IND vs AUS Test Series 2023: India's predicted XI against Australia for 1st Test

The Rohit Sharma-led team India is set to host Australia for a four-match Test series scheduled to commence on Thursday, February 9 for the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The heavyweights will take the field at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Nagpur for the first red-ball contest.

Whenever the two giants collide in a format, one can expect interesting match-ups and individual duels. However, what makes this Test special is the fact that the berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final is up for grabs and the two teams are in contention for it.

Adding to this, the hype surrounding the turning tracks that the Indian conditions have to offer and the spicy talks that have begun off the field will surely keep fans glued to their devices to keenly follow the fiercest rivalry.

It is worth mentioning that Australia have not found success in India since the 2004/05 series and therefore will be on the lookout to clinch this series and break the home streak that India currently maintains. 

With the first Test scheduled to kickstart in less than 24 hours, the underlying question remains- how will the two cricketing powerhouses line up? Will the two sides potentially field a spin-dominating bowling department? In any case, the crucial series invariably boils down to the spinners, and what is equally important is to see how the batters will play out the turning ball on the Indian pitches. 

Here’s India’s predicted XI in the 1st Test against Australia

Openers – Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul

Since taking over the captaincy in 2022, Rohit has only featured in two matches owing to several injuries and therefore the Australia series will be crucial for him to establish his credentials as India’s red-ball leader especially with the WTC Final at stake.

Furthermore, this will be the first time that he will lead the side against Australia in Tests at home, and therefore his performances will be closely looked at both as an opener and as captain.

In his last Test outing against Bangladesh, KL Rahul was not too impressive with the bat as he registered scores of ten and two runs across both innings. However, since taking a short break from the sport, the batter will look to go all guns blazing and get the vital runs against a heavyweight team like Australia.

Middle Order - Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, KS Bharat (wk)

Cheteshwar Pujara has been one of the most consistent run-getters for the side against the Aussies at home as he has scored 900 runs in 16 innings. Known for carving out delicate knocks which can possibly get the side ahead in the contest is precisely what Pujara will aim to do in the forthcoming Test assuming he makes the cut. 

Just 64 runs short of achieving a massive feat in the international arena, Kohli has a terrific opportunity to get his name to the 25,000-run mark. After going through a rather underwhelming series in Bangladesh, the batting maestro will be rejuvenated to score big in the series.

After phenomenal outings in the white-ball series against New Zealand courtesy of his jaw-dropping innings, Shubman Gill seems unstoppable at the moment. He will be raring to go against the rival side and be hungry for the runs as he was recently in the white-ball series. 

While India misses out on the services of Rishabh Pant due to a freak accident, KS Bharat could be the man to look up to in the wicketkeeping department. Bharat caught the attention of the fans and selectors alike due to his impressive performances in the Ranji Trophy for Andhra. The stumper-batter got 205 runs in his last five innings for the Ranji side which includes scores of 80 and 89 runs coming at an average of 41.

All-rounder: Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel

Returning to action after over five months following a successful knee surgery, star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja made headlines when he claimed a magnificent seven-wicket haul in a Ranji Trophy game for Saurashtra against Tamil Nadu. Though the Australians will not make life easy for the returnee, Jadeja too will not bow down before giving a tough fight in his comeback game for India.

While Jadeja was kept on the sidelines, Axar Patel took the onus of playing the vital role of coming down the order and scoring the important runs. Adding to this, he proved to be a headache with the ball for the rival sides - Sri Lanka and New Zealand in the recently concluded series. India will back him as the third spinner in the side and Axar will look to use the conditions to his advantage and get the major breakthroughs.

Bowlers - Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami

Apart from his lethal spin, Ravichandran Ashwin will be back to play the mind games with the Aussies. It is evident that the visitors have been preparing hard to counter Ashwin. The Aussies also took the peculiar measure to employ 21-year-old Mahesh Pithiya, who has a similar bowling action as Ashwin to help the side and give them detailed preparation to counter the veteran spinner. Undoubtedly, Ashwin will not make things easier for the Aussies and will be raring to get the wickets.

The experience of both Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami will come in handy for the side. The mix of spin and pace could prove to be a lethal component in the forthcoming game. Both pacers will be on the lookout to control the rival side from getting big totals and break vital partnerships.

Probable team India playing XI -Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wk), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami