After getting the better of Sri Lanka and New Zealand at home in the white- ball matches, India will now shift its focus to red- ball justice and prepare itself to face the Australian challenge. Indeed though the Aussies haven't won a Test series in India since 2004 and are coming into this series on the reverse of suffering defeats in the last three bilateral series, out of which two were played in Australia, the Rohit Sharma- led Indian platoon ca n’t go to take Pat Cummins &Co. smoothly. They're in good form and haven't lost a Test series since Cummins' appointment as captain in December 2021. The forthcoming four matches hold a lot of applicability for Team India, as their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship( WTC) final for the alternate edition in a row depend on the outgrowth of the forthcoming fourmatches.However, also the 2021 WTC losing finalists will confirm their place in the decider, which will take place at the Oval this time in June, If India manages to beat Australia in at least three matches.
Keeping in mind the tough Australian challenge, India blazoned a strong team by including all available elderly players. Except for Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, and Shreyas Iyer, India will address a nearly full- strength side in the Test series nature, which begins on February 9 in Nagpur. In the series nature, the intriguing thing will be to see Team India’s playing combination, as with the return of commander Rohit in the set- up, India will have three opening batters to choose from, and there are high chances that, despite being in red-hot form, Shubman Gill will have to make way for Rohit and Rahul to open, at least in the Test seriesopener.Keeping the possibility of it passing in mind, former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif has fired a big warning to India’s Testvice-captain Rahul and said that he could lose his place in the XI if his inconsistent form continues.
" It can be, although KL Rahul is the vice captain. I suppose he'll start, but there will be a lot of pressure on KL Rahul," Kaif said on Star Sports." He'll have to score runsstraightaway.However, you'll see Shubman Gill open in place of KL Rahul, If one or two innings go bad."
With Iyer out of the first Test, Kaif feels India can accommodate Gill in the middle order." Gill might get a place atNo. 5 orNo. 6. He'll surely play.( Cheteshwar) Pujara will be atNo. 3 and( Virat) Kohli is atNo. 4.( Shreyas) Iyer isn't yet fit. So there is a spot atNo. 5 orNo. 6 where he could fit. He scored his first Test century lately in Bangladesh. In the last bone to one and a half months, he scored a century in a Test match, scored a double century, and after that, his club has not stopped," he said.
Since the launch of 2023, Gill has played in all 12 matches for Team India and has scored four centuries