After nearly a year, Rohit Sharma finally walked onto the field as the Test captain and is leading the home team in the four-match Test series against Australia. The India captain had to stay away from Test cricket action since March 2022 due to different reasons. This is the first time when Rohit is leading India in a Test match against Australia.
Since Rohit made his comeback, there was a change in the playing XI. There were a few more changes in the playing XI from the previous Test match as Suryakumar Yadav and KS Bharat are playing their debut game. As the two teams square off in the much-anticipated series opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, here’s a look at the complete list of changes in Team India’s playing XI.
Rohit Sharma is back in Team India’s playing XI after nearly a year. His previous Test appearance was in the 2nd Test of the series against Sri Lanka. Rohit missed the one-off Test against England due to COVID-19 positive test while he was ruled out of the Bangladesh Test series due to a broken thumb.
Suryakumar Yadav and KS Bharat made their debuts in the first Test of the four-match series in Nagpur. Both players received their debut caps from former India head coach, Ravi Shastri. Suryakumar’s inclusion meant that there was no place for Shubman Gill. Bharat was confirmed to make his debut in Rishabh Pant’s absence.
Ravindra Jadeja was also back in the final XI. He had been away from action since August 2022 due to a knee injury. Mohammed Shami made his comeback in the Test team’s playing XI.
Out
Shubman Gill was a shocking omission from the playing XI. The youngster is in the form of his life and was expected to bat at number 5. But the team management picked Suryakumar. KL Rahul retained his spot. Gill’s dream run in 2023 couldn’t earn him a spot in the playing XI in the opening Test match.
Shreyas Iyer was unavailable for selection due to a shoulder injury. He hasn’t joined the team. Jaydev Unadkat, who played his first Test in 12 years when he took the field against Bangladesh in December 2022, was also dropped.
