India vs Australia: Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja post selfies as Team India leaves for Melbourne

Melbourne, Dec 22: The Indian Cricket Team has arrived in Melbourne to for the upcoming Boxing Day Test against Australia. The second Test match in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), starting December 26.

While their regular skipper Virat Kohli has left for India, the rest of the team landed in Melbourne.

Meanwhile, India spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav took to their respective Instagram handles to keep their fans updated about their whereabouts. Both Kuldeep and Jadeja were not a part of the Playing XI in the Day-Night Test against the Aussies.

Virat Kohli leaves Australia, tells team to express themselves under Ajinkya Rahane

While Jadeja wasn't completely fit due to an injury during the T20I series Down Under, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was preferred over Kuldeep as the lone tweaker from Team India in the game.

Having lost the opening game in Adelaide by 8-wickets, Team India would be looking to come back strongly and level the series under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane.

Kohli left Australian shores on Tuesday having handed over the mantle of leading the team in the remaining three games to Rahane. As Kohli and Anushka Sharma are expecting their first child, the batsman requested the BCCI for paternity leave.

The BCCI obliged and Kohli was set to play only the pink-ball Test. Kohli left for India after having a meeting with his teammates and boosted their morale after what was a demoralising loss to Tim Paine's boys in the first game of the four-match Test series.

India vs Australia | Absence of Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami a hammer blow: Hussey

Being bundled out for just 36 in the second innings of the Adelaide Test saw fans and critics lash out at the Indian team, but skipper Kohli wants the team to move forward and look at what lies ahead.

"Kohli has left Australia today morning. He had a word with the whole unit before leaving and the idea was to boost the confidence of the boys and keep them positive. He officially handed over the mantle of captaincy to Rahane and asked the team to keep showing intent and express themselves on the pitch. With Rohit Sharma set to join the squad only after the second game, Rahane's role becomes all the more important in guiding the youngsters," a source told ANI.