<p>The Adelaide Test may not have gone as per the plans for the Indian team but there were some positives to take for the visitors despite the crushing eight-wicket defeat to Australia. Ravichandran Ashwin bamboozled the Australian batsmen, including Steve Smith, as he picked up four wickets in the first innings to restrict Australia to just 190 runs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Smith, who is one of the finest batsmen of this generation, hailed Ashwin for executing his plans to perfection. Ashwin kept Smith silent during his 29-ball stay at the pitch in the first innings before dismissing him with a ripper. Ashwin bowled a few off-spinners before firing a straighter one to Smith as the Aussie batter edged it to the first slip, where Ajinkya Rahane took a sharp catch.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/suresh-raina-guru-randhawa-arrested-and-booked-in-raid-at-mumbai-club-351548" hreflang="en">Suresh Raina, Guru Randhawa arrested and booked in raid at Mumbai club</a></strong></p>

<p>Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Smith lauded Ashwin while terming him a ‘world-class performer’.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"No (when asked about if his dismissal was a case of preparing too hard for the pace battery of India). I just knicked one that didn't spin; unfortunately that happens sometimes. I thought it was pretty well bowled, to be honest. The two balls prior spun a bit and got a bit grip of the wicket and the next one was kind of side-spin which skidded off. I didn't play as well as I would have liked. It was some decent bowling," Smith said while replying to a query from ANI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Playing in Australia and playing in India is a bit different; the ball doesn't spin as much as it spins in India. He is a good bowler, he has played a lot of cricket now. He is a world-class performer," he further said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I know he got the better of me the other day; hopefully, I will learn something and move forward and play him a little bit better in the next game," Smith added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/players-will-go-out-new-faces-will-come-in-but-what-about-mr-ravi-shastri-351379" hreflang="en">Players will go out, new faces will come in. But what about Mr Ravi Shastri?</a></strong></p>

<p>Smith admitted that he needs to adapt quickly to spin bowling which India have to offer in the four-match Test series while adding that spinners who do well in Australia are generally the ones who get over the top.</p>

<p>"He tried to bowl from round the wicket and skid it on. It was a good piece of bowling. Part of playing anywhere is adapting," said Smith during a virtual press conference.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I too couldn't bat the same against spinners in India as I do here. You gotta adapt. Spinners that do well here are generally who get over the top," he added.</p>

<p>India head into the Boxing Day Test without Virat Kohli (paternity leave) and Mohammed Shami (injured) with Ajinkya Rahane set to lead the side in the Test, starting December 26 in Melbourne.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Adelaide Test may not have gone as per the plans for the Indian team but there were some positives to take for the visitors despite the crushing eight-wicket defeat to Australia.

The Adelaide Test may not have gone as per the plans for the Indian team but there were some positives to take for the visitors despite the crushing eight-wicket defeat to Australia. Ravichandran Ashwin bamboozled the Australian batsmen, including Steve Smith, as he picked up four wickets in the first innings to restrict Australia to just 190 runs. Smith, who is one of the finest batsmen of this generation, hailed Ashwin for executing his plans to perfection. Ashwin kept Smith silent during his 29-ball stay at the pitch in the first innings before dismissing him with a ripper. Ashwin bowled a few off-spinners before firing a straighter one to Smith as the Aussie batter edged it to the first slip, where Ajinkya Rahane took a sharp catch. ALSO READ: Suresh Raina, Guru Randhawa arrested and booked in raid at Mumbai club Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Smith lauded Ashwin while terming him a ‘world-class performer’. "No (when asked about if his dismissal was a case of preparing too hard for the pace battery of India). I just knicked one that didn't spin; unfortunately that happens sometimes. I thought it was pretty well bowled, to be honest. The two balls prior spun a bit and got a bit grip of the wicket and the next one was kind of side-spin which skidded off. I didn't play as well as I would have liked. It was some decent bowling," Smith said while replying to a query from ANI. "Playing in Australia and playing in India is a bit different; the ball doesn't spin as much as it spins in India. He is a good bowler, he has played a lot of cricket now. He is a world-class performer," he further said. "I know he got the better of me the other day; hopefully, I will learn something and move forward and play him a little bit better in the next game," Smith added. ALSO READ: Players will go out, new faces will come in. But what about Mr Ravi Shastri? Smith admitted that he needs to adapt quickly to spin bowling which India have to offer in the four-match Test series while adding that spinners who do well in Australia are generally the ones who get over the top. "He tried to bowl from round the wicket and skid it on. It was a good piece of bowling. Part of playing anywhere is adapting," said Smith during a virtual press conference. "I too couldn't bat the same against spinners in India as I do here. You gotta adapt. Spinners that do well here are generally who get over the top," he added. India head into the Boxing Day Test without Virat Kohli (paternity leave) and Mohammed Shami (injured) with Ajinkya Rahane set to lead the side in the Test, starting December 26 in Melbourne.

'World-class performer': Steve Smith hails Ravichandran Ashwin for terrific display in Adelaide Test

<p>Talismanic Australia batsman Steve Smith said Tuesday he would love Sydney to host the new year Test against India as planned, despite the city currently battling a coronavirus outbreak.</p>

<p>"Personally I'd love Sydney to happen, I love playing at the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground), it's my home ground," Smith said.</p>

<p>Australia's largest city has been virtually sealed off from the largely virus-free rest of the country after a cluster of coronavirus cases were uncovered, raising serious doubts about the third Test which is scheduled to start on January 7.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I think everyone's preference here would be to play in Sydney, but we will always be guided by experts," Smith said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If the Sydney clash goes ahead, the players could have problems travelling to Brisbane for the final Test a week later after Queensland effectively closed its border to Sydney.</p>

<p>The second Test starts in Melbourne on Boxing Day and back-to-back Tests there could be an option.</p>

<p>Otherwise, they could return to Adelaide, where Australia won the opening Test by eight wickets on Saturday, or host two in a row in Brisbane.</p>

<p>Australia are currently leading the Test series 1-0, after an Indian second-innings batting collapse in Adelaide.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India were bowled out for their record Test low of 36 by Australia's trio of fast bowlers led by Josh Hazlewood, who took five wickets for eight runs, Pat Cummins who grabbed &nbsp;four, backed up by Mitchell Starc.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Smith said that victory rested on one of the best performances he had seen from a group of Australian pace bowlers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I played a lot of cricket with all three of those fast bowlers and I reckon the length they bowled consistently was as good as I've seen," he said.</p>

<p>"The lengths they were hitting were just impeccable."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Smith refused to be drawn on whether India, who will now be without Virat Kohli, could bounce back in the second Test beginning on Boxing Day in Melbourne.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Every individual is different -- the way they take their dismissals, how they think about the game after it's finished," he said.</p>

<p>Smith said playing a Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was always special.</p>

<p>"It's sort of like a dream come true in a way I think, as a kid I always wanted to play in a Boxing Day Test match, I always remember watching the Boxing Day Tests at home with the family after Christmas.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"To walk out on Boxing Day and play, you sort of get the shivers down your spine and the hairs on the back of your neck rise up and it's just a great feeling."&nbsp;</p>


Talismanic Australia batsman Steve Smith said Tuesday he would love Sydney to host the new year Test against India as planned, despite the city currently battling a coronavirus outbreak.

Talismanic Australia batsman Steve Smith said Tuesday he would love Sydney to host the new year Test against India as planned, despite the city currently battling a coronavirus outbreak. "Personally I'd love Sydney to happen, I love playing at the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground), it's my home ground," Smith said. Australia's largest city has been virtually sealed off from the largely virus-free rest of the country after a cluster of coronavirus cases were uncovered, raising serious doubts about the third Test which is scheduled to start on January 7. "I think everyone's preference here would be to play in Sydney, but we will always be guided by experts," Smith said. If the Sydney clash goes ahead, the players could have problems travelling to Brisbane for the final Test a week later after Queensland effectively closed its border to Sydney. The second Test starts in Melbourne on Boxing Day and back-to-back Tests there could be an option. Otherwise, they could return to Adelaide, where Australia won the opening Test by eight wickets on Saturday, or host two in a row in Brisbane. Australia are currently leading the Test series 1-0, after an Indian second-innings batting collapse in Adelaide. India were bowled out for their record Test low of 36 by Australia's trio of fast bowlers led by Josh Hazlewood, who took five wickets for eight runs, Pat Cummins who grabbed four, backed up by Mitchell Starc. Smith said that victory rested on one of the best performances he had seen from a group of Australian pace bowlers. "I played a lot of cricket with all three of those fast bowlers and I reckon the length they bowled consistently was as good as I've seen," he said. "The lengths they were hitting were just impeccable." Smith refused to be drawn on whether India, who will now be without Virat Kohli, could bounce back in the second Test beginning on Boxing Day in Melbourne. "Every individual is different -- the way they take their dismissals, how they think about the game after it's finished," he said. Smith said playing a Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was always special. "It's sort of like a dream come true in a way I think, as a kid I always wanted to play in a Boxing Day Test match, I always remember watching the Boxing Day Tests at home with the family after Christmas. "To walk out on Boxing Day and play, you sort of get the shivers down your spine and the hairs on the back of your neck rise up and it's just a great feeling."

Smith hopes virus-hit Sydney can still host third India Test

<p>Young Indian opener Prithvi Shaw is likely to be dropped from the Indian playing XI for the Boxing Day Test, scheduled to start from January 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. While there are calls for Shubman Gill to replace Shaw in the opening slot, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has given his take on who should replace Shaw as the opener in Indian playing XI.</p>

<p>Shaw has looked out of form since the Indian Premier League and continued his poor run of form in the warm-up matches against Australia A. However, he was handed a start in the Adelaide Test, which ended up in Australia’s favour with Shaw returning with scores of 0 and 4.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India lost the Adelaide Test by eight wickets after a historic collapse but are looking to make a few changes into the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/players-will-go-out-new-faces-will-come-in-but-what-about-mr-ravi-shastri-351379" hreflang="en">Players will go out, new faces will come in. But what about Mr Ravi Shastri?</a></strong></p>

<p>Gavaskar has said that KL Rahul should replace Prithvi Shaw in the Indian playing XI in the Boxing Day Test. Rahul has been in superb touch in limited-overs cricket but his past form in Test cricket has been shoddy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“India will look at making 2 changes. Firstly, maybe Kl Rahul should replace Prithvi Shaw as an opener. At No. 5 or No. 6, Shubman Gill should come in. His form has been good. Things can change if we start well,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak.</p>

<p>With India missing Virat Kohli for the remainder of the Test series, Gavaskar said Gill can slot in at number 5 or 6.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/aus-vs-ind-virat-kohli-to-hold-special-team-meeting-before-leaving-for-india-351326" hreflang="en">AUS vs IND: Virat Kohli to hold special team meeting before leaving for India</a></strong></p>

<p>“India should start the Melbourne Test well, it’s necessary for them to step onto the ground with a lot of positivity. Australia’s weak point is their batting,” said Gavaskar.</p>

<p>“India have to believe that they can come back in the remainder of the Test series. If India don’t find the positivity, then there 4-0 series loss can happen. But if they have positivity, why not? It can happen (comeback). It’s natural that there is anger after such a performance. But in cricket, anything can happen. Look at how the scene was yesterday, and what has happened today,” he explained.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Young Indian opener Prithvi Shaw is likely to be dropped from the Indian playing XI for the Boxing Day Test, scheduled to start from January 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Young Indian opener Prithvi Shaw is likely to be dropped from the Indian playing XI for the Boxing Day Test, scheduled to start from January 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. While there are calls for Shubman Gill to replace Shaw in the opening slot, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has given his take on who should replace Shaw as the opener in Indian playing XI. Shaw has looked out of form since the Indian Premier League and continued his poor run of form in the warm-up matches against Australia A. However, he was handed a start in the Adelaide Test, which ended up in Australia’s favour with Shaw returning with scores of 0 and 4. India lost the Adelaide Test by eight wickets after a historic collapse but are looking to make a few changes into the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test. ALSO READ: Players will go out, new faces will come in. But what about Mr Ravi Shastri? Gavaskar has said that KL Rahul should replace Prithvi Shaw in the Indian playing XI in the Boxing Day Test. Rahul has been in superb touch in limited-overs cricket but his past form in Test cricket has been shoddy. “India will look at making 2 changes. Firstly, maybe Kl Rahul should replace Prithvi Shaw as an opener. At No. 5 or No. 6, Shubman Gill should come in. His form has been good. Things can change if we start well,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak. With India missing Virat Kohli for the remainder of the Test series, Gavaskar said Gill can slot in at number 5 or 6. ALSO READ: AUS vs IND: Virat Kohli to hold special team meeting before leaving for India “India should start the Melbourne Test well, it’s necessary for them to step onto the ground with a lot of positivity. Australia’s weak point is their batting,” said Gavaskar. “India have to believe that they can come back in the remainder of the Test series. If India don’t find the positivity, then there 4-0 series loss can happen. But if they have positivity, why not? It can happen (comeback). It’s natural that there is anger after such a performance. But in cricket, anything can happen. Look at how the scene was yesterday, and what has happened today,” he explained.

Sunil Gavaskar wants this batsman to replace Prithvi Shaw in Boxing Day Test vs Australia

<p>“If you look at the last three years, we [Indian cricket team] have won nine matches overseas and three series (against West Indies and twice in Sri Lanka). I can't see any other Indian team in the last 15-20 years that have had the same run in such a short time, and you have had some great players playing in those series. So the promise is there, and it's just about getting tougher mentally,” Indian head coach Ravi Shastri had said about the Indian team with beaming pride in 2018 just after England handed a painful 4-1 Test series defeat.</p>

<p>In July 2017, Ravi Shastri was appointed as the head coach of the Indian cricket team after Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble (former Indian head coach)&nbsp;didn’t get together well enough, which resulted in the latter resigning from his post – a saga well documented in public.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Since Shastri’s appointment, India have defeated Sri Lanka (home and away), South Africa (home), the West Indies (home and away), Bangladesh (home), Afghanistan (one-off Test at home) and Australia (away) but have suffered glaring defeats against England (away), South Africa (away) and New Zealand (away).</p>

<p>The latest addition into the matches India have played under Shastri’s tenure as head coach is the Adelaide Horror, where the Virat Kohli-led visitors were skittled out for 36 runs in the second innings with none of the batters managing to get to double digits.</p>

<p><img alt="India vs Australia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b77ee441-0488-46bc-8622-41e15f4c1e9e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_8XF7WC.jpg" /></p>

<p>India may well go onto turn the tables and win the series (a mammoth task)&nbsp;but the scars of 36 have been etched into the hearts of the Indian cricket fans forever.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/indias-self-destructive-duo-fire-shastri-and-axe-captain-kohli-save-india-please-bcci-350981" hreflang="en">India's self destructive duo: Fire Shastri and axe captain Kohli, save India please BCCI</a></strong></p>

<p>Ravi Shastri has always sounded bullish about Indian team and the talent it possesses, no second thought about it because it is indeed a supremely talented bunch of players. The bowling attack is arguably the best Indian team has had so far in their history. The batting unit led by Virat Kohli consists of quality players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Mayank Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari – all of them have stood out in some series or another but the questions remain; is this Indian team utilizing its potential collectively? When will Ravi Shastri and co. start producing results overseas? Why does India often get tactically outclassed on foreign soil?</p>

<p><img alt="India vs Australia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="179db4ef-827b-4459-ba0c-173edb9ec23a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_8XF6G3.jpg" /></p>

<p>India have been dominating home series and that has been the case for long, long before Ravi Shastri. The 2-1 Border Gavaskar Trophy win in 2018-19 was historic, no shadow of doubt about it. Then Australia were without David Warner and Steve Smith, and India pounced on each and every opportunity that came towards them in the series and registered their first-ever Test series win on Australian soil and became the first Asian side to do so. Fair enough. But did the Indian team utilize the momentum and became a better side? No.</p>

<p>Let’s not even go back to Freedom Trophy, when India visited South Africa in 2017-18 or even the Pataudi Trophy, when India visited England in 2018. India lost both the series. Some will say due to poor reading of conditions, many will say India were tactically and technically outclassed by the hosts.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/warne-vs-tendulkar-monkeygate-5-classic-australia-vs-india-encounters-349950" hreflang="en">Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters</a></strong></p>

<p>Just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, India were humiliated by New Zealand and ended up losing the series 2-0. Completely dominated and outclassed by the Kane Williamson-led outfit. Then the pandemic struck and the series drubbing slowly took a backseat amid the chaos of daily life. However, the Adelaide Horror has freshened up the sour memories and fans are asking, what is Ravi Shastri doing to get this talented bunch of players up and running in full flow?</p>

<p><img alt="Virat Kohli" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8b9744d3-6c89-487c-a62c-5ed4b16e9117" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_8XF4TE.jpg" /></p>

<p>The current Indian squad is pretty much similar to when it visited Down Under in 2018-19. So what went so wrong in Adelaide? The pink-ball? India got ample practice including a warm-up game to gear up for the game. Or is the Indian cricket team bearing the weight of being clueless on the tactical front, especially when it comes to batting? The same old road map which was torn apart by the likes of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon in Adelaide.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Mayank Agarwal" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="152d4b6a-318c-4bbb-b454-f3c2d2650a6d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_8XF628.jpg" /></p>

<p>Shastri was handed a contract extension in June 2019, until the ICC World Cup 2021. But has the head coach of the Indian cricket team justified his role and position by suffering defeats after defeats in away series (barring Australia 2018-19) against major opposition?&nbsp;</p>

<p>Good vocabulary and booming voice may sound good in the commentary box or in press conferences - where Ravi Shastri is generally not seen after series defeats. But when it comes to the Indian cricket team, the fans demand result, which in all fairness, has been a disappointing course under Shastri’s tenure - be it in away series or in ICC tournaments. And let’s not even discuss the ICC World Cup 2019 semi-final, where the Indian team was left shattered and clueless by New Zealand bowlers.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Ravi Shastri" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0ee0eb9e-44d7-4c6f-9c4e-80f2b7730e05" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1NN955.jpg" /></p>

<p>The Indian cricket team is well capable of coming back strong. These players are a talented bunch. New faces will come in. Players who underperform are often mercilessly cropped out but what about the underperforming head coach of the Indian team? Is there an answer now or will India wait till three forthcoming World Cups, in 2021, 22 and 23? Or if everyone is content with India thrashing Sri Lanka, West Indies or Bangladesh (with all due respect to these teams), then let it be.&nbsp;</p>


“If you look at the last three years, we [Indian cricket team] have won nine matches overseas and three series (against West Indies and twice in Sri Lanka). I can't see any other Indian team in the last 15-20 years that have had the same run in such a short time, and you have had some great players playing in those series.

