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PERTH, Australia : India's Jasprit Bumrah has always enjoyed being thrust into difficult situations so after being handed the captaincy for the opener of a five-test series against Australia the pace spearhead has seized the opportunity with both hands.
The Indian cricket team gears up for the start of the 5-match Test series against Australia, with the first match taking place in Perth, starting Friday. India captain Rohit Sharma is confirmed to not be part of the playing XI, having not reached Australia yet, with vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah taking up his role as the skipper for the match. Though Bumrah refused to delve into any details with regards to playing XI selection, India's practice simulations and media reports do suggest what sort of XI the tourists are likely to go with.
Does Virat Kohli deserve a place in the Indian Test team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia? If only stats were to be considered, the talismanic batter might not get the selectors' nod for the assignment Down Under. However, the reputation Virat has built over the years, especially through his knocks in Australia, makes him a player who cannot be dropped. In the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand, Kohli didn't even cross the 100-run mark cumulatively. Yet, Australian cricket legend Brett Lee feels Kohli is the man to watch out in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The absence of captain Rohit Sharma and batter Shubman Gill has thrown open a challenge for the Indian team management ahead of the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. India don't just need to find another opener to bat alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal but also a No. 3 batter to replace the injured Gill. While the names of KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal have been reported for the two spots, India's 1983 World Cup-winning star Kirti Azad feels head coach Gautam Gambhir should play Virat Kohli at the No. 3 spot.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has backed stalwart Virat Kohli to excel in Australia in the 'biggest Test challenge,' a trial where his competitive spirit truly shines. India and Kohli's recent slump has gone hand-in-hand. The Rohit Sharma-led side succumbed to a historic 3-0 home series whitewash against New Zealand weeks before facing Australia in five Tests, beginning in Perth on Friday. In four years, Kohli has racked up just 1,838 runs from 34 Tests, averaging 31.68, comprising just two centuries and nine fifties.
Teams are starting to "rumble" Ireland and they will have to adapt quickly or else they will "fall apart", former Australia wing David Campese has warned.
The Optus Stadium at Perth, the venue of the highly-anticipated first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, has become a subject of intrigue ahead of the clash. With both teams boasting world-class pace and spin options, both teams are finalising their team combinations as per conditions. With their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final spots at stake amid tough competition from Sri Lanka, South Africa and New Zealand, both sides would be aiming to make the best use of Perth's usual fast and bouncy surface. The venue is a pace-dominated venue, with Australian pacers outdoing the visiting pace attacks with their average of 22.04 as compared to 36.53 of visiting pacers. Coming to spinners, the Aussie tweakers have an average of 18.61 as compared to a poor average of 108.50 by visiting spinners.
Last week, the big message coming from the Ireland camp was "intent", following the sluggish nature of their defeat to New Zealand.