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INDIA’S ADELAIDE: Virat Kohli’s team will begin its quest against an injury-hit Australia at its favourite hunting ground
Virat Kohli and his “fearless” India would look to unleash its might on an Australia team which is ready for revenge but not exactly in the ‘pink of health’ ahead of the first Day/Night Test starting here on Thursday.
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In the series opener, Kohli’s magnificence will meet its match in Steve Smith’s manic consistency. Cheteshwar Pujara’s doggedness will be challenged by Marnus Labuschagne, who is ready to show the world that he isn’t a one-season wonder. All this would be under the lights at the Adelaide Oval. And then there are those fast men on both sides aiming to instil the fear of the pink ball in the twilight zone.
A Josh Hazlewood versus Mohammed Shami will be as enticing a sub-plot as Jasprit Bumrah bowling yorkers in reply to Pat Cummins’s barrage of bouncers. With Ishant Sharma missing from the India ranks and David Warner absent for Tim Paine-led Australia, the teams are evenly placed in terms of strength. However, there will be some distinct home advantage for Australia along with the experience of playing more Day/Night Tests.
A Day/Night match has its own little grammar, where batsmen are expected to attack in the first session while bowlers are at their peak once the sun sets. Never has India been so spoilt for choices with multiple options for various positions.
But, skipper Kohli made it clear that Shubman Gill and KL Rahul will have to wait for their chances with the management deciding to stick with Prithvi Shaw for the opening slot. For the wicketkeeper’s position, Wriddhiman Saha has been preferred over Rishabh Pant.
Also, Umesh Yadav predictably, after his good show in the practice games, got his place in the side as the third pacer. On Tuesday, India’s top batters were troubled by Thangarasu Natarajan’s incoming deliveries at the Adelaide nets.
If Natarajan, at 130-plus, can trouble them so much, left-armer Mitchell Starc can be menacing. At times, less options make it easier to choose and Kohli would hope that he has made the right choices so that Ajinkya Rahane can help India do an encore once he takes a break.
Rahane will do a great job in my absence: Kohli
India captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday backed his deputy Ajinkya Rahane to “do a tremendous job” in leading the side once he goes on paternity leave after the first Test match against Australia here.
He described their relationship as one built on “trust and mutual respect”. Kohli will head home for the birth of his first child after the Day/Night game that starts on Thursday, leaving Rahane to captain the team in the remaining three Tests.
“Well, firstly we have had a lot of mutual understanding and respect over the years. We have had some great partnerships batting together, which is based on trust and understanding on what needs to be done for the team,” Kohli said at a virtual presser when asked how he sees Rahane faring in his absence.
“Jinks did a tremendous job in the two practice games. He seems to be very composed and knows the strengths of our team and how we need to go about things,” said Kohli. The regular skipper made it clear that Rahane would follow the template set by him and added that there is no ambiguity as far as both of them are concerned.
“I am sure that he will do a tremendous job in my absence as well,” said the captain. As of now, Kohli is keen on setting up the base for Rahane to consolidate once he leaves.
‘I am the representation of new India’
Kohli declared himself a “representation of new India”, forever ready to take up challenges with optimism, as he responded to Greg Chappell’s view that he is “the most Australian non-Australian cricketer of all-time”.
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