“If you look at the last three years, we [Indian cricket team] have won nine matches overseas and three series (against West Indies and twice in Sri Lanka). I can't see any other Indian team in the last 15-20 years that have had the same run in such a short time, and you have had some great players playing in those series. So the promise is there, and it's just about getting tougher mentally,” Indian head coach Ravi Shastri had said about the Indian team with beaming pride in 2018 just after England handed a painful 4-1 Test series defeat. In July 2017, Ravi Shastri was appointed as the head coach of the Indian cricket team after Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble (former Indian head coach) didn’t get together well enough, which resulted in the latter resigning from his post – a saga well documented in public. Since Shastri’s appointment, India have defeated Sri Lanka (home and away), South Africa (home), the West Indies (home and away), Bangladesh (home), Afghanistan (one-off Test at home) and Australia (away) but have suffered glaring defeats against England (away), South Africa (away) and New Zealand (away). The latest addition into the matches India have played under Shastri’s tenure as head coach is the Adelaide Horror, where the Virat Kohli-led visitors were skittled out for 36 runs in the second innings with none of the batters managing to get to double digits. India may well go onto turn the tables and win the series (a mammoth task) but the scars of 36 have been etched into the hearts of the Indian cricket fans forever. ALSO READ: India's self destructive duo: Fire Shastri and axe captain Kohli, save India please BCCI Ravi Shastri has always sounded bullish about Indian team and the talent it possesses, no second thought about it because it is indeed a supremely talented bunch of players. The bowling attack is arguably the best Indian team has had so far in their history. The batting unit led by Virat Kohli consists of quality players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Mayank Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari – all of them have stood out in some series or another but the questions remain; is this Indian team utilizing its potential collectively? When will Ravi Shastri and co. start producing results overseas? Why does India often get tactically outclassed on foreign soil? India have been dominating home series and that has been the case for long, long before Ravi Shastri. The 2-1 Border Gavaskar Trophy win in 2018-19 was historic, no shadow of doubt about it. Then Australia were without David Warner and Steve Smith, and India pounced on each and every opportunity that came towards them in the series and registered their first-ever Test series win on Australian soil and became the first Asian side to do so. Fair enough. But did the Indian team utilize the momentum and became a better side? No. Let’s not even go back to Freedom Trophy, when India visited South Africa in 2017-18 or even the Pataudi Trophy, when India visited England in 2018. India lost both the series. Some will say due to poor reading of conditions, many will say India were tactically and technically outclassed by the hosts. ALSO READ: Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters Just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, India were humiliated by New Zealand and ended up losing the series 2-0. Completely dominated and outclassed by the Kane Williamson-led outfit. Then the pandemic struck and the series drubbing slowly took a backseat amid the chaos of daily life. However, the Adelaide Horror has freshened up the sour memories and fans are asking, what is Ravi Shastri doing to get this talented bunch of players up and running in full flow? The current Indian squad is pretty much similar to when it visited Down Under in 2018-19. So what went so wrong in Adelaide? The pink-ball? India got ample practice including a warm-up game to gear up for the game. Or is the Indian cricket team bearing the weight of being clueless on the tactical front, especially when it comes to batting? The same old road map which was torn apart by the likes of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon in Adelaide. Shastri was handed a contract extension in June 2019, until the ICC World Cup 2021. But has the head coach of the Indian cricket team justified his role and position by suffering defeats after defeats in away series (barring Australia 2018-19) against major opposition? Good vocabulary and booming voice may sound good in the commentary box or in press conferences - where Ravi Shastri is generally not seen after series defeats. But when it comes to the Indian cricket team, the fans demand result, which in all fairness, has been a disappointing course under Shastri’s tenure - be it in away series or in ICC tournaments. And let’s not even discuss the ICC World Cup 2019 semi-final, where the Indian team was left shattered and clueless by New Zealand bowlers. The Indian cricket team is well capable of coming back strong. These players are a talented bunch. New faces will come in. Players who underperform are often mercilessly cropped out but what about the underperforming head coach of the Indian team? Is there an answer now or will India wait till three forthcoming World Cups, in 2021, 22 and 23? Or if everyone is content with India thrashing Sri Lanka, West Indies or Bangladesh (with all due respect to these teams), then let it be.

Players will go out, new faces will come in. But what about Mr Ravi Shastri?

<p>Australian opener Joe Burns came back to form in the second innings of the Adelaide Test, where he scored an unbeaten 51 while chasing 90-run target. Burns has been central to criticism due to his poor form in the longest format of the game but the Aussie opener, after getting backing from the Australian team management, answered his critics with a cracking 51 not-out to help Australia win the Adelaide Test by eight wickets and take 1-0 lead in the four-Test series.</p>

<p>India were bundled out for 36 runs in the second innings – their lowest score in Test cricket – and first instance, where none of the Indian players managed to score in double figures. Burns said that Australia have opened up a few scars in the Indian dressing room while adding Virat Kohli (out due to paternity leave) and Mohammed Shami (out due to fractured hand) will be big misses for the Indian team.</p>

<p>However, Burns said that despite missing Kohli and Shami, Indian team has world-class players to replace them and expected them to pose tough challenge in the remainder of the series.</p>

<p>"We know we have opened up some scars.</p>

<p>"We just have to prepare well, start well, carry on the momentum from the first Test.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/aus-vs-ind-virat-kohli-to-hold-special-team-meeting-before-leaving-for-india-351326" hreflang="en">AUS vs IND: Virat Kohli to hold special team meeting before leaving for India</a></strong></p>

<p>"Shami and Virat are obviously big losses for India ... it's always hard to replace world-class players like that.</p>

<p>"In saying that, the Indian team has very good depth as well. So they're still going to be very challenging."</p>

<p>"The next Test is going to play a crucial role in the result of the series," Burns told reporters.</p>

<p>Burns was bullish about Australia being the best team in the world and rightly so as the Baggy Greens will now look to extend their lead at the top of ICC World Test Championship table and book a spot for the final at Lord’s in 2021.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We're the best team in the world. We're confident against everyone at every venue.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/aus-vs-ind-after-adelaide-horror-indian-team-set-to-make-5-changes-in-playing-xi-351314" hreflang="en">AUS vs IND: After Adelaide horror, Indian team set to make 5 changes in playing XI</a></strong></p>

<p>"Our bowlers are unbelievable ... they have done it for a long time.</p>

<p>"We know - game in, game out - they're going to be doing that and putting pressure on the opposition. It's a great luxury."</p>

<p>India are now expected to make four or five changes into the playing XI after the Adelaide drubbing with Australia likely to remain unchanged unless David Warner passes his fitness Test ahead of the Boxing Day Test, starting December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.</p>


Australian opener Joe Burns came back to form in the second innings of the Adelaide Test, where he scored an unbeaten 51 while chasing 90-run target. Burns has been central to criticism due to his poor form in the longest format of the game but the Aussie opener, after getting backing from the Australian team management, answered his critics with a cracking 51 not-out to help Australia win the Adelaide Test by eight wickets and take 1-0 lead in the four-Test series.

Australian opener Joe Burns came back to form in the second innings of the Adelaide Test, where he scored an unbeaten 51 while chasing 90-run target. Burns has been central to criticism due to his poor form in the longest format of the game but the Aussie opener, after getting backing from the Australian team management, answered his critics with a cracking 51 not-out to help Australia win the Adelaide Test by eight wickets and take 1-0 lead in the four-Test series. India were bundled out for 36 runs in the second innings – their lowest score in Test cricket – and first instance, where none of the Indian players managed to score in double figures. Burns said that Australia have opened up a few scars in the Indian dressing room while adding Virat Kohli (out due to paternity leave) and Mohammed Shami (out due to fractured hand) will be big misses for the Indian team. However, Burns said that despite missing Kohli and Shami, Indian team has world-class players to replace them and expected them to pose tough challenge in the remainder of the series. "We know we have opened up some scars. "We just have to prepare well, start well, carry on the momentum from the first Test. ALSO READ: AUS vs IND: Virat Kohli to hold special team meeting before leaving for India "Shami and Virat are obviously big losses for India ... it's always hard to replace world-class players like that. "In saying that, the Indian team has very good depth as well. So they're still going to be very challenging." "The next Test is going to play a crucial role in the result of the series," Burns told reporters. Burns was bullish about Australia being the best team in the world and rightly so as the Baggy Greens will now look to extend their lead at the top of ICC World Test Championship table and book a spot for the final at Lord’s in 2021. "We're the best team in the world. We're confident against everyone at every venue. ALSO READ: AUS vs IND: After Adelaide horror, Indian team set to make 5 changes in playing XI "Our bowlers are unbelievable ... they have done it for a long time. "We know - game in, game out - they're going to be doing that and putting pressure on the opposition. It's a great luxury." India are now expected to make four or five changes into the playing XI after the Adelaide drubbing with Australia likely to remain unchanged unless David Warner passes his fitness Test ahead of the Boxing Day Test, starting December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

We have opened up some scars: Australia's Joe Burns wants hosts to continue onslaught vs India

<p>The Indian cricket team was left red-faced by the brilliance of Australian pacers as the visitors were bundled out for 36 runs in the second innings of the Adelaide Test, which Australia comfortably won by 8 wickets with two days in hand. While India have plenty of time in hands to turn things around, they would be without their captain Virat Kohli for the remainder of the series with the talismanic batsman set to leave for India on paternity leave.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Before heading back to India, Kohli will hold a special team meeting ahead of the Boxing Day Test in the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Indian skipper will try and boost the confidence of the players as the holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy eye a comeback into the four-Test series after going 1-0 down.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/aus-vs-ind-after-adelaide-horror-indian-team-set-to-make-5-changes-in-playing-xi-351314" hreflang="en">AUS vs IND: After Adelaide horror, Indian team set to make 5 changes in playing XI</a></strong></p>

<p>After getting skittled out for 36 and with no batsman registering scores in double-digits, keeping the team morale high could be an issue and to motivate his teammates, Kohli would be sitting to motivate and provide confidence to the squad.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The emphasis of the meeting will be to motivate and give confidence to the young boys for the rest of the series," a source told TOI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane is set to lead the Indian team for the remaining three Test matches in Kohli’s absence.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/indias-self-destructive-duo-fire-shastri-and-axe-captain-kohli-save-india-please-bcci-350981" hreflang="en">India's self destructive duo: Fire Shastri and axe captain Kohli, save India please BCCI</a></strong></p>

<p>After the Adelaide disaster, Kohli rued the lack of intent shown by the Indian batsmen on Day 3 of the match as they went on to suffer an eight-wicket defeat.</p>

<p>"Very hard to put those feelings into words. We had a lead of 60-odd coming and just collapsed. When you work hard for two days and put yourself in a strong position and then an hour puts you in a position where it's literally impossible to win," Kohli said in the post-match presentation.</p>

<p>"I think we should have showed a little more intent today. They (Australians) bowled in similar kind of areas in the first innings as well but probably our mindset was to score runs."</p>


The Indian cricket team was left red-faced by the brilliance of Australian pacers as the visitors were bundled out for 36 runs in the second innings of the Adelaide Test, which Australia comfortably won by 8 wickets with two days in hand.

The Indian cricket team was left red-faced by the brilliance of Australian pacers as the visitors were bundled out for 36 runs in the second innings of the Adelaide Test, which Australia comfortably won by 8 wickets with two days in hand. While India have plenty of time in hands to turn things around, they would be without their captain Virat Kohli for the remainder of the series with the talismanic batsman set to leave for India on paternity leave. Before heading back to India, Kohli will hold a special team meeting ahead of the Boxing Day Test in the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Indian skipper will try and boost the confidence of the players as the holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy eye a comeback into the four-Test series after going 1-0 down. ALSO READ: AUS vs IND: After Adelaide horror, Indian team set to make 5 changes in playing XI After getting skittled out for 36 and with no batsman registering scores in double-digits, keeping the team morale high could be an issue and to motivate his teammates, Kohli would be sitting to motivate and provide confidence to the squad. "The emphasis of the meeting will be to motivate and give confidence to the young boys for the rest of the series," a source told TOI. Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane is set to lead the Indian team for the remaining three Test matches in Kohli’s absence. ALSO READ: India's self destructive duo: Fire Shastri and axe captain Kohli, save India please BCCI After the Adelaide disaster, Kohli rued the lack of intent shown by the Indian batsmen on Day 3 of the match as they went on to suffer an eight-wicket defeat. "Very hard to put those feelings into words. We had a lead of 60-odd coming and just collapsed. When you work hard for two days and put yourself in a strong position and then an hour puts you in a position where it's literally impossible to win," Kohli said in the post-match presentation. "I think we should have showed a little more intent today. They (Australians) bowled in similar kind of areas in the first innings as well but probably our mindset was to score runs."

AUS vs IND: Virat Kohli to hold special team meeting before leaving for India

<p>The Indian cricket team suffered utter humiliation in their eight-wicket defeat to Australia in the Adelaide Test as Australia got off to a perfect start to take an early 1-0 lead into the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy. For the first time in their history, none of the Indian batsmen got into double figures while registering the lowest Test score for India. And after the Adelaide horror, Indian team is set to make landslide changes into the playing XI for the second Test, which will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26.</p>

<p>According to a report in TOI, Indian team is set to make as many as five changes in the playing XI. Two of the five changes come forced with Virat Kohli leaving for India and Mohammed Shami down and out with a fractured hand. Apart from Kohli and Shami, the likes of Wriddhiman Saha, Prithvi Shaw and Hanuma Vihari are also expected to warm the bench in the Boxing Day Test.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/will-crickets-bubble-burst-in-2021-351308" hreflang="en">Will cricket's bubble burst in 2021?</a></strong></p>

<p>Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and either of Mohammed Siraj or Navdeep Saini are set to be included in the playing XI as Indian team looks to bounce back after a catastrophic performance in Adelaide.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Opener Prithvi Shaw could be replaced by KL Rahul, talented youngster Shubhman Gill will make his Test debut, replacing skipper Virat Kohli at No 4. Hanuma Vihari may make way for the fit-again Ravindra Jadeja. Wriddhiman Saha could lose his wicketkeeper's spot to Rishabh Pant, and either of Mohammed Siraj or Navdeep Saini can replace injured pacer Mohammed Shami," a BCCI source told TOI.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/warne-vs-tendulkar-monkeygate-5-classic-australia-vs-india-encounters-349950" hreflang="en">Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters</a></strong></p>

<p>Gill is likely to be slotted in at number four, the spot Virat Kohli bats in Test cricket while Rahul is expected to open the innings with Mayank Agarwal. Pant will come in as a natural replacement for Saha with Jadeja, if fit, likely to get in the team in place of Vihari, whose exclusion will come as a surprise if it happens.</p>

<p>With Siraj and Saini fighting for the third seamer’s spot in Shami’s absence, it would be interesting to see whom the Indian team management picks in the final team.</p>


The Indian cricket team suffered utter humiliation in their eight-wicket defeat to Australia in the Adelaide Test as Australia got off to a perfect start to take an early 1-0 lead into the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy.

