IND vs AUS: Predicted India Test Squad For Australia (Border-Gavaskar Trophy)

IND vs AUS: Predicted India Test Squad For Australia (Border-Gavaskar Trophy). The Australian cricket team toured India in September 2022 to play three T20I matches as a preparatory series before the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, after which they’re scheduled to tour in February and March 2023 to play four IND vs AUS Test matches.

The likes of batters Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, Priyank Panchal, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Abhimanyu Easwaran may also get a look in apart from pacers Umran Malik, Yash Dayal, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar and spinners Washington Sundar and Saurabh Kumar in the upcoming Australia Test series to be named by a new group of selectors.

Indian Cricketer Rishabh Pant suffered a ligament tear in both of his knees in a car accident. One of them required immediate surgery. He will be unable to participate in the Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL 2023), the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the ODI series against Australia, and the white ball series against New Zealand (IND vs NZ). He’ll be able to compete in the World Test Championship final (WTC Final) if he recovers in time.

With Wriddhiman Saha not in the scheme of things, the 23-year-old Ishan Kishan, who recently scored a double ton in the preceding ODI series against Bangladesh, is competing with another gloveman, KS Bharat, for the Test cap in the 4-match Test series against Australia in place of injured Rishabh Pant.

IND vs AUS: Predicted India Test Squad For Australia (Border-Gavaskar Trophy)

KL Rahul

Senior Indian batter, KL Rahul made his Test debut for India in the Boxing-day Test match in Melbourne against Australia in 2014. Since then, he has delivered some excellent knocks with the bat for India in the longest format of the game.

He averages 34.26 in 45 Tests where he managed 2604 runs. He could score only 57 runs in 4 innings in the recent Bangladesh tour averaging only 14.25 but had won both Tests as a stand-in skipper.

Rohit Sharma (C)

Rohit Sharma has a very cherishing Test career against his name so far as an opener in Tests but missed the Test series against Bangladesh due to dislocated thumb injury suffered in the 2nd ODI against Bangladesh.

He averages around 46 after playing 45 Tests managing 3137 runs. His last Test was against Sri Lanka in March 2022 at home as he missed the 5th rescheduled Test against England (Covid-19) and two Tests against Bangladesh (dislocated thumb). He will definitely feature in the IND vs AUS Test series.

Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill has played 13 Tests and averages 32. Shubman Gill scored 4 fifties and a ton in the 1st Test against Bangladesh. He opened in absence of injured Rohit Sharma in the Tests against Bangladesh and managed 157 runs averaging 39.25.

He scored 259 runs in 3 Tests in his debut Test series in the 2020/21 Australia tour where he scored 91 in the historic Test win at Gabba in the 4th Test. He will definitely feature in the IND vs AUS Test series.

Cheteshwar Pujara

After scoring 720 runs in 8 innings of the county championship with an average of 120, Cheteshwar Pujara made selectors look at him and give him a call back to the national team for the remaining rescheduled 5th Test match against England. He was axed for the home Sri Lanka Test series for poor form. He will definitely feature in the IND vs AUS Test series.

He has amassed more than 7000 runs in 98 Tests averaging nearly 45. The 34-year-old batter who debuted way back in 2010 in Tests may retire after playing 100 Tests in his career in the IND vs AUS Test series. He managed 222 runs averaging 74 in the Test series against Bangladesh and was awarded MOS. He scored 90 and 102* on the 1st Test.

Virat Kohli

Nobody is unacquainted with Virat Kohli’s excellent Test career so far in which he has played 104 Test matches. Appearing in 177 innings, he has scored 8119 runs with a batting average of 48.91 adding 27 centuries and 28 half-centuries to his name. He will definitely feature in the IND vs AUS Test series.

He had a poor Bangladesh tour where he scored only 45 runs in 2 Tests averaging a mere 15. However, his last Test ton came in the 2019 Eden Gardens day-night Test against the same opponents Bangladesh. He might look to end his century drought in the forthcoming IND vs AUS Tests after scoring his maiden T20I ton and 44th ODI ton (against Bangladesh) in 2022.

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer made his Test debut in the home series against New Zealand last year in November. Since then, he has played 7 Test matches for India and delivered some stellar performances in this period. He may feature in the IND vs AUS Test series.

Shreyas Iyer has been consistent with his bat in all formats of the game. He averages 56.73 and has 1 Test ton and 5 fifties beside his name. He averaged 101 in the Test series managing 202 runs against Bangladesh scoring 86 in the 1st Test and 87 and 29* in the 2nd Test.

Sarfaraz Khan

The right-handed batter is in form of his life as he had shown during the Duleep Trophy, Irani Trophy, and Ranji Trophy seasons. Sarfaraz Khan has been in incredible form, having scored runs for India A, Mumbai, and the Rest of India at the first-class level.

In 31 first-class matches, the right-handed batter has scored 2949 runs at an average of 77.6 with 10 hundreds and eight half-centuries. Sarfaraz Khan was the leading run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy 2021-22, where Mumbai lost to Madhya Pradesh in the final.

In six matches, he scored 982 runs at an average of 122.75 with four centuries and two half-centuries to show for his efforts.  Sarfaraz Khan scored 928 runs in the 2019-20 edition of the Ranji Trophy and recorded 982 runs in the 2021-22 edition. He may be selected for the IND vs AUS 4 Test series.

KS Bharat (wk)

KS Bharat may officially debut in the forthcoming IND vs AUS 4 match Test series. He will replace Rishabh Pant who was badly injured in a road accident on Friday, December 30.

