bizarre subterfuge antics which they continue to bring to their training sessions.
On Tuesday at Perth Stadium, media were under strict instructions to view training only from one specific bay, and were ordered not to stand behind the nets, despite it being a public walkway.
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India has been in Australia more than a week and not one player or coach has spoken publicly.
The contrast between the ducks and drakes at the stadium and how out and about the Indians are outside of their official duties couldn’t be more stark.
Superstar Virat Kohli was spotted in an East Perth café reading The West Australian newspaper.
A group of players rode their e-scooters to an inner-city Nandos for dinner – a simple pleasure they simply cannot enjoy at home in India where they’re swarmed in public.
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Intrigue is building around the make-up of the Indian XI for Friday’s blockbuster series opener in Perth, with captain Rohit Sharma set to miss the match as well as injured opener Shubman Gill (broken thumb).
KL Rahul is set to open the batting alongside rising sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal, with mail around that Devdutt Padikkal may be called out of the Indian A team to bat at No.3 in the first Test.
Padikkal has played one solitary Test, against England earlier this year, where he made a 50.
He is likely to be joined by another India A graduate Dhruv Jurel (three Tests) who looked the most assured batsman during the match against Australia A at the MCG last week.
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Bowling wise, Jasprit Bumrah is set to captain the team alongside Mohammed Siraj, with Prasidh Krishna (two Tests) likely to be third seamer.
India may consider a fourth quick, and debutant Harshit Rana if it decides against picking Ravichandran Ashwin as a spin twin for Ravindra Jadeja.
Behind the scenes in India, moves are underfoot to fly fast bowling guru Mohammed Shami over to Australia after the first or second Test as he continues to impress in his comeback from injury, proving his fitness by running through mud.
There is enormous pressure on Indian superstar Kohli to turn around his slumping form over recent years to lead this bits and pieces Indian outfit back from the abyss of being humiliated 3-0 on home soil by New Zealand.
Kohli looked scratchy in the nets on Tuesday, nicking several deliveries in between rain interruptions at the Perth Stadium nets.
Australian great Nathan Lyon said his team will not be writing off Kohli from a Lazarus-like revival this summer.
“Look at his record out here,” Lyon said.
“Overall, look at his record. You don’t write off champions.
“I’ve got nothing but respect for Virat.
“I want to get him out, there’s no point in hiding behind that, but it’s challenging.
“Him and Smithy (Steve Smith) are probably the best two batters in our last era of this last decade.
“It’s been pretty amazing competing against him for so many times.”
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Originally published as Australia v India, first Test: Bumrah captain, Rahul, Kohli to lead team with top young duo
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