IND vs AUS: Rohit Sharma Opts To Bowl First, Two Big Changes To XI For Gabba Test

IND vs AUS: India’s skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bowl first in the Test match that is going on at The Gabba in Brisbane. This was due to overcast conditions and a pitch that seemed a bit soft with some grass cover, which meant that India could take early movement.

After making the decision, Rohit elaborated on the reason behind it, saying, “We’re going to bowl first. Little bit overcast and little bit of grass, looks a bit soft as well, want to make best use of the conditions. Lot of cricket to be played, both teams have played good cricket in the last two games. Big game for us here, we’ll do what is expected of us. We’ll play good cricket, we understand we have to capture some moments, we didn’t do that in the previous game which is why we lost. It’s absolutely buzzing, the guys are looking forward to the match, we’re looking forward to coming out here and playing. Looks a little soft at this point in time, conditions bit overcast as well, it will get better to bat as it goes on.”

Crucial Changes In Playing XI

As part of his team strategy, Rohit announced two major changes to the Indian lineup. Both Akash Deep and Ravindra Jadeja were included in the playing XI in place of Harshit Rana and Ravichandran Ashwin. This is the first time that both Akash and Jadeja will be seen in this tour’s Test series. They bring fresh energy to the squad. Rohit added, “We’ve made two changes. Jadeja and Akash are back in place of Ashwin and Harshit.”

Australia Makes One Change To Their Lineup

On the other side, Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, also made a slight adjustment to his team. The fit-again Josh Hazlewood replaced Scott Boland in the lineup. Speaking about the conditions and team preparation, Cummins mentioned, “We would have bowled first too. It’s been a fantastic series so far, and we’re really happy with our performance last week. Almost everyone has pulled together, and the preparations had been superb. The Adelaide early finish allowed us to travel here early and settle down. Just one change Scott Boland out for Hazlewood.

Exciting Contest Ahead

With both teams being in excellent nick, this game at The Gabba is sure to prove to be a very interesting match. Rohit’s strategy of opting to bowl might prove crucial in this one, as the conditions may seem more suited for bowlers.

IND vs AUS: Playing XI’s

Australia: Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.

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