The Indian cricket team suffered utter humiliation in their eight-wicket defeat to Australia in the Adelaide Test as Australia got off to a perfect start to take an early 1-0 lead into the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy. For the first time in their history, none of the Indian batsmen got into double figures while registering the lowest Test score for India. And after the Adelaide horror, Indian team is set to make landslide changes into the playing XI for the second Test, which will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26. According to a report in TOI, Indian team is set to make as many as five changes in the playing XI. Two of the five changes come forced with Virat Kohli leaving for India and Mohammed Shami down and out with a fractured hand. Apart from Kohli and Shami, the likes of Wriddhiman Saha, Prithvi Shaw and Hanuma Vihari are also expected to warm the bench in the Boxing Day Test. ALSO READ: Will cricket's bubble burst in 2021? Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and either of Mohammed Siraj or Navdeep Saini are set to be included in the playing XI as Indian team looks to bounce back after a catastrophic performance in Adelaide. "Opener Prithvi Shaw could be replaced by KL Rahul, talented youngster Shubhman Gill will make his Test debut, replacing skipper Virat Kohli at No 4. Hanuma Vihari may make way for the fit-again Ravindra Jadeja. Wriddhiman Saha could lose his wicketkeeper's spot to Rishabh Pant, and either of Mohammed Siraj or Navdeep Saini can replace injured pacer Mohammed Shami," a BCCI source told TOI. ALSO READ: Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters Gill is likely to be slotted in at number four, the spot Virat Kohli bats in Test cricket while Rahul is expected to open the innings with Mayank Agarwal. Pant will come in as a natural replacement for Saha with Jadeja, if fit, likely to get in the team in place of Vihari, whose exclusion will come as a surprise if it happens. With Siraj and Saini fighting for the third seamer’s spot in Shami’s absence, it would be interesting to see whom the Indian team management picks in the final team.

AUS vs IND: After Adelaide horror, Indian team set to make 5 changes in playing XI

<p>July 9, 2019, ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final, India vs New Zealand. Result: resurgent Kiwis beat Kohli's Men in Blue by 18 runs(the result was never in doubt, except for Dhoni and Jadeja fans).</p>

<p>Fast forward to Cricket World Cup to be held in India in 2023.&nbsp;India vs Pakistan at Eden Gardens in a semi-final encounter. India has the historic record of never being beaten against their arch-rival. But wait, the unthinkable happens. Kohli's India slips to defeat on a disastrous day and he resigns as captain and Shastri steps down.</p>

<p>Last year, coach Shastri even said India's Test victory in Australia was&nbsp;"bigger" than India's maiden&nbsp;1983 World Cup triumph. Remember it was a depleted Australian team without the services of Smith and Warner and their morale was at an all-time low. India's victory was almost on a platter. This time it is different, Aussies are red hot at home.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch</strong> Shastri's comments here:</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indias-victory-in-australia-bigger-than-1983-world-cup-win-says-shastri-188749/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Today, however, is December 19, 2020, the&nbsp;World Cup moment above is still years away and if India and its selectors want to avoid this&nbsp;fate the time to act is now. It is time to groom a new captain and bring in a new coach (a foreigner preferably). The Shastri-Kohli duo have had their day and India is grateful&nbsp;but cricket needs to move on. It is time for the BCCI to ensure a change of guard - if not now, when?</p>

<p>MS Dhoni, India's 2011 World Cup-winning captain had his eye set on the Mumbai final in 2008&nbsp;- three years prior to the big match and he began culling the seniors - Ganguly, Dravid etc from the one-day team. The result was pure fury as fans erupted, but history only remembers the final result: India beat Sri Lanka in the final.</p>

<p>The question to be asked is do&nbsp;Shastri and Kohli have a&nbsp;gameplan for 2023? Is Indian cricket set to humiliate its fans at home when the next World Cup will be&nbsp;played in front of 100,000 fans at Eden or Wankhede?</p>

<p>Now, the ball is in BCCI's court, if the search for a new coach does not begin it will be too late since 2021 is already upon us. India's coach Ravi Shastri has had his day.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The "Champion of Champions" who began his superstardom in Australia in 1985 is clearly out of depth and not the man the country can lean on to get us another World Cup. Indian cricket does not need a Big Brother, it needs a 'high performance' professional&nbsp;coach in the same league as Gary Kirsten and John Wright. The young Team India needs a new approach and a new way of life. Late night parties and lack of will gets us nowhere. It should be obvious with India's listless stay currently in Australia.</p>

<p>Presently Team India is neither a world-beater in Tests nor ODIs. So why do we need a captain or a coach? The BCCI has the remedy but is it ready to take the bitter pill and administer it to Mr. Kohli and his coach? The answer is Maybe No, because there is a fear of repercussion. The question to be asked is - fear who? fans and Twitterati? They won't win us the World Cup, but the right decision will.</p>

<p>The greatest thing which perhaps Shastri can do for Indian cricket is to resign himself - fans and cricket will respect him&nbsp;and Kohli&nbsp;steps aside and showcases his talent just as a batsman - as Sachin once did!&nbsp;Virat&nbsp;is the best in the world with the willow in his hand.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, it doesn't seem the script will be as&nbsp;simple for the emotional Indian fan and the paying public because nobody wants to take the first step towards victory.</p>


July 9, 2019, ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final, India vs New Zealand. Result: resurgent Kiwis beat Kohli's Men in Blue by 18 runs(the result was never in doubt, except for Dhoni and Jadeja fans).

July 9, 2019, ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final, India vs New Zealand. Result: resurgent Kiwis beat Kohli's Men in Blue by 18 runs(the result was never in doubt, except for Dhoni and Jadeja fans). Fast forward to Cricket World Cup to be held in India in 2023. India vs Pakistan at Eden Gardens in a semi-final encounter. India has the historic record of never being beaten against their arch-rival. But wait, the unthinkable happens. Kohli's India slips to defeat on a disastrous day and he resigns as captain and Shastri steps down. Last year, coach Shastri even said India's Test victory in Australia was "bigger" than India's maiden 1983 World Cup triumph. Remember it was a depleted Australian team without the services of Smith and Warner and their morale was at an all-time low. India's victory was almost on a platter. This time it is different, Aussies are red hot at home. Watch Shastri's comments here: Today, however, is December 19, 2020, the World Cup moment above is still years away and if India and its selectors want to avoid this fate the time to act is now. It is time to groom a new captain and bring in a new coach (a foreigner preferably). The Shastri-Kohli duo have had their day and India is grateful but cricket needs to move on. It is time for the BCCI to ensure a change of guard - if not now, when? MS Dhoni, India's 2011 World Cup-winning captain had his eye set on the Mumbai final in 2008 - three years prior to the big match and he began culling the seniors - Ganguly, Dravid etc from the one-day team. The result was pure fury as fans erupted, but history only remembers the final result: India beat Sri Lanka in the final. The question to be asked is do Shastri and Kohli have a gameplan for 2023? Is Indian cricket set to humiliate its fans at home when the next World Cup will be played in front of 100,000 fans at Eden or Wankhede? Now, the ball is in BCCI's court, if the search for a new coach does not begin it will be too late since 2021 is already upon us. India's coach Ravi Shastri has had his day. The "Champion of Champions" who began his superstardom in Australia in 1985 is clearly out of depth and not the man the country can lean on to get us another World Cup. Indian cricket does not need a Big Brother, it needs a 'high performance' professional coach in the same league as Gary Kirsten and John Wright. The young Team India needs a new approach and a new way of life. Late night parties and lack of will gets us nowhere. It should be obvious with India's listless stay currently in Australia. Presently Team India is neither a world-beater in Tests nor ODIs. So why do we need a captain or a coach? The BCCI has the remedy but is it ready to take the bitter pill and administer it to Mr. Kohli and his coach? The answer is Maybe No, because there is a fear of repercussion. The question to be asked is - fear who? fans and Twitterati? They won't win us the World Cup, but the right decision will. The greatest thing which perhaps Shastri can do for Indian cricket is to resign himself - fans and cricket will respect him and Kohli steps aside and showcases his talent just as a batsman - as Sachin once did! Virat is the best in the world with the willow in his hand. However, it doesn't seem the script will be as simple for the emotional Indian fan and the paying public because nobody wants to take the first step towards victory.

India's self destructive duo: Fire Shastri and axe captain Kohli, save India please BCCI

<p>Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne’s has witnessed a rapid rise in the world of international cricket. From being a concussion substitute to Steve Smith in Ashes 2019 to being awarded the ICC Test Player of the Year 2019, Labuschagne has become one of the mainstays of the Australian top order. However, in the Adelaide Test against India, Labuschagne left Twitterati in splits with his unique leaves and “no run” calls as they played out a gritty knock of 47 against India on Day 2 of the day-night Test.</p>

<p>Labuschagne’s unique leaves are similar to that of Steve Smith, whom the youngster has idolized since coming into the international arena. Labuschagne’s leaves made headlines as it was pretty similar to Smith’s leaves but the youngster continued with his unique leaves during the first Test against India and even added “no run” calls to his armoury.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/netizens-troll-prithvi-shaw-for-poor-performance-with-bat-and-dropping-a-vital-catch-350765" hreflang="en">Netizens troll Prithvi Shaw for poor performance with bat and dropping a vital catch</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Marnus displaying all his variations of the 'No Run!' <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/gLQZjI50B7">pic.twitter.com/gLQZjI50B7</a></p>
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1339859011244474369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Here's how Twitterati reacted to Labuschagne's leaves and 'no run' calls:</h2>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This gotta be the Meme of the Week , Lol !!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilTwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TamilTwitter</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MemeTwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MemeTwitter</a> <a href="https://t.co/rWCRv6wSbh">pic.twitter.com/rWCRv6wSbh</a></p>
— Globe Trotter (@masala_dosai) <a href="https://twitter.com/masala_dosai/status/1339859730718547970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nice ...now release it on Spotify</p>
— Thala (@ssmbbakthudu) <a href="https://twitter.com/ssmbbakthudu/status/1339859320171765760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Can hear him saying this all my life without complaint 😂😂😂</p>
— آفتاب 🇮🇳 (@Devastated_Soul) <a href="https://twitter.com/Devastated_Soul/status/1339859612766359552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Its better to shout " No Run" than running unknowing and loosing your captain😂</p>
— Saajan (@Saajan_07) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saajan_07/status/1339861276344774656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Marnus to smith: whatever you do, I do even better 😂</p>
— wijay (@bizayay) <a href="https://twitter.com/bizayay/status/1339863284787253249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Steve Smith 2.0 😁😁</p>
— Najeeb ul Hasnain (@ImNajeebH) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImNajeebH/status/1339861341817860096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a><br />
<br />
Steve smith: <a href="https://t.co/xwIId8T0vq">pic.twitter.com/xwIId8T0vq</a></p>
— S O M E N A T H (@somenathpaul_) <a href="https://twitter.com/somenathpaul_/status/1339865936610820103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-cristiano-ronaldos-viral-reaction-after-losing-to-lewandowski-at-fifa-the-best-awards-350727" hreflang="en">WATCH- Cristiano Ronaldo's viral reaction after losing to Lewandowski at FIFA 'The Best' Awards</a></strong></p>

<p>Labuschagne scored a gritty 47 off 119 deliveries to help Australia post 191 runs on board in the first innings. Along with Labuschagne, skipper Tim Paine looked solid with the willow as he scored an unbeaten 73. However, India having posted 244 runs on board in the first innings, took a solid lead of 53 runs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India started with Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal but lost the former after Pat Cummins bowled the youngster for four. India sent Jasprit Bumrah at number 3 as a night watchman. Both Bumrah and Agarwal saw off the last few overs of the day as India ended at 9/1 with a lead of 62 runs.&nbsp;</p>


Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne’s has witnessed a rapid rise in the world of international cricket. From being a concussion substitute to Steve Smith in Ashes 2019 to being awarded the ICC Test Player of the Year 2019, Labuschagne has become one of the mainstays of the Australian top order.

Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne’s has witnessed a rapid rise in the world of international cricket. From being a concussion substitute to Steve Smith in Ashes 2019 to being awarded the ICC Test Player of the Year 2019, Labuschagne has become one of the mainstays of the Australian top order. However, in the Adelaide Test against India, Labuschagne left Twitterati in splits with his unique leaves and “no run” calls as they played out a gritty knock of 47 against India on Day 2 of the day-night Test. Labuschagne’s unique leaves are similar to that of Steve Smith, whom the youngster has idolized since coming into the international arena. Labuschagne’s leaves made headlines as it was pretty similar to Smith’s leaves but the youngster continued with his unique leaves during the first Test against India and even added “no run” calls to his armoury. ALSO READ: Netizens troll Prithvi Shaw for poor performance with bat and dropping a vital catch Marnus displaying all his variations of the 'No Run!' #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/gLQZjI50B7 — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 18, 2020 × Here's how Twitterati reacted to Labuschagne's leaves and 'no run' calls: This gotta be the Meme of the Week , Lol !!#TamilTwitter#MemeTwitter pic.twitter.com/rWCRv6wSbh — Globe Trotter (@masala_dosai) December 18, 2020 × Nice ...now release it on Spotify — Thala (@ssmbbakthudu) December 18, 2020 × Can hear him saying this all my life without complaint 😂😂😂 — آفتاب 🇮🇳 (@Devastated_Soul) December 18, 2020 × Its better to shout " No Run" than running unknowing and loosing your captain😂 — Saajan (@Saajan_07) December 18, 2020 × Marnus to smith: whatever you do, I do even better 😂 — wijay (@bizayay) December 18, 2020 × Steve Smith 2.0 😁😁 — Najeeb ul Hasnain (@ImNajeebH) December 18, 2020 × #AUSvIND #INDvAUS Steve smith: pic.twitter.com/xwIId8T0vq — S O M E N A T H (@somenathpaul_) December 18, 2020 × ALSO READ: WATCH- Cristiano Ronaldo's viral reaction after losing to Lewandowski at FIFA 'The Best' Awards Labuschagne scored a gritty 47 off 119 deliveries to help Australia post 191 runs on board in the first innings. Along with Labuschagne, skipper Tim Paine looked solid with the willow as he scored an unbeaten 73. However, India having posted 244 runs on board in the first innings, took a solid lead of 53 runs. India started with Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal but lost the former after Pat Cummins bowled the youngster for four. India sent Jasprit Bumrah at number 3 as a night watchman. Both Bumrah and Agarwal saw off the last few overs of the day as India ended at 9/1 with a lead of 62 runs.