KS Bharat has amassed 4533 runs in 84 first-class games averaging 37.46 playing for Andhra with 9 tons and 25 fifties. KS Bharat replaced Wriddhiman Saha behind the stumps after the latter complained of stiffness in his neck ahead of the start of play on Day 3 of the Kanpur Test between India and New Zealand on November 2021 and he took 3 catches behind the stumps.

Ishan Kishan (wk)

Ishan Kishan may be a backup keeper in the forthcoming IND vs AUS 4-match Test series. Ishan Kishan got his chance in the third and final inconsequential ODI against Bangladesh at Chattogram against Bangladesh after captain Rohit Sharma was ruled out due to an injury.

Ishan Kishan eventually perished for 210 off 131 balls. His innings was laced with 10 sixes and 24 boundaries. His knock may earn him a maiden Test call in the upcoming IND vs AUS Test series.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 under the leadership of former Indian skipper MS Dhoni against West Indies in the Delhi Test. Since then, he has amazed everyone with his all-round performances in the longest format of the game. Appearing in 88 Test matches, Ravichandran Ashwin has scalped 449 wickets with a good bowling average of 24.3 and an economy rate of 2.78.

He has claimed five-wicket hauls 30 times in his Test career. With the bat, he has scored 3043 runs averaging 27.41 with 5 tons and 13 fifties. He was MOM in the 2nd Test against Bangladesh, where he scored 42* in the 2nd innings to bail India out of trouble and win the Test. He had also scored 58 on the 1st Test. With the ball, he picked 4/71 and 2/66 in the 2nd Test.

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja missed the Bangladesh Test series despite being named in the squad for not completely recovering from a knee injury.

Ravindra Jadeja has featured in 60 Tests and has scored 2523 runs averaging 36.57 with a career-best 175* coming in his last Test series against Sri Lanka at home. He had also picked 242 Test scalps at 24.71 with 10 scalps coming in the last Test series against Sri Lanka averaging 15.

Umesh Yadav

Since then, Umesh Yadav has played 54 Tests. In his Test career, Umesh Yadav scalped 165 wickets with an average of 30.21 and an economy rate of 3.51 having three five-wicket hauls to his name.

With age not on his side, he may retire from Tests, alongside pacer Ishant Sharma (34 years), keeper Wriddhiman Saha (38 years), and batter Ajinkya Rahane(34 years) who weren’t picked for the Bangladesh Tests. Umesh Yadav picked 7 scalps in 2 Tests against Bangladesh averaging 16.71 with a best of 4/25. He may be selected for IND vs AUS Tests.

Axar Patel

Axar Patel made his Test debut in February 2021, six years after playing his maiden limited-overs match for India, and starred so much so with the ball that he ended up picking 27 wickets from the 3 matches in the series. He took 4 five-wicket hauls as England lost the series 3-1.

England managed to win only the first Test match, which Axar Patel missed due to a knee injury. In his debut Test series, he finished behind Ravichandran Ashwin (32) in the leading wicket-takers list. In just 8 Tests, he has 47 scalps averaging a mere 14.3 which includes as many as 5 five-wicket hauls.

Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur, the pace all-rounder is in contention for a berth in the IND vs AUS Test squad. He has played 8 Tests where he scored 254 runs with 3 fifties and has taken 27 scalps averaging 24.44 with a best of 7/61 in his penultimate Test against Proteas.

Kuldeep Yadav

The chinaman leg spinner has picked 34 wickets in only 8 Tests averaging 21.56. He has 3 five-wicket hauls to his name. His debut Test was way back in the 2016-17 Australia series and the last one came against England in 2021 before being named in the 1st Test against Bangladesh where he scored 40 and picked 8 scalps including a career-best 5/40 averaging a mere 14.13.

Mohammed Siraj

Pacer Mohammed Siraj, who debuted in the famous 2020-21 Australia tour has picked 46 scalps in only 15 Tests averaging 30.39. He picked 13 scalps in 3 Tests on his debut Australia tour and 18 scalps in 5 Tests on the England tour. He picked 6 wickets in the Bangladesh Test series and will spearhead the attack in the IND vs AUS Test series alongside Jasprit Bumrah.

Mohammed Shami

Pacer Mohammed Shami missed the Bangladesh Tests due to a shoulder injury. He has featured in 60 Tests and has picked 216 Test scalps averaging 27.46 with 6 five-wicket hauls. He will definitely feature in IND vs AUS Test series if he’s fit.

Jaydev Unadkat

Jaydev Unadkat may feature in the IND vs AUS Test series after picking 3 scalps in the 2nd Test against Bangladesh. It included his maiden Test wicket as he played a Test after a hiatus of 12 years. Recently, Jaydev Unadkat took three wickets in the opening over of the Ranji Trophy game between Saurashtra and Delhi.

At 5 for 6, Delhi was in trouble when Jaydev Unadkat finished his 21st five-wicket haul in the very first over of the game. Jaydev Unadkat claimed six wickets in the opening hour of play, reducing Delhi to 10 for 7 runs.

Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian pace spearhead’s last Test was in July 2022 when he captained India in the 5th rescheduled Test against England. He has picked 128 scalps in 30 Tests averaging 21.99 with 8 five-wicket hauls. He may feature in the IND vs AUS Test series if fit.

Virat Kohli | Rohit Sharma | Rishabh Pant | KL Rahul | Suryakumar Yadav | Sanju Samson | Shreyas Iyer | Yuzvendra Chahal | Jasprit Bumrah