#IndiaInAustralia: Preview, Playing XI and TV listing of first Test
What's the story
India are set to lock horns with Australia in the first Test of the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide, starting tomorrow. Virat Kohli's men will be confident when they take to the field tomorrow, as they are coming from a 2-0 victory against West Indies. Both captains have also announced their squads for the fixture. Will India start off this series with a win?
India
Team news from the Men in Blue's corner
India have changed their five-bowler policy, as they named three pacers and a lone spinner in the 12-man squad. Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah will form the pace battery. The trio will be supported by Ravichandran Ashwin. With Rohit Sharma back into the fold, it remains to be seen if he opens for India or battles for the spot with Hanuma Vihari.
Stats
Interesting stats to gear you up for the encounter
Adelaide is a happy hunting ground for the Indian skipper Virat Kohli. He has scored three tons in four innings here, while averaging a humongous 98.50. The 2014-15 series against Australia saw Kohli scoring four tons, with two in Adelaide. While seven Indian cricketers from the aforementioned series might take to the field, one only Australian, Nathan Lyon will be playing, this time around.
Australia
Australia will want to show they can dominate at home
Australia have been going through a turmoil in the recent past. They look weakened due to the absence of stars, Steven Smith and David Warner. Further, they want to change their aggressive attitude, but former captains Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting believe a strong body language is important in Tests. Aussies will want to prove the detractors wrong by putting up a commendable shift.
Team
How are the hosts looking before the match?
Marcus Harris will be Australia's choice for the opener, along with Aaron Finch. Usman Khawaja will take up the third spot. Interestingly, Mitchell Marsh has been dropped from the squad in favor of Peter Handscomb. Tim Paine has clarified that Marsh was omitted from the squad as he failed to deliver consistent performances. However, he believes Marsh will be required in the series later.
Twitter Post
Here is India's squad for the first Test
Team India's 12 for the 1st Test against Australia in Adelaide: Virat Kohli (C), A Rahane (VC), KL Rahul, M Vijay, C Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, R Pant (WK), R Ashwin, M Shami, I Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah #TeamIndia #AUSvIND
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 5, 2018
Information
Match timings and conditions
Adelaide's pitch would be dry with the first day's weather predicted to be hot. The pitch and weather conditions point towards spin being a vital element in the match. The match is scheduled to start from 5:30 AM tomorrow and will be telecast on the Sony network. It can also be live-streamed on Sony Liv's website or mobile application.