Watch: Marnus Labuschagne's 'leaves' and 'no run' calls leave Twitterati in splits

<p>India found themselves on top of Australia in the first innings of the day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval after Ravichandran Ashwin destroyed the Aussie top-order on Day 2 of the match. Ashwin got the big wickets of Steve Smith, Cameron Green and Travis Head to pile misery on the hosts after India posted 244 runs on the board. However, it was Virat Kohli who stole the show with a stunning catch to give Ashwin the wicket of debutant Green.</p>

<p>The incident happened in the 41st over of the Aussie innings when Ashwin bowled a length delivery to Green to which the Aussie youngster wanted to execute a pull shot over the mid-wicket fielder.</p>

<p>However, Green miscued his stroke as the ball travelled to the right side of the mid-wicket fielder – Kohli. The Indian skipper, reacting quickly to the stroke, dived to pull off a stunning catch as Green’s innings was cut short after scoring 11 runs off 24 balls.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/scg-test-on-despite-sydney-covid-19-outbreak-situation-being-monitored-by-cricket-australia-350676" hreflang="en">SCG Test on despite Sydney COVID-19 outbreak, situation being monitored by Cricket Australia</a></strong></p>

<p>Kohli dived full stretch to grab the catch with both his hands and upon completing the screamer, the Indian skipper raised his arms as his teammates ran towards him in joy.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>WATCH VIDEO: Virat Kohli's stunning catch to dismiss Cameron Green</h2>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cameron Green's debut innings was stopped short by an absolute classic from Virat Kohli - and the Indian captain enjoyed it a lot! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OhWhatAFeeling?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OhWhatAFeeling</a><a href="https://twitter.com/Toyota_Aus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@toyota_Aus</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/krXXaZI1at">pic.twitter.com/krXXaZI1at</a></p>
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1339852557858947072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Green’s dismissal put Australia in trouble as they were down to 79-5. However, since then captain Tim Paine and Marnus Labuschagne stitched a good partnership to take them to 111 runs. Umesh Yadav struck the hammer blow by dismissing Labuschagne for 47.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/adelaide-test-virat-kohli-misses-28th-test-century-as-india-end-day-1-at-2336-350490" hreflang="en">Adelaide Test: Virat Kohli misses 28th Test century as India end Day 1 at 233/6</a></strong></p>

<p>Meanwhile, India would be looking to get a good lead going into the second innings and will look to wrap up the Australian lower-order as quickly as possible. Notably, Australia haven’t lost a single day-night Test match and India would be looking to break the deadlock in Adelaide.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


India found themselves on top of Australia in the first innings of the day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval after Ravichandran Ashwin destroyed the Aussie top-order on Day 2 of the match.

India found themselves on top of Australia in the first innings of the day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval after Ravichandran Ashwin destroyed the Aussie top-order on Day 2 of the match. Ashwin got the big wickets of Steve Smith, Cameron Green and Travis Head to pile misery on the hosts after India posted 244 runs on the board. However, it was Virat Kohli who stole the show with a stunning catch to give Ashwin the wicket of debutant Green. The incident happened in the 41st over of the Aussie innings when Ashwin bowled a length delivery to Green to which the Aussie youngster wanted to execute a pull shot over the mid-wicket fielder. However, Green miscued his stroke as the ball travelled to the right side of the mid-wicket fielder – Kohli. The Indian skipper, reacting quickly to the stroke, dived to pull off a stunning catch as Green’s innings was cut short after scoring 11 runs off 24 balls. ALSO READ: SCG Test on despite Sydney COVID-19 outbreak, situation being monitored by Cricket Australia Kohli dived full stretch to grab the catch with both his hands and upon completing the screamer, the Indian skipper raised his arms as his teammates ran towards him in joy. WATCH VIDEO: Virat Kohli's stunning catch to dismiss Cameron Green Cameron Green's debut innings was stopped short by an absolute classic from Virat Kohli - and the Indian captain enjoyed it a lot! #OhWhatAFeeling@toyota_Aus | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/krXXaZI1at — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 18, 2020 × Green’s dismissal put Australia in trouble as they were down to 79-5. However, since then captain Tim Paine and Marnus Labuschagne stitched a good partnership to take them to 111 runs. Umesh Yadav struck the hammer blow by dismissing Labuschagne for 47. ALSO READ: Adelaide Test: Virat Kohli misses 28th Test century as India end Day 1 at 233/6 Meanwhile, India would be looking to get a good lead going into the second innings and will look to wrap up the Australian lower-order as quickly as possible. Notably, Australia haven’t lost a single day-night Test match and India would be looking to break the deadlock in Adelaide.

Watch: Virat Kohli takes screamer to help Ravichandran Ashwin dismiss Cameron Green

<p>Cricket Australia on Friday said that the third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India is still on despite a fresh COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney. The CA said that the situation is being closely monitored but was confident of pulling off the Test match.</p>

<p>Australian cricket authorities were put on alert after number of coronavirus cases in Sydney reached 28 on Friday. The third Test between India and Australia at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground is slated to be played from January 7.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"There's been lots of discussion and meetings of our medical experts, but this is the reason why throughout the summer we've had our players in bubbles in the hub," CA's interim chief executive Nick Hockley told SEN Radio.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/this-is-a-personal-decision-pcb-reacts-to-mohammad-amirs-decision-to-retire-from-international-cricket-350499" hreflang="en">'This is a personal decision': PCB reacts to Mohammad Amir's decision to retire from international cricket</a></strong></p>

<p>"We're monitoring the situation; we're not panicking at all, staying calm... ... it's really watch, wait and see and I think the governments around the country have handled the pandemic so well, so we'll watch, learn and stay in touch."</p>

<p>On whether the SCG Test was in doubt, Hockley said: "I don't think so - this is the very reason why we have the hubs in place... "... whether it's the WBBL players, the BBL players, the BCCI, our own Australia squads, they have been absolutely fantastic in dealing with all the protocols.</p>

<p>"Our medical experts have been working around the clock, we're in very good communication with health authorities around the country. It's one of the things we've had to navigate with getting cricket up safely."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The latest Sydney outbreak has already had an impact on the broadcasters with former Aussie pacer and Fox Cricket commentator Brett Lee decided to go back home in northern Sydney. Whereas two Sydney-based members of the broadcasters returned back to their home base while two others decided to work from hotel.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-virat-kohli-suffers-run-out-after-terrible-mix-up-with-ajinkya-rahane-in-adelaide-test-350471" hreflang="en">Watch: Virat Kohli suffers run-out after terrible mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane in Adelaide Test</a></strong></p>

<p>"If the game can be played safely (in Sydney) then we'll play it there. That's our starting point, so it's working with the health authorities to ascertain that," he said.</p>

<p>"We started out thinking how to play the full series as safely as possible, and we'll take the same approach over the coming days and weeks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We've got contingency plans around a whole range of different options, and we've had to be agile all the way through. We were encouraged that it was 17 cases yesterday and ten today, and we'll see how that plays out over the next 72 hours."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Before the third Test, the second match is scheduled to start at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Deceber 26 and its chief Stuart Fox said they are open to supporting CA if need be.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We hope that doesn't happen to Sydney. We know what it's like to lose a major event. For us, all focus is on the Boxing Day Test," he was quoted as saying by 'Sydney Morning Herald'. "We're here to support Cricket Australia if need be."<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Cricket Australia on Friday said that the third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India is still on despite a fresh COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney.

Cricket Australia on Friday said that the third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India is still on despite a fresh COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney. The CA said that the situation is being closely monitored but was confident of pulling off the Test match. Australian cricket authorities were put on alert after number of coronavirus cases in Sydney reached 28 on Friday. The third Test between India and Australia at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground is slated to be played from January 7. "There's been lots of discussion and meetings of our medical experts, but this is the reason why throughout the summer we've had our players in bubbles in the hub," CA's interim chief executive Nick Hockley told SEN Radio. ALSO READ:'This is a personal decision': PCB reacts to Mohammad Amir's decision to retire from international cricket "We're monitoring the situation; we're not panicking at all, staying calm... ... it's really watch, wait and see and I think the governments around the country have handled the pandemic so well, so we'll watch, learn and stay in touch." On whether the SCG Test was in doubt, Hockley said: "I don't think so - this is the very reason why we have the hubs in place... "... whether it's the WBBL players, the BBL players, the BCCI, our own Australia squads, they have been absolutely fantastic in dealing with all the protocols. "Our medical experts have been working around the clock, we're in very good communication with health authorities around the country. It's one of the things we've had to navigate with getting cricket up safely." The latest Sydney outbreak has already had an impact on the broadcasters with former Aussie pacer and Fox Cricket commentator Brett Lee decided to go back home in northern Sydney. Whereas two Sydney-based members of the broadcasters returned back to their home base while two others decided to work from hotel. ALSO READ: Watch: Virat Kohli suffers run-out after terrible mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane in Adelaide Test "If the game can be played safely (in Sydney) then we'll play it there. That's our starting point, so it's working with the health authorities to ascertain that," he said. "We started out thinking how to play the full series as safely as possible, and we'll take the same approach over the coming days and weeks. "We've got contingency plans around a whole range of different options, and we've had to be agile all the way through. We were encouraged that it was 17 cases yesterday and ten today, and we'll see how that plays out over the next 72 hours." Before the third Test, the second match is scheduled to start at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Deceber 26 and its chief Stuart Fox said they are open to supporting CA if need be. "We hope that doesn't happen to Sydney. We know what it's like to lose a major event. For us, all focus is on the Boxing Day Test," he was quoted as saying by 'Sydney Morning Herald'. "We're here to support Cricket Australia if need be."

SCG Test on despite Sydney COVID-19 outbreak, situation being monitored by Cricket Australia

<p>A Mitchell Starc thunderbolt gave Australia a dream start Thursday before India dug in for an intimidating opening session on the first day of their day-night Test at Adelaide Oval Thursday.</p>

<p>Batting after captain Virat Kohli won the toss on an overcast day, the visitors ground to 41 for two&nbsp;by the first break, known as dinner despite being in mid-afternoon.</p>

<p>Cheteshwar Pujara was not out 17 from 88 balls and Kohli unbeaten on five as they fended off a barrage from Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins in front of a limited, but appreciative, crowd.</p>

<p>Cummins, the world's number one Test bowler, was the pick of the attack with 1-3 off six overs.</p>

<p>Australia went into the clash with their usual three quicks, but also debutant all-rounder Cameron Green, and they got off to a spectacular start.</p>

<p>Opener Prithvi Shaw was clean-bowled for a duck by left-armer Starc, the world's most potent pink-ball bowler, on only the second delivery, chopping onto his stumps as he looked to drive.</p>

<p>It was a poor shot and will give Indian selectors plenty to ponder after preferring him to fellow 21-year-old Shubman Gill, who has been in good touch.</p>

<p>Starc, who only rejoined the Australian squad this week after compassionate leave, almost trapped a tentative Pujara two balls later, catching an edge that fell just short of first slip.</p>

<p>But the experienced Pujara, whose 123 and 71 set up India for a 31-run win in Adelaide in 2018 en route to a maiden series victory in Australia, settled down and began blocking and grinding out runs.</p>

<p>It proved slow going as he and Mayank Agarwal rode their luck, with Pujara surviving again when a thick edge off Starc flew past Nathan Lyon's outstretched arm.</p>

<p>They scored just 21 in the first 10 overs before Cummins broke the second-wicket partnership with a beautiful delivery that clattered into Agarwal's middle stump, removing him for 17.</p>

<p>Superstar Kohli marched onto a ground he rates as his favourite overseas to steady the ship and see his team through to dinner without further loss.</p>


A Mitchell Starc thunderbolt gave Australia a dream start Thursday before India dug in for an intimidating opening session on the first day of their day-night Test at Adelaide Oval Thursday.

A Mitchell Starc thunderbolt gave Australia a dream start Thursday before India dug in for an intimidating opening session on the first day of their day-night Test at Adelaide Oval Thursday. Batting after captain Virat Kohli won the toss on an overcast day, the visitors ground to 41 for two by the first break, known as dinner despite being in mid-afternoon. Cheteshwar Pujara was not out 17 from 88 balls and Kohli unbeaten on five as they fended off a barrage from Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins in front of a limited, but appreciative, crowd. Cummins, the world's number one Test bowler, was the pick of the attack with 1-3 off six overs. Australia went into the clash with their usual three quicks, but also debutant all-rounder Cameron Green, and they got off to a spectacular start. Opener Prithvi Shaw was clean-bowled for a duck by left-armer Starc, the world's most potent pink-ball bowler, on only the second delivery, chopping onto his stumps as he looked to drive. It was a poor shot and will give Indian selectors plenty to ponder after preferring him to fellow 21-year-old Shubman Gill, who has been in good touch. Starc, who only rejoined the Australian squad this week after compassionate leave, almost trapped a tentative Pujara two balls later, catching an edge that fell just short of first slip. But the experienced Pujara, whose 123 and 71 set up India for a 31-run win in Adelaide in 2018 en route to a maiden series victory in Australia, settled down and began blocking and grinding out runs. It proved slow going as he and Mayank Agarwal rode their luck, with Pujara surviving again when a thick edge off Starc flew past Nathan Lyon's outstretched arm. They scored just 21 in the first 10 overs before Cummins broke the second-wicket partnership with a beautiful delivery that clattered into Agarwal's middle stump, removing him for 17. Superstar Kohli marched onto a ground he rates as his favourite overseas to steady the ship and see his team through to dinner without further loss.

Starc, Cummins draw first blood in opening Test against India

<p>The Day 1 of the first Test between India and Australia at the Adelaide Oval was a mix-bag for both the teams. While India looked solid and on course for a good total before Virat Kohli suffered a run-out which ultimately led to a middle-order collapse, Australia, on the other hand, toiled hard the entire day before bouncing back strong in the final session of the day, with the second new ball under lights.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Indian skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat first. The decision to go with out of form opener Prithvi Shaw backfired as he was sent packing by Mitchell Starc in the second delivery of the first over for a duck.</p>

<p>Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara bravely tackled the threat of the new pink-ball and showed grit and determination to stitch a decent partnership of 32 runs to steady the ship. However, a Pat Cummins jaffa found the gap between Agarwal’s bat and pad to send him packing for 17.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/adelaide-test-cheteshwar-pujara-scripts-unique-record-against-australia-in-test-cricket-350411" hreflang="en">Adelaide Test: Cheteshwar Pujara scripts unique record against Australia in Test cricket</a></strong></p>

<h2>WATCH: India's fall of wickets on Day 1 of Adelaide Test</h2>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Watch all the Indian wickets to fall on day one of the Vodafone Test Series including Virat Kohli's crucial run out on 74 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/UhKTRxMS3D">pic.twitter.com/UhKTRxMS3D</a></p>
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1339540827329056769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Kohli took over the charge and played a cautious and patience knock – in a phase where Australian pace troika of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc were bowling quick and in testing lengths. Both Pujara and Kohli toiled hard to play the Aussie pace attack and dealt with a dangerous-looking Nathan Lyon to stitch a 68-run stand before the veteran spinner got the better of Pujara, who was dismissed for 43.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/thats-racist-fans-blast-shane-warne-for-calling-cheteshwar-pujara-as-steve-350428" hreflang="en">'That's racist!': Fans blast Shane Warne for calling Cheteshwar Pujara as 'Steve'</a></strong></p>

<p>Ajinkya Rahane looked solid and he along with his skipper played some delightful strokes to build another 88-run stand. At a time, when India were dominating the proceedings, Kohli suffered run-out after a terrible mix-up with Rahane. The Indian vice-captain too followed Kohli back to the hut soon before Hazlewood trapped Hanuma Vihari plumb for 16.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Wriddhiman Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin saw off the new ball and played their hands to help India end Day 1 at 233-6. India would be hoping for a good batting display on Day 2 and post a first innings total of around 300.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Starc ended the day with 2 wickets to his name whereas Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon picked up a wicket each.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Day 1 of the first Test between India and Australia at the Adelaide Oval was a mix-bag for both the teams. While India looked solid and on course for a good total before Virat Kohli suffered a run-out which ultimately led to a middle-order collapse, Australia, on the other hand, toiled hard the entire day before bouncing back strong in the final session of the day, with the second new ball under lights.

The Day 1 of the first Test between India and Australia at the Adelaide Oval was a mix-bag for both the teams. While India looked solid and on course for a good total before Virat Kohli suffered a run-out which ultimately led to a middle-order collapse, Australia, on the other hand, toiled hard the entire day before bouncing back strong in the final session of the day, with the second new ball under lights. Indian skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat first. The decision to go with out of form opener Prithvi Shaw backfired as he was sent packing by Mitchell Starc in the second delivery of the first over for a duck. Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara bravely tackled the threat of the new pink-ball and showed grit and determination to stitch a decent partnership of 32 runs to steady the ship. However, a Pat Cummins jaffa found the gap between Agarwal’s bat and pad to send him packing for 17. ALSO READ: Adelaide Test: Cheteshwar Pujara scripts unique record against Australia in Test cricket WATCH: India's fall of wickets on Day 1 of Adelaide Test Watch all the Indian wickets to fall on day one of the Vodafone Test Series including Virat Kohli's crucial run out on 74 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/UhKTRxMS3D — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2020 × Kohli took over the charge and played a cautious and patience knock – in a phase where Australian pace troika of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc were bowling quick and in testing lengths. Both Pujara and Kohli toiled hard to play the Aussie pace attack and dealt with a dangerous-looking Nathan Lyon to stitch a 68-run stand before the veteran spinner got the better of Pujara, who was dismissed for 43. ALSO READ: 'That's racist!': Fans blast Shane Warne for calling Cheteshwar Pujara as 'Steve' Ajinkya Rahane looked solid and he along with his skipper played some delightful strokes to build another 88-run stand. At a time, when India were dominating the proceedings, Kohli suffered run-out after a terrible mix-up with Rahane. The Indian vice-captain too followed Kohli back to the hut soon before Hazlewood trapped Hanuma Vihari plumb for 16. Wriddhiman Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin saw off the new ball and played their hands to help India end Day 1 at 233-6. India would be hoping for a good batting display on Day 2 and post a first innings total of around 300. Starc ended the day with 2 wickets to his name whereas Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon picked up a wicket each.

