Australia vs India 1st Test: Preview – Pitch Report, Predicted XI, and Head to Head record

The first Test of the much anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy is ready to get underway at Adelaide Oval from Thursday (December 17).

The contest will be a Day-Night encounter to be played with the pink ball. It will be the second pink-ball Test for India. They have earlier played a similar fixture against Bangladesh and won the match.

Australia, on the other hand, have beaten New Zealand, South Africa, England and Pakistan in day-night matches.

Both teams head into the 4-match Test leg after wins in the limited-overs’ series. While Australia took the ODI series 2-1, India won the T20I leg 2-1.

Pitch report

The wicket at Adelaide offers assistance for batsmen, as in general seamers don’t get enough movement off of the pitch. The role of spinners becomes crucial, mostly on days four and five.

Playing combinations

Australia

Ahead of the 4-match series opener, Australian skipper Tim Paine has hinted that Matthew Wade might open in the game along with Joe Burns. Not to mention, Burns along with Marcus Harris were included in the squad due to unavailability of David Warner and Will Pucovski.

Just like Paine, Australia head coach Justin Langer made it clear that young all-rounder Cameron Green will make his Test debut in Adelaide.

Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, and skipper Paine should be part of the middle order.

The pace department will be managed by the trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, with Nathan Lyon as the lone specialist spinner.

AUS XI: Joe Burns, Matthew Wade, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Tim Paine(c/wk), Chris Green, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins.

India

The visitors will have to make a choice between Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw to open the batting with Mayank Agarwal.

Similarly, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, and Ajinkya Rahane should complete the middle-order. While the talented Hanuma Vihari shall fill the place of No. 6 batsmen.

Skipper Kohli will also have to choose between Wriddhiman Saha or Rishabh Pant as the wicket-keeper batsman for the first Test. Although, Pant’s flamboyant hundred in the practice game against Australia A might work in his favour.

Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah should form the side’s pace attack, while Ravichandran Ashwin could play as the lone spinner. There could be a toss-up between Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj, but considering the experience, Umesh might get a place in the playing XI.

IND XI: Shubman Gill/ Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant(wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Umesh Yadav.

Head to head record:

Matches played: 98 | Australia: 42 | India: 28 | Draw: 27 | Tied: 1

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