IND vs AUS: Jaydev Unadkat over Umesh Yadav? India's probable XI for 1st Test in Nagpur

It's almost time and the latest edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2022-23 is set to kick off with the first Test in Nagpur from February 9. The series holds a lot of importance for both the teams. Australia, the number one ranked Test team and the table-toppers of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 cycle, are aiming to win their first Test series in India since 2004. For India, the second ranked Test team in the world, a place in the final of WTC is at stake. To book a berth without relying on the results of the matches between other teams, India need to win the series 4-0, 3-0 or 3-1 to become the master of their fate.

The task isn't at all going to be easy and choosing the correct eleven becomes a must. The side whitewashed Bangladesh 2-0 recently and the management is set to take a lot of cue from that tour. For now, the team automatically picks itself on the basis of current form and past reputation.

Rohit Sharma will be back to lead the side after missing the Bangladesh tour. He last played a Test match in March 2022. The opener is set to be joined by another right-hander in Shubman Gill. The youngster has sealed his place completely in all the three formats of the game. On the tour of Bangladesh, the 32-year-old scored his first Test ton.

Cheteshwar Pujara is a sure shot starter and as usual he would be taking over his number three spot. Ever since smashing over 1000 runs in County Championship 2022-23, and making a comeback in Team India, the 35-year-old has shown some solid form. He too scored a hundred in Bangladesh and finished the tour as the highest run-scorer (222 runs at an average of 74). Virat Kohli will renew his quest to resurrect his Test career. In Bangladesh he managed just 45 runs in two matches and there is definitely a section which believes that Kohli's time in red-ball cricket is long gone. However, the management is still showcasing a lot of trust in their former captain. The batsmen look set to create magic at number four.

Many have wished for Suryakumar Yadav to replace Shreyas Iyer in the playing eleven of Team India, however, the management has shown utmost faith in Iyer who has stood tall on it. In Bangladesh he was the second-highest run-scorer in the series after Pujara. The right-hander, who is averaging 56.72 after seven Tests, scored 202 runs at an average of 101. Chasing 145 in the second Test, India were seven down for 74 when Iyer stitched an unbeaten partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin and scripted a 2-0 win.

In the absence of there a three-way competition between Srikar Bharat, Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul. Rahul doesn't have a credibility of donning the wicket-keeping duties on spinning Indian decks and there is a dim chance that Rohit and coach Rahul Dravid would take this risk in a series as big as Border Gavaskar Trophy. Ishan has been called for the for the first time in the Test squad and then there is Bharat who has been with the Indian team for a while now. The 29-year-old has the experience of playing in 89 first-class matches where he has scored 4707 runs at an average of 37.95. His wicket-keeping skills are second to none and is considered best in the country among the current crop. Also, Bharat scored back-to-back fifties in his last two outings in the Ranji Trophy for Andhra. He looks set for an India debut.

Ravindra Jadeja is returning from an injury and in all uncertainty will find a place in the eleven. He gives strength to the batting unit and his left-arm spin is something which will come very handy against Australia who have a plenty of southpaws in their squad. Moreover, Jadeja and Ashwin are India's highest wicket-takers against left-hander's since 107. Ashwin has picked 95 at an average of 19.89, while Jadeja has picked 44 at an average of 26.93. The latter's batting has been a revelation in the past few years. Also, Ashwin too boasts of five Test hundreds. Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav will be benched in this scenario.

India have four pacers in Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Jaydev Unadkat in the squad. The first two players in the list make direct entry in the eleven on the basis of their current form. Umesh picked seven wickets at an average of 16.71 and was equally good but there is a high chance that he will lose his place to Unadkat. The Saurashtra captain picked five wickets in his Test comeback for India after 12 years. He played three Ranji Trophy 2022-23 matches after the series and picked 17 wickets including a historic first-over hat-trick against Delhi. The 31-year-old left-hand pacer also brings in variation in the right-hand heavy India pacer attack.

India Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Chteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Srikar Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jaydev Unadkat