Adelaide Test: Virat Kohli misses 28th Test century as India end Day 1 at 233/6

<p>Virat Kohli on Thursday was looking on course to get his 28th Test century in the first Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval but was the victim of a mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane which resulted in his run-out. Kohli ended up with a solid 74 but it could easily have been a triple-digit score for the Indian skipper had it not been for the run-out.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The incident happened in the 77th over of the first innings, when Nathan Lyon was bowling to Ajinkya Rahane. The Indian vice-captain pushed the ball towards the gap between cover and mid-off and called ‘yes’ for a run. Kohli, trusting his partner ran for it but Rahane backed out after the Indian skipper reached half-way down the track.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/thats-racist-fans-blast-shane-warne-for-calling-cheteshwar-pujara-as-steve-350428" hreflang="en">'That's racist!': Fans blast Shane Warne for calling Cheteshwar Pujara as 'Steve'</a></strong></p>

<h2>WATCH VIDEO: Ajinkya Rahane leaves Virat Kohli stranded as Indian skipper misses century</h2>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nightmare scenario for India, pure joy for Australia!<br />
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Virat Kohli is run out after a mix up with Ajinkya Rahane! <a href="https://twitter.com/hcltech?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hcltech</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/YdQdMrMtPh">pic.twitter.com/YdQdMrMtPh</a></p>
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1339525606254342147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Josh Hazlewood picked the ball and threw it quickly to Lyon, at the non-striker’s end, with the veteran offie dislodging the bails comfortably. Kohli looked at Rahane in dismay but the latter immediately apologized for his error as the Indian skipper walked back to the pavilion, missing out on a deserved century.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/adelaide-test-cheteshwar-pujara-scripts-unique-record-against-australia-in-test-cricket-350411" hreflang="en">Adelaide Test: Cheteshwar Pujara scripts unique record against Australia in Test cricket</a></strong></p>

<p>After Kohli’s departure, Australia opted for the second new ball and picked up quick wickets with Mitchell Starc dismissing Ajinkya Rahane. Hazlewood soon got into the act and caught Hanuma Vihari plumb to leave India down for 206/6.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A lot will depend on how Wriddhiman Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin bat along with the Indian tail as India will at least eye a score of more than 250 runs after getting a super start.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, Australia are yet to lose a pink-ball Test and have a perfect record in day-night Test affairs. &nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Virat Kohli on Thursday was looking on course to get his 28th Test century in the first Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval but was the victim of a mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane which resulted in his run-out.

Virat Kohli on Thursday was looking on course to get his 28th Test century in the first Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval but was the victim of a mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane which resulted in his run-out. Kohli ended up with a solid 74 but it could easily have been a triple-digit score for the Indian skipper had it not been for the run-out. The incident happened in the 77th over of the first innings, when Nathan Lyon was bowling to Ajinkya Rahane. The Indian vice-captain pushed the ball towards the gap between cover and mid-off and called ‘yes’ for a run. Kohli, trusting his partner ran for it but Rahane backed out after the Indian skipper reached half-way down the track. ALSO READ: 'That's racist!': Fans blast Shane Warne for calling Cheteshwar Pujara as 'Steve' WATCH VIDEO: Ajinkya Rahane leaves Virat Kohli stranded as Indian skipper misses century Nightmare scenario for India, pure joy for Australia! Virat Kohli is run out after a mix up with Ajinkya Rahane! @hcltech | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/YdQdMrMtPh — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 17, 2020 × Josh Hazlewood picked the ball and threw it quickly to Lyon, at the non-striker’s end, with the veteran offie dislodging the bails comfortably. Kohli looked at Rahane in dismay but the latter immediately apologized for his error as the Indian skipper walked back to the pavilion, missing out on a deserved century. ALSO READ: Adelaide Test: Cheteshwar Pujara scripts unique record against Australia in Test cricket After Kohli’s departure, Australia opted for the second new ball and picked up quick wickets with Mitchell Starc dismissing Ajinkya Rahane. Hazlewood soon got into the act and caught Hanuma Vihari plumb to leave India down for 206/6. A lot will depend on how Wriddhiman Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin bat along with the Indian tail as India will at least eye a score of more than 250 runs after getting a super start. Notably, Australia are yet to lose a pink-ball Test and have a perfect record in day-night Test affairs.

Watch: Virat Kohli suffers run-out after terrible mix-up with Ajinkya Rahane in Adelaide Test

<p>Legendary Australian cricketer Shane Warne on Thursday found himself in a bit of controversy while doing his commentary duties for Fox Cricket on Day 1 of the Adelaide Test between India and Australia. Warne, who was in the commentary box, referred Pujara as ‘Steve’ and the name has left many fans in anger.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pujara was given the nickname ‘Steve’ during his County stint with Yorkshire. The Indian batsman had once revealed that his Yorkshire teammates found it tough to pronounce his name ‘Cheteshwar’ and gave him the name ‘Steve’. However, it was recently reported that the nickname ‘Steve’ had a racist angle.</p>

<p>In December, County club Yorkshire launched a thorough investigation into alleged racism after cricketer Azeem Rafiq lodged a case against the club alleging racism. A Yorkshire employee named Taj Butt had even alleged that the name ‘Steve’ was used as a reference to “every player of colour”. Butt had left his job at Yorkshire club as the community development officer just six weeks after joining them.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/adelaide-test-cheteshwar-pujara-scripts-unique-record-against-australia-in-test-cricket-350411" hreflang="en">Adelaide Test: Cheteshwar Pujara scripts unique record against Australia in Test cricket</a></strong></p>

<p>"There were continuous references to taxi drivers and restaurant workers when referring to Asian community," Butt had told ESPNCricinfo.</p>

<p>"They called every person of colour 'Steve'. Even Cheteshwar Pujara, who joined as an overseas professional, was called Steve because they could not pronounce his name."</p>

<p>Warne had referred Pujara as Steve and had a laugh with his colleagues but the move left fans unimpressed by the spin great.</p>

<h2>Here's how fans reacted to Shane Warne referring Cheteshwar Pujara as 'Steve':</h2>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Referring to Pujara as ‘Steve’ is:<br />
a) unprofessional<br />
b) disrespectful<br />
c) racist<br />
<br />
Learn to say his name</p>
— Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) <a href="https://twitter.com/sidvee/status/1339442439266791424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shameful to hear Fox commentators call Pujara "Steve" even after it was allegedly kept as a racist remark at Yorkshire. Disgraceful! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a></p>
— Madhusudhan (@kmadhu0) <a href="https://twitter.com/kmadhu0/status/1339436479588626432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">And Pujara has actually voiced he doesn't like being called Steve.</p>
— JackBo ManHorse (@basedIITian) <a href="https://twitter.com/basedIITian/status/1339442903492411393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Calling Pujara “Steve” because you cannot pronounce his first name is simply racist. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvsIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvsIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneWarne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShaneWarne</a></p>
— broskijo (@broskijo2) <a href="https://twitter.com/broskijo2/status/1339436756551299073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneWarne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShaneWarne</a> mate you need to apologise to Pujara, laughing at Steve as a nickname is racist just because you can't say his name. Ffs do better.</p>
— Krizztorpha (@krizztorpha) <a href="https://twitter.com/krizztorpha/status/1339437063679033344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am amazed by how nonchalantly these Aussie commentators endorse racism.<br />
You cannot call Cheteshwar Pujara <a href="https://twitter.com/cheteshwar1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cheteshwar1</a> ' Steve'<br />
NO!<br />
And It's part of your job to learn how to pronounce names.<br />
Stop slacking, work harder!<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/FoxCricket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxCricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCCI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cricketcomau</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSAvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSAvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a></p>
— Auri (@arcticmonkey_5) <a href="https://twitter.com/arcticmonkey_5/status/1339439225792434181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mohammad-amir-takes-indefinite-break-from-international-cricket-says-being-mentally-tortured-by-pakistan-management-350393" hreflang="en">Mohammad Amir takes indefinite break from international cricket, says 'being mentally tortured' by Pakistan management</a></strong></p>

<p>Reportedly, former West Indies cricketer Tino Best and Pakistan pacer Rana Naveed-ul-Haq had also verified Rafiq’s claims of racism after having played for the English club.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, fans are now asking the legendary spinner Warne&nbsp;to apologise after referring Pujara as ‘Steve’ on air.</p>


Legendary Australian cricketer Shane Warne on Thursday found himself in a bit of controversy while doing his commentary duties for Fox Cricket on Day 1 of the Adelaide Test between India and Australia.

Legendary Australian cricketer Shane Warne on Thursday found himself in a bit of controversy while doing his commentary duties for Fox Cricket on Day 1 of the Adelaide Test between India and Australia. Warne, who was in the commentary box, referred Pujara as ‘Steve’ and the name has left many fans in anger. Pujara was given the nickname ‘Steve’ during his County stint with Yorkshire. The Indian batsman had once revealed that his Yorkshire teammates found it tough to pronounce his name ‘Cheteshwar’ and gave him the name ‘Steve’. However, it was recently reported that the nickname ‘Steve’ had a racist angle. In December, County club Yorkshire launched a thorough investigation into alleged racism after cricketer Azeem Rafiq lodged a case against the club alleging racism. A Yorkshire employee named Taj Butt had even alleged that the name ‘Steve’ was used as a reference to “every player of colour”. Butt had left his job at Yorkshire club as the community development officer just six weeks after joining them. ALSO READ: Adelaide Test: Cheteshwar Pujara scripts unique record against Australia in Test cricket "There were continuous references to taxi drivers and restaurant workers when referring to Asian community," Butt had told ESPNCricinfo. "They called every person of colour 'Steve'. Even Cheteshwar Pujara, who joined as an overseas professional, was called Steve because they could not pronounce his name." Warne had referred Pujara as Steve and had a laugh with his colleagues but the move left fans unimpressed by the spin great. Here's how fans reacted to Shane Warne referring Cheteshwar Pujara as 'Steve': Referring to Pujara as ‘Steve’ is: a) unprofessional b) disrespectful c) racist Learn to say his name — Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) December 17, 2020 × Shameful to hear Fox commentators call Pujara "Steve" even after it was allegedly kept as a racist remark at Yorkshire. Disgraceful! #AUSvIND — Madhusudhan (@kmadhu0) December 17, 2020 × And Pujara has actually voiced he doesn't like being called Steve. — JackBo ManHorse (@basedIITian) December 17, 2020 × Calling Pujara “Steve” because you cannot pronounce his first name is simply racist. #AUSvsIND @ShaneWarne — broskijo (@broskijo2) December 17, 2020 × @ShaneWarne mate you need to apologise to Pujara, laughing at Steve as a nickname is racist just because you can't say his name. Ffs do better. — Krizztorpha (@krizztorpha) December 17, 2020 × I am amazed by how nonchalantly these Aussie commentators endorse racism. You cannot call Cheteshwar Pujara @cheteshwar1 ' Steve' NO! And It's part of your job to learn how to pronounce names. Stop slacking, work harder! @FoxCricket @BCCI @cricketcomau #AUSAvIND #INDvAUS — Auri (@arcticmonkey_5) December 17, 2020 × ALSO READ: Mohammad Amir takes indefinite break from international cricket, says 'being mentally tortured' by Pakistan management Reportedly, former West Indies cricketer Tino Best and Pakistan pacer Rana Naveed-ul-Haq had also verified Rafiq’s claims of racism after having played for the English club. However, fans are now asking the legendary spinner Warne to apologise after referring Pujara as ‘Steve’ on air.

'That's racist!': Fans blast Shane Warne for calling Cheteshwar Pujara as 'Steve'

<p>Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara on Thursday scripted a unique record against Australia in Test cricket, surpassing the likes of Joe Root, Alastair Cook and Virat Kohli, during the first Test at the Adelaide Oval.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pujara, who was Man of the Series, the last time India visited Australia in 2018-19 continued his rich run of form in the longest format of the game as he blunted the new pink-ball against Australia by facing 160 deliveries in his 43-run knock on Day 1 of the Adelaide Test.</p>

<p>By facing 160 deliveries, Pujara registered his name in the record books as he became the player to have faced most deliveries in Test cricket against Australia in the past decade.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mohammad-amir-takes-indefinite-break-from-international-cricket-says-being-mentally-tortured-by-pakistan-management-350393" hreflang="en">Mohammad Amir takes indefinite break from international cricket, says 'being mentally tortured' by Pakistan management</a></strong></p>

<p>Pujara now has faced as many as 3609 deliveries in 28 innings, surpassing Root (3607 balls in 46 innings), Cook (3274 balls in 40 innings) and Virat Kohli (3115* deliveries in 35 innings) – making him the batsman to have faced most balls in Test cricket versus Australia in the past decade.</p>

<h2>Most balls faced in Test cricket vs Australia in the past decade:</h2>

<ul>
	<li>CHETESHWAR PUJARA 3609 (28 inns)</li>
	<li>Joe Root 3607 (46 inns)</li>
	<li>Alastair Cook 3274 (40 inns)</li>
	<li>Virat Kohli 3115 (35 inns)</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/warne-vs-tendulkar-monkeygate-5-classic-australia-vs-india-encounters-349950" hreflang="en">Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters</a></strong></p>

<p>Pujara in the 2018-19 series tormented the Australian bowling attack as he scored a whopping 521 runs in four innings at an average of 74.43. The Indian batsman scored three centuries on the tour, facing 1258 deliveries in 30 hours of batting.</p>

<p>However, Pujara was sent packing by Nathan Lyon on Day 1 of Adelaide Test for 46 as the Aussie spinner got the better of Pujara again. Lyon has now dismissed Pujara 10 times, the most for any bowler against him in Test cricket.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara on Thursday scripted a unique record against Australia in Test cricket, surpassing the likes of Joe Root, Alastair Cook and Virat Kohli, during the first Test at the Adelaide Oval.

Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara on Thursday scripted a unique record against Australia in Test cricket, surpassing the likes of Joe Root, Alastair Cook and Virat Kohli, during the first Test at the Adelaide Oval. Pujara, who was Man of the Series, the last time India visited Australia in 2018-19 continued his rich run of form in the longest format of the game as he blunted the new pink-ball against Australia by facing 160 deliveries in his 43-run knock on Day 1 of the Adelaide Test. By facing 160 deliveries, Pujara registered his name in the record books as he became the player to have faced most deliveries in Test cricket against Australia in the past decade. ALSO READ: Mohammad Amir takes indefinite break from international cricket, says 'being mentally tortured' by Pakistan management Pujara now has faced as many as 3609 deliveries in 28 innings, surpassing Root (3607 balls in 46 innings), Cook (3274 balls in 40 innings) and Virat Kohli (3115* deliveries in 35 innings) – making him the batsman to have faced most balls in Test cricket versus Australia in the past decade. Most balls faced in Test cricket vs Australia in the past decade: CHETESHWAR PUJARA 3609 (28 inns) Joe Root 3607 (46 inns) Alastair Cook 3274 (40 inns) Virat Kohli 3115 (35 inns) ALSO READ: Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters Pujara in the 2018-19 series tormented the Australian bowling attack as he scored a whopping 521 runs in four innings at an average of 74.43. The Indian batsman scored three centuries on the tour, facing 1258 deliveries in 30 hours of batting. However, Pujara was sent packing by Nathan Lyon on Day 1 of Adelaide Test for 46 as the Aussie spinner got the better of Pujara again. Lyon has now dismissed Pujara 10 times, the most for any bowler against him in Test cricket.

