India vs Australia: Selection Conundrum for Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid; Who will feature in Nagpur Test?

The Border-Gavaskar Series between India and Australia commences on February 9 as the 1st Test is set to be held in Nagpur.

As India engage themselves in a crucial Test series against Australia, they will have to sort things out about the selection.

The Indian squad has an abundance of talent and diversity, but it has to be seen how the team management goes forward in terms of selection for the first Test. Rahul Dravid and co. have a massive conundrum in terms of selecting players as there are many up in contention. India's squad includes four top-quality spinners, while there will also be a selection headache when it comes to choosing the pacers as well.

Who will be the Two Spinners?

If India go with two spinners in Nagpur, they will have to choose them from the quartet of personnel selected in the squad. Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel are the frontline spinners that have been included. But it has to be seen who gets the nod ahead. Kuldeep has done extremely well in the last Test that he played against Bangladesh, Axar Patel, on the other hand, has been a top-notch performer in the red ball format, while Ravi Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja don't need any introduction. But with Jadeja coming back after a long injury lay-off, the prime all-rounder may have to sit out for the 1st Test.

In terms of performance and balance, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel can be the best choices. The pair not only are great with the ball, but has the ability to score runs with the bat as well. India may not be tempted for a third spinner, but if they are, they can include Kuldeep Yadav in the starting XI.

Umesh/Unadkat - Who is Ahead?

Jaydev Unadkat made a return to Test cricket last December in Bangladesh after a gap of twelve years. He picked up 3 wickets in the match and has been selected for the squad against Australia.

Umesh Yadav hasn't been a regular for India in the recent past, but will be in contention in this series. With Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj set to start for India, the choice of the third seamer can be a tricky thing. The team management will be tilted towards choosing Unadkat as his left-arm pace gives a different dimension to the attack, but Umesh's raw pace and ability to hurry batsman in a pitch like Nagpur can go in his favour.