IND vs AUS: Revealed - Why Is Shubman Gill Not Playing Today's Match Against Australia

Rohit Sharma-led India are currently facing five-time champions Australia in their first match of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023. Young Indian batter Shubman Gill failed to make it into the playing XI for the team’s marquee tournament opening match in Chennai.

Australian skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and opted to bat first at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday, October 8. The conditions are expected to assist spin bowlers in Chennai, as the hosts fielded their three spinners in the line-up for the high-voltage match.

Shubman Gill Didn’t Recover In Time – Rohit Sharma

Speaking at the toss, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma confirmed that Shubman Gill couldn’t recover in time for the World Cup opener. Rohit revealed that Ishan Kishan will take on the role of opener in the absence of Shubman Gill.

“Unfortunately he (Shubman Gill) didn’t recover in time, we waited till today morning and he couldn’t recover. Ishan comes in to replace him, he will open the batting,” Rohit Sharma said.

Gill was expected to open the batting alongside Rohit Sharma for India. However, the 24-year-old is currently suffering from dengue since reaching Chennai. He failed to recover from a high fever, despite the team management waiting until the last minute.

We Have Covered All Bases – Rohit Sharma

The Indian skipper emphasized the importance of understanding the conditions and adapting the bowling strategy, highlighting the team’s preparations for the tournament.

“The conditions are there for the bowlers and the ball will turn as the game goes on, you need to understand what line and lengths to bowl and adjust accordingly. We played a lot of cricket before that, we played two good series before the warm up games, we have covered all bases.”

The Men in Blue excluded Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, and Suryakumar Yadav from the playing XI. Australia picked Adam Zampa as the sole spinner, with Glenn Maxwell as an extra spin-bowling option.

India vs Australia Playing XI

Australia: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey(w), Cameron Green, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

India: Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

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