Adelaide Test: Cheteshwar Pujara scripts unique record against Australia in Test cricket

<p>Steve Smith and Virat Kohli – the two greatest batsmen of this generation – interviewed each other on the eve of the Adelaide Test between India and Australia where the iconic duo spoke about a lot of things ranging from their best knocks, rivalries, challengers in international cricket and much more.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While discussing the best knocks, Kohli mentioned the 2016 T20 World Cup quarter-final against Australia wherein he hammered 82 runs to guide India to the semi-finals as he narrated the entire innings and how easily he was finding the gaps that day. The Indian skipper further said that he had trouble breaking down his own knock after the match while adding it was a special knock.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I went into a trance mode," Kohli said.</p>

<p>"You feel like things are looking difficult and you just think about committing to what the team needs.</p>

<p><strong>TRENDING |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-kohli-smith-discuss-best-knocks-rivalry-and-more-ahead-of-india-vs-australia-test-series-350192" hreflang="en">Watch: Kohli, Smith discuss best knocks, rivalry and more ahead of India vs Australia Test series</a></strong></p>

<p>"I still don't know how it happened, it was like everything I was hitting was going into gaps. I went into a zone that not even I could break down after.</p>

<p>"I felt that was so special because it's getting into that space while you're batting where you're under pressure and everything is coming off.”</p>

<p>Kohli and Smith also spoke about the 2014 series where both of them were against each other as captain. Australia won the series 2-0. Kohli came into that series after a horror tour of England and despite planning for the series for a couple of months, it didn’t get off to a perfect start for the Indian skipper.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It's funny because I visualised for two months and then we prepared so much to play the first Test and then I walk in four balls before lunch and Mitchell Johnson hit me first ball in the head," Kohli said.</p>

<p>"I just stood there thinking, 'I've prepared for two-and-a-half months, and the first ball hits me on the head. What the hell is going on?'</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/warne-vs-tendulkar-monkeygate-5-classic-australia-vs-india-encounters-349950" hreflang="en">Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters</a></strong></p>

<p>"But then you either go fight or flight. I was pissed off with myself that I prepared for so long how can I not even get bat on the ball and get out of the way."</p>

<p>Indian skipper Kohli will return back to India on paternity leave and he said that the big decision was absolutely clear in his mind while adding that he wanted to be there at any cost as it is a very, very special moment in his life.</p>

<p>"It's a decision that was absolutely clear in my mind," said Kohli.</p>

<p>"As committed as you are to play for your country this is a very, very special moment in life that you want to be there for at any cost. It's a blessed time and we're very excited."</p>

<p>Here’s the complete interview of Steve Smith and Virat Kohli:</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Steve Smith and Virat Kohli – the two greatest batsmen of this generation – interviewed each other on the eve of the Adelaide Test between India and Australia where the iconic duo spoke about a lot of things ranging from their best knocks, rivalries, challengers in international cricket and much more.

Steve Smith and Virat Kohli – the two greatest batsmen of this generation – interviewed each other on the eve of the Adelaide Test between India and Australia where the iconic duo spoke about a lot of things ranging from their best knocks, rivalries, challengers in international cricket and much more. While discussing the best knocks, Kohli mentioned the 2016 T20 World Cup quarter-final against Australia wherein he hammered 82 runs to guide India to the semi-finals as he narrated the entire innings and how easily he was finding the gaps that day. The Indian skipper further said that he had trouble breaking down his own knock after the match while adding it was a special knock. "I went into a trance mode," Kohli said. "You feel like things are looking difficult and you just think about committing to what the team needs. TRENDING | Watch: Kohli, Smith discuss best knocks, rivalry and more ahead of India vs Australia Test series "I still don't know how it happened, it was like everything I was hitting was going into gaps. I went into a zone that not even I could break down after. "I felt that was so special because it's getting into that space while you're batting where you're under pressure and everything is coming off.” Kohli and Smith also spoke about the 2014 series where both of them were against each other as captain. Australia won the series 2-0. Kohli came into that series after a horror tour of England and despite planning for the series for a couple of months, it didn’t get off to a perfect start for the Indian skipper. "It's funny because I visualised for two months and then we prepared so much to play the first Test and then I walk in four balls before lunch and Mitchell Johnson hit me first ball in the head," Kohli said. "I just stood there thinking, 'I've prepared for two-and-a-half months, and the first ball hits me on the head. What the hell is going on?' ALSO READ: Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters "But then you either go fight or flight. I was pissed off with myself that I prepared for so long how can I not even get bat on the ball and get out of the way." Indian skipper Kohli will return back to India on paternity leave and he said that the big decision was absolutely clear in his mind while adding that he wanted to be there at any cost as it is a very, very special moment in his life. "It's a decision that was absolutely clear in my mind," said Kohli. "As committed as you are to play for your country this is a very, very special moment in life that you want to be there for at any cost. It's a blessed time and we're very excited." Here’s the complete interview of Steve Smith and Virat Kohli: ×

'I went into a trance mode': Virat Kohli reveals his favourite knock to Steve Smith - Watch

<p>Two of the greatest batsmen of this generation, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, ahead of the much-awaited four-match Test series between India and Australia, sat down for a one on one interaction as they talked about their favourite knocks, overcoming challenges at the international level among many other questions.</p>

<p>Kohli’s heartwarming gesture towards Smith during the ICC World Cup 2019, where the Indian skipper asked the crowd to not boo Smith, won plenty of hearts. The Australian batsman asked Kohli about the gesture while revealing he messaged the Indian skipper on that night thanking him for the ‘top class’ move.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kohli said that it is not fair to target an individual personally&nbsp;while adding in long term you start to realise things from a larger perspective. Kohli asked Smith about how he was feeling when he walked out to bat after a 12-month break, to which the former Aussie skipper said that despite there being a lot of negativity, he enjoyed the noise of the crowd and the feeling of playing cricket again.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/my-personality-is-the-representation-of-a-new-india-virat-kohli-350171" hreflang="en">'My personality is the representation of a new India': Virat Kohli</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">SPECIAL - The two greats - <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/stevesmith49?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stevesmith49</a> talk cricket.<br />
<br />
Two batting geniuses sit down to talk about their love for the game, batting techniques &amp; having more to life than just cricket.<br />
<br />
You do not want to miss this!<br />
<br />
📹📹<a href="https://t.co/3jEYM9zxzV">https://t.co/3jEYM9zxzV</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/fNrZXrxiVr">pic.twitter.com/fNrZXrxiVr</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1339144577668661249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>“I remember I sent you a message that night saying that was top class,” said Smith.</p>

<p>“There was an incident that had happened (the sandpaper-gate sage in 2018 involving Smith and David Warner) and you guys realised it and came back after a long time having gone through everything you had to,” said Kohli.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-announce-playing-xi-for-adelaide-test-vs-australia-prithvi-shaw-wriddhiman-saha-get-the-nod-350128" hreflang="en">India announce playing XI for Adelaide Test vs Australia; Prithvi Shaw, Wriddhiman Saha get the nod</a></strong></p>

<p>“I feel that nothing in life can be that permanent and it’s not fair to target an individual personally. As much as you play against one another, there is a human side to things as well. Yes, you’re competitive on the field but you don’t want to get nasty as such. In the long term, you realise things from a larger perspective.”</p>

<p>The iconic duo then went on to discuss Kohli’s favourite innings, why Smith moved away from being a leg-spinner and much more. Catch the full conversation between Virat Kohli and Steve Smith here:</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Two of the greatest batsmen of this generation, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, ahead of the much-awaited four-match Test series between India and Australia, sat down for a one on one interaction as they talked about their favourite knocks, overcoming challenges at the international level among many other questions.

Two of the greatest batsmen of this generation, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, ahead of the much-awaited four-match Test series between India and Australia, sat down for a one on one interaction as they talked about their favourite knocks, overcoming challenges at the international level among many other questions. Kohli’s heartwarming gesture towards Smith during the ICC World Cup 2019, where the Indian skipper asked the crowd to not boo Smith, won plenty of hearts. The Australian batsman asked Kohli about the gesture while revealing he messaged the Indian skipper on that night thanking him for the ‘top class’ move. Kohli said that it is not fair to target an individual personally while adding in long term you start to realise things from a larger perspective. Kohli asked Smith about how he was feeling when he walked out to bat after a 12-month break, to which the former Aussie skipper said that despite there being a lot of negativity, he enjoyed the noise of the crowd and the feeling of playing cricket again. ALSO READ: 'My personality is the representation of a new India': Virat Kohli SPECIAL - The two greats - @imVkohli & @stevesmith49 talk cricket. Two batting geniuses sit down to talk about their love for the game, batting techniques & having more to life than just cricket. You do not want to miss this! 📹📹https://t.co/3jEYM9zxzV #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/fNrZXrxiVr — BCCI (@BCCI) December 16, 2020 × “I remember I sent you a message that night saying that was top class,” said Smith. “There was an incident that had happened (the sandpaper-gate sage in 2018 involving Smith and David Warner) and you guys realised it and came back after a long time having gone through everything you had to,” said Kohli. ALSO READ: India announce playing XI for Adelaide Test vs Australia; Prithvi Shaw, Wriddhiman Saha get the nod “I feel that nothing in life can be that permanent and it’s not fair to target an individual personally. As much as you play against one another, there is a human side to things as well. Yes, you’re competitive on the field but you don’t want to get nasty as such. In the long term, you realise things from a larger perspective.” The iconic duo then went on to discuss Kohli’s favourite innings, why Smith moved away from being a leg-spinner and much more. Catch the full conversation between Virat Kohli and Steve Smith here: ×

Watch: Kohli, Smith discuss best knocks, rivalry and more ahead of India vs Australia Test series

<p class="MsoNormal">The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced the Team India playing XI for the first Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, starting December 17 (Thursday). Opener Prithvi Shaw gets the green signal over Shubman Gill whereas Wriddhiman Saha will take the wicket-keeping gloves over Rishabh Pant, who smoked a century in the pink-ball warm-up match against Australia A.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Virat Kohli will lead the side and this will be the only Test he will play in this four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Mayank Agarwal will pair up with Prithvi Shaw up top as the latter get the green signal ahead of Shubman Gill, who looked in great touch during the two warm-up matches against Australia A.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The Indian middle-order completes itself with the likes of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari filling up the slots. Interestingly, Wriddhiman Saha has been preferred over Rishabh Pant. The young southpaw smashed a terrific century in the pink-ball warm-up match against Australia A but has to sit out of the match.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kohli-smith-pace-and-pink-balls-what-to-watch-when-australia-face-india-350121" hreflang="en">Kohli, Smith, pace and pink balls: what to watch when Australia face India</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The Indian bowling attack comprises the likes of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah with Umesh Yadav coming in as the third seamer. Ravichandran Ashwin has been picked as the sole specialist spinner in the team.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">UPDATE🚨: Here’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a>’s playing XI for the first Border-Gavaskar Test against Australia starting tomorrow in Adelaide. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/WbVRWrhqwi">pic.twitter.com/WbVRWrhqwi</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1339115913061179395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<h2 class="MsoNormal"><o:p>India Playing XI vs Australia for Adelaide Test:</o:p></h2>

<p class="MsoNormal">Virat Kohli (C)<br />
Mayank Agarwal<br />
Prithvi Shaw<br />
Cheteshwar Pujara<br />
Ajinkya Rahane<br />
Hanuma Vihari<br />
Wriddhiman Saha (WK)<br />
Ravichandran Ashwin<br />
Umesh Yadav<br />
Mohammed Shami<br />
Jasprit Bumrah</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/warne-vs-tendulkar-monkeygate-5-classic-australia-vs-india-encounters-349950" hreflang="en">Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters</a></strong></p>

<p>“I would like to say that I have always been myself,” Indian skipper Kohli&nbsp;said during a virtual media conference ahead of the opening Test against Australia here starting Thursday.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">'Ajinkya and I are on the same page and I’m sure he'll do a tremendous job in my absence,' says <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> Skipper <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> on the eve of the first Test against Australia.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/S8fmUABfUC">pic.twitter.com/S8fmUABfUC</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1339121199238901761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/where-are-shubman-gill-and-rishabh-pant-fans-question-team-india-playing-xi-350150" hreflang="en">Where are Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant? Fans question Team India playing XI</a></strong></p>

<p>“The way my personality and character is, I am the representation of new India. For me, that’s how I look at it,” he asserted.</p>

<p>“In my mind, it’s not (about) being compared to the Australian mindset as such. It’s how we have started to stand up as the Indian cricket team and my personality has been like this from day one” he added.</p>

<p>“The new India takes up challenges and is filled with optimism and positivity. We make sure that we are ready for any challenges that come our way.”</p>


The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced the Team India playing XI for the first Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, starting December 17 (Thursday).

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced the Team India playing XI for the first Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, starting December 17 (Thursday). Opener Prithvi Shaw gets the green signal over Shubman Gill whereas Wriddhiman Saha will take the wicket-keeping gloves over Rishabh Pant, who smoked a century in the pink-ball warm-up match against Australia A. Virat Kohli will lead the side and this will be the only Test he will play in this four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Mayank Agarwal will pair up with Prithvi Shaw up top as the latter get the green signal ahead of Shubman Gill, who looked in great touch during the two warm-up matches against Australia A. The Indian middle-order completes itself with the likes of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari filling up the slots. Interestingly, Wriddhiman Saha has been preferred over Rishabh Pant. The young southpaw smashed a terrific century in the pink-ball warm-up match against Australia A but has to sit out of the match. ALSO READ: Kohli, Smith, pace and pink balls: what to watch when Australia face India The Indian bowling attack comprises the likes of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah with Umesh Yadav coming in as the third seamer. Ravichandran Ashwin has been picked as the sole specialist spinner in the team. UPDATE🚨: Here’s #TeamIndia’s playing XI for the first Border-Gavaskar Test against Australia starting tomorrow in Adelaide. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/WbVRWrhqwi — BCCI (@BCCI) December 16, 2020 × India Playing XI vs Australia for Adelaide Test: Virat Kohli (C) Mayank Agarwal Prithvi Shaw Cheteshwar Pujara Ajinkya Rahane Hanuma Vihari Wriddhiman Saha (WK) Ravichandran Ashwin Umesh Yadav Mohammed Shami Jasprit Bumrah ALSO READ: Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters “I would like to say that I have always been myself,” Indian skipper Kohli said during a virtual media conference ahead of the opening Test against Australia here starting Thursday. 'Ajinkya and I are on the same page and I’m sure he'll do a tremendous job in my absence,' says #TeamIndia Skipper @imVkohli on the eve of the first Test against Australia.#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/S8fmUABfUC — BCCI (@BCCI) December 16, 2020 × ALSO READ: Where are Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant? Fans question Team India playing XI “The way my personality and character is, I am the representation of new India. For me, that’s how I look at it,” he asserted. “In my mind, it’s not (about) being compared to the Australian mindset as such. It’s how we have started to stand up as the Indian cricket team and my personality has been like this from day one” he added. “The new India takes up challenges and is filled with optimism and positivity. We make sure that we are ready for any challenges that come our way.”

