India Defines its Lineup for the Adelaide Test
Wriddhiman Saha, R Ashwin, and Prithvi Shaw will represent India in the Adelaide Test, with Umesh Yadav as the third fast bowler. These were the main questions India considered two days before the test. The team debated between maintaining faith in the dynamic Shaw, opting for a spin bowler and persisting with the safer option of Ashwin, and deciding which of the wicketkeepers would play. On the eve of the day-night Test, they resolved all doubts by naming the starting XI. Shaw faced pressure, with Shubman Gill showing better performance in the two tour matches. However, Shaw, as a starting opener, demonstrated in one of the four innings in New Zealand that he can be destructive. Although his scores were not high in the practice matches, his loose shots were worrying.
While it’s reasonable to play Ashwin, this time it could have been argued not to play a spin bowler in the first match of the series. Spin bowlers have averaged 49 in day-night Tests in Australia, despite Lyon’s average of 25 in these matches.
In the case of the wicketkeeper, India left out Pant, who has been preferred to Saha in Tests outside Asia, where most of the wicketkeeping work is done standing back. The management team seems to have decided that the pink ball does a lot and will require a more established wicketkeeper. Yadav was the frontrunner to be India’s third fast bowler, replacing the injured Ishant Sharma. Not only does he have Test experience, but he also impressed in the only practice match he played.India Lineup:
- Mayank Agarwal
- Prithvi Shaw
- Cheteshwar Pujara
- Virat Kohli (c)
- Ajinkya Rahane
- Hanuma Vihari
- Wriddhiman Saha (wk)
- R Ashwin
- Umesh Yadav
- Mohammed Shami
- Jasprit Bumrah
