Australia will look to continue their strong form in the Test arena in February, with a four-game series scheduled away from home against India.
After making light work of West Indies and South Africa, the top-ranked Test side will face a much tougher task when they head overseas and look to win their first series in India since 2004.
Pat Cummins will lead the Aussies in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, while the likes of Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc will be racing the clock to be fit for the series opener on February 9th.
Rohit Sharma is set to captain the host nation in the massive series, while the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara should also be in action.
Here’s who is expected to line up for both Australia and India in the Test series.
Australia have confirmed an 18-man squad for the upcoming tour of India, with very few changes as expected following a dominant home summer and plenty of in-form players allowing for a balanced set-up.
Ashton Agar, Mitchell Swepson and Todd Murphy have edged out the likes of Matthew Kuhnemann and Adam Zampa for the secondary spinner roles, while the likes of Sean Abbott and Michael Neser have missed out as the seamers.
Matt Renshaw will fly to India after making a long-awaited return to the Test arena and could slot in the top or middle order. Marcus Harris has missed out on selection after not featuring during the home summer.
Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green have both been included in the squad, but are unlikely to feature in the first match due to injury.
Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green are touch-and-go for the series opener against India, after both players suffered finger injuries during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa. Their potential absences will likely be filled by the same men who stepped up for Sydney in the form of Renshaw and Agar, with the Aussies expected to go with a two-pronged spin attack and just two seamers. Green would replace Renshaw in the side if he is fit for the second Test.
Jasprit Bumrah is unlikely to feature for India, with the fast bowler ruled out of an upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka. Ajinkya Rahane has been in strong first-class form as he pushes for a Test recall, but has been left out of the squad. Rishabh Pant is unlikely to feature during the series after being involved in a car accident in December, with back-up keeper KS Bharat expected to take his spot. Sarfaraz Khan has been overlooked despite his 80.47 first-class average, with Indian selectors opting to take white-ball sensation Suryakumar Yadav in the squad.
With the absence of Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami will likely be locked in a battle for the main seam options. India will likely go into the match with two front-line spinners, as both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to feature prominently throughout the series.
India vs Australia: Confirmed squads, predicted lineups for 2023 … – Sporting News