India announce playing XI for Adelaide Test vs Australia; Prithvi Shaw, Wriddhiman Saha get the nod

<p>The Indian team on Thursday announced its playing XI for the first Test of the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy with a couple of surprising picks. The day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval is set to be played between India and Australia from December 17 in what promises to be a thrilling pink-ball Test. However, some of the fans were irked by the calls taken by the Indian team management after the playing XI for the Adelaide Test was announced.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prithvi Shaw and Wriddhiman Saha were picked over Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant and fans were left scratching their heads over the calls. Shaw has been out of form for some time now. Even though it would be harsh on the youngster to mix formats and judge his form, Shaw’s form in the two warm-up matches against Australia A suggested that he is struggling with his technique and confidence. His form in IPL and knack of finding different ways of throwing his wickets away has been questioned by pundits and fans.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-announce-playing-xi-for-adelaide-test-vs-australia-prithvi-shaw-wriddhiman-saha-get-the-nod-350128" hreflang="en">India announce playing XI for Adelaide Test vs Australia; Prithvi Shaw, Wriddhiman Saha get the nod</a></strong></p>

<p>On the other hand, Shubman Gill looked classy in the warm-up matches and scored a scintillating half-century in the pink-ball warm-up match against Australia A. Gill’s technique has been praised by many and given the bouncier conditions in Australia, his comfort of playing the ball on the up was seen as an added advantage. However, he will have to wait for his Test cap and is expected to be in the playing XI once Virat Kohli leaves for India after the Adelaide Test.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In the Practice matches against Australia A, Prithvi Shaw scores is 0, 19, 40 and 3 and Shubman Gill scorers 0, 29, 43, and 65. Gill was in excellent form and he looked very good in the Pink Ball Practice match while batting. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvsIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvsIND</a></p>
— CricketMAN2 (@man4_cricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/man4_cricket/status/1339126645379067904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am finding it difficult to understand why KL Rahul and Shubman Gill are sitting outside. Prithvi Shaw was a failure in both practice games.<br />
<br />
This is ridiculous. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvsIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvsIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/BnervyIosM">pic.twitter.com/BnervyIosM</a></p>
— Aayush Sharma | آیوش شرما 🏳️‍🌈 (@JournalistWFH) <a href="https://twitter.com/JournalistWFH/status/1339126383805571074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shubman Gill should have been in the playing 11. He is much more consistent than Prithvi Shaw. <a href="https://t.co/7WX1afpcqv">https://t.co/7WX1afpcqv</a></p>
— Subrata Panda (@subratapanda) <a href="https://twitter.com/subratapanda/status/1339124003701551105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Terrible.<br />
Shubman Gill having proved his abilities in the warm up matches but still not in the playing 11.<br />
Shubman Gill should've been replaced for Prithvi Shaw. <a href="https://t.co/09UGjJRrGs">pic.twitter.com/09UGjJRrGs</a></p>
— Vishal S (@veee_shaall) <a href="https://twitter.com/veee_shaall/status/1339122352739688448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Prithvi Shaw and Wriddhiman Saha over Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill!<br />
<br />
Shocked n surprised at the selection. Last tour in Australia, Rishabh was second highest Indian scorer. Both Gill n him played well in practise match as well! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCCI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RaviShastriOfc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RaviShastriOfc</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SGanguly99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SGanguly99</a></p>
— Shivam 🇮🇳 |🎸| (@itsShivam18) <a href="https://twitter.com/itsShivam18/status/1339122122463985664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It's just too hard on Shubman Gill. Looked in fine touch in practice match. Even in NZ tour games he scored 83, 204* 136 in first class games still fail to debut . I hope they select him in 2nd Test when kohli leaves. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shubmangill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Shubmangill</a></p>
— Uday (@Udaycric) <a href="https://twitter.com/Udaycric/status/1339122027307945984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tough luck Shubman Gill and KL Rahul! Team Management has gone with a big gamble here with Shaw and Saha!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvsIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvsIND</a></p>
— Daanveer ↗️ (@daanveers) <a href="https://twitter.com/daanveers/status/1339121128632066049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rishabh Pant should’ve made it in the playing XI<br />
<br />
He had a brilliant practice game he is a busy batsmen would keep the score board ticking over fast. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a></p>
— Qas. (@QAS__786) <a href="https://twitter.com/QAS__786/status/1339129450521382912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Wriddhiman Saha, who is arguably the finest wicket-keeper in the world, has been picked over Rishabh Pant. While Pant’s form is also not the best, the southpaw scored a breathtaking century in the second warm-up match against Australia A.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/warne-vs-tendulkar-monkeygate-5-classic-australia-vs-india-encounters-349950" hreflang="en">Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters</a></strong></p>

<p>If Shaw can get picked due to his previous performances in Test then it was Pant who scored a century on Australian soil the last time India visited Down Under.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While some of the fans are irked by these two decisions, they would be hoping that India start the much-awaited series with a win over Australia.</p>

<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px !important; font-family: &quot;Noto Serif&quot;, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 28px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><strong>India Playing XI vs Australia for Adelaide Test:</strong></h2>

<ul>
	<li class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Noto Serif&quot;, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 28px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; outline: 0px !important;">Virat Kohli (C)</li>
	<li class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Noto Serif&quot;, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 28px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; outline: 0px !important;">Mayank Agarwal</li>
	<li class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Noto Serif&quot;, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 28px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; outline: 0px !important;">Prithvi Shaw</li>
	<li class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Noto Serif&quot;, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 28px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; outline: 0px !important;">Cheteshwar Pujara</li>
	<li class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Noto Serif&quot;, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 28px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; outline: 0px !important;">Ajinkya Rahane</li>
	<li class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Noto Serif&quot;, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 28px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; outline: 0px !important;">Hanuma Vihari</li>
	<li class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Noto Serif&quot;, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 28px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; outline: 0px !important;">Wriddhiman Saha (WK)</li>
	<li class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Noto Serif&quot;, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 28px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; outline: 0px !important;">Ravichandran Ashwin</li>
	<li class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Noto Serif&quot;, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 28px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; outline: 0px !important;">Umesh Yadav</li>
	<li class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Noto Serif&quot;, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 28px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; outline: 0px !important;">Mohammed Shami</li>
	<li class="MsoNormal" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: &quot;Noto Serif&quot;, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 28px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 22px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; outline: 0px !important;">Jasprit Bumrah</li>
</ul>


The Indian team on Thursday announced its playing XI for the first Test of the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy with a couple of surprising picks. The day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval is set to be played between India and Australia from December 17 in what promises to be a thrilling pink-ball Test.

The Indian team on Thursday announced its playing XI for the first Test of the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy with a couple of surprising picks. The day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval is set to be played between India and Australia from December 17 in what promises to be a thrilling pink-ball Test. However, some of the fans were irked by the calls taken by the Indian team management after the playing XI for the Adelaide Test was announced. Prithvi Shaw and Wriddhiman Saha were picked over Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant and fans were left scratching their heads over the calls. Shaw has been out of form for some time now. Even though it would be harsh on the youngster to mix formats and judge his form, Shaw’s form in the two warm-up matches against Australia A suggested that he is struggling with his technique and confidence. His form in IPL and knack of finding different ways of throwing his wickets away has been questioned by pundits and fans. ALSO READ: India announce playing XI for Adelaide Test vs Australia; Prithvi Shaw, Wriddhiman Saha get the nod On the other hand, Shubman Gill looked classy in the warm-up matches and scored a scintillating half-century in the pink-ball warm-up match against Australia A. Gill’s technique has been praised by many and given the bouncier conditions in Australia, his comfort of playing the ball on the up was seen as an added advantage. However, he will have to wait for his Test cap and is expected to be in the playing XI once Virat Kohli leaves for India after the Adelaide Test. In the Practice matches against Australia A, Prithvi Shaw scores is 0, 19, 40 and 3 and Shubman Gill scorers 0, 29, 43, and 65. Gill was in excellent form and he looked very good in the Pink Ball Practice match while batting. #AUSvsIND — CricketMAN2 (@man4_cricket) December 16, 2020 × I am finding it difficult to understand why KL Rahul and Shubman Gill are sitting outside. Prithvi Shaw was a failure in both practice games. This is ridiculous. #AUSvsIND pic.twitter.com/BnervyIosM — Aayush Sharma | آیوش شرما 🏳️‍🌈 (@JournalistWFH) December 16, 2020 × Shubman Gill should have been in the playing 11. He is much more consistent than Prithvi Shaw. https://t.co/7WX1afpcqv — Subrata Panda (@subratapanda) December 16, 2020 × Terrible. Shubman Gill having proved his abilities in the warm up matches but still not in the playing 11. Shubman Gill should've been replaced for Prithvi Shaw. pic.twitter.com/09UGjJRrGs — Vishal S (@veee_shaall) December 16, 2020 × Prithvi Shaw and Wriddhiman Saha over Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill! Shocked n surprised at the selection. Last tour in Australia, Rishabh was second highest Indian scorer. Both Gill n him played well in practise match as well! #AUSvIND @BCCI @RaviShastriOfc @SGanguly99 — Shivam 🇮🇳 |🎸| (@itsShivam18) December 16, 2020 × It's just too hard on Shubman Gill. Looked in fine touch in practice match. Even in NZ tour games he scored 83, 204* 136 in first class games still fail to debut . I hope they select him in 2nd Test when kohli leaves. #AUSvIND #INDvAUS #Shubmangill — Uday (@Udaycric) December 16, 2020 × Tough luck Shubman Gill and KL Rahul! Team Management has gone with a big gamble here with Shaw and Saha!#AUSvsIND — Daanveer ↗️ (@daanveers) December 16, 2020 × Rishabh Pant should’ve made it in the playing XI He had a brilliant practice game he is a busy batsmen would keep the score board ticking over fast. #AUSvIND — Qas. (@QAS__786) December 16, 2020 × Wriddhiman Saha, who is arguably the finest wicket-keeper in the world, has been picked over Rishabh Pant. While Pant’s form is also not the best, the southpaw scored a breathtaking century in the second warm-up match against Australia A. ALSO READ: Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters If Shaw can get picked due to his previous performances in Test then it was Pant who scored a century on Australian soil the last time India visited Down Under. While some of the fans are irked by these two decisions, they would be hoping that India start the much-awaited series with a win over Australia. India Playing XI vs Australia for Adelaide Test: Virat Kohli (C) Mayank Agarwal Prithvi Shaw Cheteshwar Pujara Ajinkya Rahane Hanuma Vihari Wriddhiman Saha (WK) Ravichandran Ashwin Umesh Yadav Mohammed Shami Jasprit Bumrah

Where are Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant? Fans question Team India playing XI

<p>Australia and India renew their fierce rivalry in a four-Test series that begins with a day-night game in Adelaide on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India won a Test series for the first time Down Under when the sides clashed two years ago and Australia are determined to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here are five things to watch out for in the highly anticipated series:</p>

<h2>- Kohli's lone shot -</h2>

<p>India captain Virat Kohli will be desperate to make a winning contribution in his only chance of a Test victory against Australia this series -- he has decided to return home after Adelaide to be with his Bollywood actress wife, Anushka Sharma, who is expecting their first child.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After India lost 2-1 in the recent one-dayers, Kohli showed his importance to the side during the Twenty20 series victory. And pundits, including Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar, believe his departure will leave a "void" in the batting line-up.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But other India veterans have suggested Kohli's absence could enable a new star to emerge in the side, which will be led by vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane once Kohli leaves.</p>

<h2>- Smith returns -</h2>

<p>Steve Smith is playing down calls for him to become Australia's captain again, insisting he is just "excited" to feature in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy clashes after missing out two years ago.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The prolific 31-year-old batsman was left powerless on the sidelines as India won their first series in Australia in 2018-19 while he and David Warner served out bans for ball-tampering.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Smith, who amassed 774 runs, including three centuries as Australia retained the Ashes in England last year, said "I will do what is best for the team" despite former players such as Adam Gilchrist calling for him to step up for a second crack at the captaincy.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>- Hard day's night -</h2>

<p>Australia start as overwhelming favourites in the opening Test having never been beaten in their seven day-night matches to date, while Virat Kohli's India play their first overseas game under lights after their maiden pink-ball outing in Kolkata last year against Bangladesh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India long resisted twilight encounters, but Tendulkar told AFP he believed their players would be ready having played warm-up games and had intensive net sessions with the pink ball this week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"They would have studied how the Adelaide pitch plays during day-night Test match and what is the time to accelerate and go for runs," he said, adding the first daylight session each day could be the time for batsmen to cash in.</p>

<h2>- Pitch battles -</h2>

<p>India's fast-bowling attack, led by Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, are ready to fight fire with fire in Australia's own den.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The pacey pair shared five wickets as they bundled out Australia A for 108 and signalled their intent to enjoy bowling on wickets Down Under that are renowned for providing extra pace and bounce.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Australia's three-pronged attack of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood "can surpass any era" of quicks, according to former paceman Brett Lee, but India coach Anil Kumble countered that his attack was their equal. "We probably match our fast bowling to their fast bowling," he said.</p>

<h2>- Send in the crowds -</h2>

<p>Australia and New Zealand have been the first countries to welcome back spectators to cricket since the pandemic -- the Adelaide Oval will be half full for the first Test while 30,000 should be allowed into the Melbourne Cricket Ground for Boxing Day.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Indian cricket chief Sourav Ganguly tweeted a picture of a full house as New Zealand played a Test last week against the West Indies at Basin Reserve, Wellington, writing "the game needs this".</p>

<p>But players, with a lucrative series on the line, will be wary of sticking to coronavirus prevention protocols after other tours were disrupted this month.</p>

<p>Pakistan were banned from training under quarantine in New Zealand after eight players tested positive. England abandoned their tour of South Africa after Covid-19 cases in both camps, though the England players later returned negative tests.&nbsp;</p>


Australia and India renew their fierce rivalry in a four-Test series that begins with a day-night game in Adelaide on Thursday. India won a Test series for the first time Down Under when the sides clashed two years ago and Australia are determined to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Australia and India renew their fierce rivalry in a four-Test series that begins with a day-night game in Adelaide on Thursday. India won a Test series for the first time Down Under when the sides clashed two years ago and Australia are determined to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Here are five things to watch out for in the highly anticipated series: - Kohli's lone shot - India captain Virat Kohli will be desperate to make a winning contribution in his only chance of a Test victory against Australia this series -- he has decided to return home after Adelaide to be with his Bollywood actress wife, Anushka Sharma, who is expecting their first child. After India lost 2-1 in the recent one-dayers, Kohli showed his importance to the side during the Twenty20 series victory. And pundits, including Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar, believe his departure will leave a "void" in the batting line-up. But other India veterans have suggested Kohli's absence could enable a new star to emerge in the side, which will be led by vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane once Kohli leaves. - Smith returns - Steve Smith is playing down calls for him to become Australia's captain again, insisting he is just "excited" to feature in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy clashes after missing out two years ago. The prolific 31-year-old batsman was left powerless on the sidelines as India won their first series in Australia in 2018-19 while he and David Warner served out bans for ball-tampering. Smith, who amassed 774 runs, including three centuries as Australia retained the Ashes in England last year, said "I will do what is best for the team" despite former players such as Adam Gilchrist calling for him to step up for a second crack at the captaincy. - Hard day's night - Australia start as overwhelming favourites in the opening Test having never been beaten in their seven day-night matches to date, while Virat Kohli's India play their first overseas game under lights after their maiden pink-ball outing in Kolkata last year against Bangladesh. India long resisted twilight encounters, but Tendulkar told AFP he believed their players would be ready having played warm-up games and had intensive net sessions with the pink ball this week. "They would have studied how the Adelaide pitch plays during day-night Test match and what is the time to accelerate and go for runs," he said, adding the first daylight session each day could be the time for batsmen to cash in. - Pitch battles - India's fast-bowling attack, led by Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, are ready to fight fire with fire in Australia's own den. The pacey pair shared five wickets as they bundled out Australia A for 108 and signalled their intent to enjoy bowling on wickets Down Under that are renowned for providing extra pace and bounce. Australia's three-pronged attack of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood "can surpass any era" of quicks, according to former paceman Brett Lee, but India coach Anil Kumble countered that his attack was their equal. "We probably match our fast bowling to their fast bowling," he said. - Send in the crowds - Australia and New Zealand have been the first countries to welcome back spectators to cricket since the pandemic -- the Adelaide Oval will be half full for the first Test while 30,000 should be allowed into the Melbourne Cricket Ground for Boxing Day. Indian cricket chief Sourav Ganguly tweeted a picture of a full house as New Zealand played a Test last week against the West Indies at Basin Reserve, Wellington, writing "the game needs this". But players, with a lucrative series on the line, will be wary of sticking to coronavirus prevention protocols after other tours were disrupted this month. Pakistan were banned from training under quarantine in New Zealand after eight players tested positive. England abandoned their tour of South Africa after Covid-19 cases in both camps, though the England players later returned negative tests.

Kohli, Smith, pace and pink balls: what to watch when Australia face India

<p>India will look to close the gap with table-toppers Australia in the ICC World Test Championship points table after their first pink-ball Test in Adelaide on Thursday.</p>

<p>India are in third place in the MRF Tyres ICC Men's Test Team Rankings with 114 rating points, whilst Australia top the rankings with 116.46 rating points. New Zealand follow closely in second with 116.37 rating points.</p>

<p>New Zealand are very close to reaching the ICC World Test Championship final in 2021 after securing back-to-back innings victories against the West Indies. India will feel the pressure as the race to the World Test Championship final heats up.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/warne-vs-tendulkar-monkeygate-5-classic-australia-vs-india-encounters-349950" hreflang="en">Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters</a></strong></p>

<p>Australia and India will fight it out in a four-Test series as the hosts look to build on their narrow lead at the top of the table. If New Zealand overcome Pakistan 2-0 in the two-Test series which starts on 26 December, they will finish on 420 points from five series.</p>

<p>That will leave India needing five wins or four wins and three draws out of their last eight Tests, which include facing Australia away and hosting England for a four-Test series beginning in February 2021. Depending on how India's series against Australia goes and New Zealand's series against Pakistan goes, Australia could build their lead at number one or make way for New Zealand at the top.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-taking-the-knee-to-joining-protests-athletes-who-contributed-to-black-lives-matter-movement-349554" hreflang="en">From taking the knee to joining protests: Athletes who contributed to 'Black Lives Matter' movement</a></strong></p>

<p>The factor that determines the final placings is now percentage points, following a change to the points system announced earlier, owing to the disruption of international cricket due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>


India will look to close the gap with table-toppers Australia in the ICC World Test Championship points table after their first pink-ball Test in Adelaide on Thursday.

