IND vs AUS: KL Rahul Gives Insight into India’s Possible Starting XI for Australia Test
The first Test between India and Australia will be played at Nagpur
Ahead of the eagerly awaited Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023, KL Rahul, the vice-captain of the Indian cricket team, opened up on the upcoming challenge and offered a clue about India’s probable starting eleven for the first Test match, set to be played from February 9 at Nagpur.
The Karnataka batter stated that the starting lineup for the team is not finalised yet as there are still some positions that the management is working to fill in. As per reports, the track at Nagpur could be a rank-turner and hence India is pondering over going with three spinners.
KL Rahul’s Statement:
“Not decided on playing XI, tough decision, couple of vacancies are there, If the situation demands us to play free shots we will go for it otherwise we stick to the regular Test cricket batting template. It is basically trying to work out a plan between the batters in the middle.”
The 30-year-old also talked about the opposition ahead of the series and emphasised that Australia is a formidable team regardless of practice games. Rahul further stated that this series is a do-or-die situation for the team as they aim to qualify for the World Test Championship finals.
“Australian team not playing practice games won’t make much of a difference, they are a quality side and they would have prepared well. It’s a must-win series, When it is India vs Australia it always is. It’s no different than any other Border-Gavaskar series, eyes are on WTC as well.”
It will be intriguing to observe if India opts for a spin-heavy attack in the Nagpur Test or sticks to their conventional approach. If India decides to field three spin bowlers, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and R Ashwin are likely to lead the charge.