India will look to close the gap with table-toppers Australia in the ICC World Test Championship points table after their first pink-ball Test in Adelaide on Thursday. India are in third place in the MRF Tyres ICC Men's Test Team Rankings with 114 rating points, whilst Australia top the rankings with 116.46 rating points. New Zealand follow closely in second with 116.37 rating points. New Zealand are very close to reaching the ICC World Test Championship final in 2021 after securing back-to-back innings victories against the West Indies. India will feel the pressure as the race to the World Test Championship final heats up. ALSO READ: Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters Australia and India will fight it out in a four-Test series as the hosts look to build on their narrow lead at the top of the table. If New Zealand overcome Pakistan 2-0 in the two-Test series which starts on 26 December, they will finish on 420 points from five series. That will leave India needing five wins or four wins and three draws out of their last eight Tests, which include facing Australia away and hosting England for a four-Test series beginning in February 2021. Depending on how India's series against Australia goes and New Zealand's series against Pakistan goes, Australia could build their lead at number one or make way for New Zealand at the top. ALSO READ: From taking the knee to joining protests: Athletes who contributed to 'Black Lives Matter' movement The factor that determines the final placings is now percentage points, following a change to the points system announced earlier, owing to the disruption of international cricket due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Australia look to retain top spot in the ICC World Test Championship as the race to the final heats up

<p>Former Australian captain Allan Border has acknowledged the contribution of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">Indian Premier League (IPL)</a> in breaking the ice between Indian and Australian players while cooling down the tempers that used to flare on the pitch.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Australia and India are set to take on each other in a four-match Test series starting Thursday at the Adelaide Oval. Border, while speaking during a media interaction, said that there was a clash of cultures earlier but the rivalry was always competitive while adding that IPL ended that barrier between players.</p>

<p>“I think Sunny (Sunil Gavaskar) talked about (in a media article) that there was always a little bit of clash, clash of cultures between Australians and Indians. We play the game a certain way, we are brought up to play the game in an aggressive manner. We use swear words a lot in our natural conversation without meaning anything by it. Whereas in India, sometimes the players used to take offence with the way we were,” Border said.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/warner-vs-tendulkar-monkeygate-5-classic-australia-vs-india-encounters-349950" hreflang="en">Warner vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters</a></strong></p>

<p>“That clash of cultures has been addressed in recent times because of the IPL. Because you have got Australians and South Africans and Indians, the different cultures playing in one franchise you get to know each other a lot better. The appreciation is what makes different people tick when you are in the same dressing room compared to opposing dressing rooms. I think that has helped the Indians and Australians and the way, the mannerisms out in the field. But don’t mistake the smiling assassins (Tim Paine’s Australians). They will be friendly alright but they will be keen to be the Australian boys because they really rate this series very highly,” added Border.</p>

<p>The former Australian admitted that Virat Kohli perfectly represents the changing face of Indian cricket, backing Greg Chappell’s comments of Kohli being the most Australian non-Australian. Border said Kohli’s involvement in the game sets him apart from his peers and added that he likes Kohli’s passion on the field.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“We just love the way he plays cricket. You can see in his body language out on the ground. He lives and breathes every minute. He is out there, he just loves it. There is a bit more chat out on the ground. He talks to his own players and opposition. He is in the contest more so than the other Indian players we have seen in the past,” said Border before describing the new Indian cricketer.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-ricky-ponting-picks-his-australia-playing-xi-for-dn-test-349918" hreflang="en">IND vs AUS: Ricky Ponting picks his Australia playing XI for D/N Test</a></strong></p>

<p>“What we talk in this country is about the new Indian cricketer. He has got tattoes. Married to a Bollywood actress. He is a very feisty competitor and not to say that other Indians aren’t like that. But he just wears his heart on the sleeve. I suppose he tends to play cricket like some of us tend to. He is very much liked in these shores. He is a seriously good player — that is obviously there, but I like that passion he brings to the game,” added Border.</p>


Former Australian captain Allan Border has acknowledged the contribution of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in breaking the ice between Indian and Australian players while cooling down the tempers that used to flare on the pitch.

Former Australian captain Allan Border has acknowledged the contribution of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in breaking the ice between Indian and Australian players while cooling down the tempers that used to flare on the pitch. Australia and India are set to take on each other in a four-match Test series starting Thursday at the Adelaide Oval. Border, while speaking during a media interaction, said that there was a clash of cultures earlier but the rivalry was always competitive while adding that IPL ended that barrier between players. “I think Sunny (Sunil Gavaskar) talked about (in a media article) that there was always a little bit of clash, clash of cultures between Australians and Indians. We play the game a certain way, we are brought up to play the game in an aggressive manner. We use swear words a lot in our natural conversation without meaning anything by it. Whereas in India, sometimes the players used to take offence with the way we were,” Border said. IN PICS | Warner vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters “That clash of cultures has been addressed in recent times because of the IPL. Because you have got Australians and South Africans and Indians, the different cultures playing in one franchise you get to know each other a lot better. The appreciation is what makes different people tick when you are in the same dressing room compared to opposing dressing rooms. I think that has helped the Indians and Australians and the way, the mannerisms out in the field. But don’t mistake the smiling assassins (Tim Paine’s Australians). They will be friendly alright but they will be keen to be the Australian boys because they really rate this series very highly,” added Border. The former Australian admitted that Virat Kohli perfectly represents the changing face of Indian cricket, backing Greg Chappell’s comments of Kohli being the most Australian non-Australian. Border said Kohli’s involvement in the game sets him apart from his peers and added that he likes Kohli’s passion on the field. “We just love the way he plays cricket. You can see in his body language out on the ground. He lives and breathes every minute. He is out there, he just loves it. There is a bit more chat out on the ground. He talks to his own players and opposition. He is in the contest more so than the other Indian players we have seen in the past,” said Border before describing the new Indian cricketer. ALSO READ: IND vs AUS: Ricky Ponting picks his Australia playing XI for D/N Test “What we talk in this country is about the new Indian cricketer. He has got tattoes. Married to a Bollywood actress. He is a very feisty competitor and not to say that other Indians aren’t like that. But he just wears his heart on the sleeve. I suppose he tends to play cricket like some of us tend to. He is very much liked in these shores. He is a seriously good player — that is obviously there, but I like that passion he brings to the game,” added Border.

IPL turned foes to friends, says Allan Border ahead of India vs Australia series

Warne vs Tendulkar, 'Monkeygate': 5 classic Australia vs India encounters

<p>Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has picked his Aussie playing XI for the Adelaide Test against India, starting from December 17. With Australia struggling to field their best XI due to injuries, Ponting has come up with a strong yet interesting playing XI with a surprise pick to replace the injured David Warner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ponting was known for his aggressive captaincy and brave calls on the field and that reflects on the Australian playing XI he picked for the Adelaide Test against India. The former Aussie skipper has backed out-of-form Joe Burns to open the innings while coming up with the interesting suggestion to pick Matthew Wade as his partner.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/postponements-and-resumption-a-turbulent-year-of-2020-for-sports-world-346992" hreflang="en">Postponements and resumption: A turbulent year of 2020 for sports world</a></strong></p>

<p>Continuing his team, Ponting picked the likes of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith at number three and four respectively before naming Travis Head, Cameron Green (if passed fit) and skipper Tim Paine. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon complete Ponting’s Australia XI for Adelaide Test.</p>

<p>“I’ll have a lot of messages and suggestions coming my way that he (Burns) hasn’t scored enough runs to stay in the side, but I’m keeping him in there. 40 in his last Test innings, he’s made four-Test match hundreds, averages almost 40 – I’m sticking with him and showing some faith,” Ponting told 7Cricket.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-steve-smith-misses-crucial-net-session-due-to-lower-back-soreness-349905" hreflang="en">IND vs AUS: Steve Smith misses crucial net session due to lower-back soreness</a></strong></p>

<p>Ponting added, "What I am doing is moving Matthew Wade up to the top of the order. It gives a left-hand, right-hand combination. We saw last time India were out here, when we had two left-handers in our top order, the Indian bowling attack absolutely dominated the two lefties. I know I’ll cause a bit of a stir here, but that’s the way I’d go," stated the former right-handed batsman.</p>

<p><strong>Ricky Ponting's Australia XI for the first Test vs India:</strong> Matthew Wade, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green (if fit), Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has picked his Aussie playing XI for the Adelaide Test against India, starting from December 17. With Australia struggling to field their best XI due to injuries, Ponting has come up with a strong yet interesting playing XI with a surprise pick to replace the injured David Warner.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has picked his Aussie playing XI for the Adelaide Test against India, starting from December 17. With Australia struggling to field their best XI due to injuries, Ponting has come up with a strong yet interesting playing XI with a surprise pick to replace the injured David Warner. Ponting was known for his aggressive captaincy and brave calls on the field and that reflects on the Australian playing XI he picked for the Adelaide Test against India. The former Aussie skipper has backed out-of-form Joe Burns to open the innings while coming up with the interesting suggestion to pick Matthew Wade as his partner. ALSO READ: Postponements and resumption: A turbulent year of 2020 for sports world Continuing his team, Ponting picked the likes of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith at number three and four respectively before naming Travis Head, Cameron Green (if passed fit) and skipper Tim Paine. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon complete Ponting’s Australia XI for Adelaide Test. “I’ll have a lot of messages and suggestions coming my way that he (Burns) hasn’t scored enough runs to stay in the side, but I’m keeping him in there. 40 in his last Test innings, he’s made four-Test match hundreds, averages almost 40 – I’m sticking with him and showing some faith,” Ponting told 7Cricket. ALSO READ: IND vs AUS: Steve Smith misses crucial net session due to lower-back soreness Ponting added, "What I am doing is moving Matthew Wade up to the top of the order. It gives a left-hand, right-hand combination. We saw last time India were out here, when we had two left-handers in our top order, the Indian bowling attack absolutely dominated the two lefties. I know I’ll cause a bit of a stir here, but that’s the way I’d go," stated the former right-handed batsman. Ricky Ponting's Australia XI for the first Test vs India: Matthew Wade, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green (if fit), Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.

IND vs AUS: Ricky Ponting picks his Australia playing XI for D/N Test

<p>Giving a major headache to already injury-hit Australian squad, Steve Smith on Tuesday missed the major batting session ahead of the first Test of the four-match Border-Gavaskar series in Adelaide against India. Smith walked off the field after completing a couple of stretching and running drills and headed to the dressing room in some discomfort.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While the other Australian batsmen enjoyed a good batting session ahead of the series opener, Smith walked off to the dressing room with physiotherapist David Beakley to receive a “back rub” after suffering from lower-back soreness. The Aussie ace would not be training on Tuesday.</p>

<p>However, he is not believed to be in doubt for the Adelaide test and is expected to be back in the nets session tomorrow.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-announces-qualification-pathway-to-mens-t20-world-cup-2022-in-australia-349768" hreflang="en">ICC announces qualification pathway to men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia</a></strong></p>

<p>Smith has been among the runs since returning back from the one-year ban. He had defied all the odds to pile mammoth runs in the Ashes 2019 and has since carried on scoring runs in both red-ball and white-ball cricket.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the recently concluded ODI and T20I series against India, Smith looked in great touch and is expected to be the backbone of the Aussie batting unit in the much-awaited Test series against India. He had scored consecutive 62-ball centuries in ODIs at the Sydney Cricket Ground.</p>

<p><strong>TRENDING:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-mushfiqur-rahim-loses-cool-almost-hits-teammate-during-bangabandhu-t20-cup-349744" hreflang="en">WATCH: Mushfiqur Rahim loses cool, almost hits teammate during Bangabandhu T20 Cup</a></strong></p>

<p>Smith had revealed that second of those centuries came after he spent the morning of the match suffering from nausea and dizziness – for which he was treated hours before play started.</p>

<p>Australia are already without the likes of David Warner, Will Pucovski, Sean Abbott due to injuries.</p>

<p>There are further doubts over the participation of Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc with the latter having just joined the squad after a family illness.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Giving a major headache to already injury-hit Australian squad, Steve Smith on Tuesday missed the major batting session ahead of the first Test of the four-match Border-Gavaskar series in Adelaide against India.

Giving a major headache to already injury-hit Australian squad, Steve Smith on Tuesday missed the major batting session ahead of the first Test of the four-match Border-Gavaskar series in Adelaide against India. Smith walked off the field after completing a couple of stretching and running drills and headed to the dressing room in some discomfort. While the other Australian batsmen enjoyed a good batting session ahead of the series opener, Smith walked off to the dressing room with physiotherapist David Beakley to receive a “back rub” after suffering from lower-back soreness. The Aussie ace would not be training on Tuesday. However, he is not believed to be in doubt for the Adelaide test and is expected to be back in the nets session tomorrow. ALSO READ: ICC announces qualification pathway to men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia Smith has been among the runs since returning back from the one-year ban. He had defied all the odds to pile mammoth runs in the Ashes 2019 and has since carried on scoring runs in both red-ball and white-ball cricket. In the recently concluded ODI and T20I series against India, Smith looked in great touch and is expected to be the backbone of the Aussie batting unit in the much-awaited Test series against India. He had scored consecutive 62-ball centuries in ODIs at the Sydney Cricket Ground. TRENDING: WATCH: Mushfiqur Rahim loses cool, almost hits teammate during Bangabandhu T20 Cup Smith had revealed that second of those centuries came after he spent the morning of the match suffering from nausea and dizziness – for which he was treated hours before play started. Australia are already without the likes of David Warner, Will Pucovski, Sean Abbott due to injuries. There are further doubts over the participation of Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc with the latter having just joined the squad after a family illness.

IND vs AUS: Steve Smith misses crucial net session due to lower-back soreness

<p>In what comes as another blow to the Australian cricket team, pace bowler Sean Abbott has been ruled out of the first Test against India, scheduled to be played in Adelaide from Thursday, due to calf injury. All-rounder Moises Henriques has been added to the Australian squad, after recovering from a mild hamstring strain.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Abbott will continue to recover in Sydney and join the Aussie squad before the second Test in Melbourne starting on December 26.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Abbott was expected to be part of the day-night Test if Mitchell Starc, who has been away from the squad due to family illness, was not considered match fit.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sydney-sixers-thrash-melbourne-renegades-to-claim-biggest-victory-in-bbl-history-349538" hreflang="en">Sydney Sixers thrash Melbourne Renegades to claim ''biggest victory'' in BBL history</a></strong></p>

<p>Abbott is the third casualty for the Australian side with openers David Warner and Will Pucovski both unavailable for the Adelaide Test.</p>

<p>Earlier, in-form all-rounder, Cameron Green gave a major scare to the Aussie side after he was stuck on the head while bowling in an Australia ‘A’ match against India last week.</p>

<p>Notably, Henriques was not part of the Australia ‘A’ matches due to hamstring strain after returning to the national team in the limited over series against India.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Green is likely to be part of the Adelaide Test and medical experts are continuing to monitor the youngster before the much-awaited match.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mitchell-starc-to-rejoin-the-australian-squad-after-family-illness-349528" hreflang="en">Mitchell Starc to rejoin the Australian squad after family illness</a></strong></p>

<p>With Warner and Pucovski out with injuries and Joe Burns going through a poor run of form, it would be interesting to see what combination Australian team picks for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Australian head coach Justin Langer was spotted taking a look at the Adelaide pitch on Sunday as the former Aussie opener shadow batted a bit to get into the groove of the Test series.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The pink-ball Test will be the first such match between Australia and India. &nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


In what comes as another blow to the Australian cricket team, pace bowler Sean Abbott has been ruled out of the first Test against India, scheduled to be played in Adelaide from Thursday, due to calf injury.

In what comes as another blow to the Australian cricket team, pace bowler Sean Abbott has been ruled out of the first Test against India, scheduled to be played in Adelaide from Thursday, due to calf injury. All-rounder Moises Henriques has been added to the Australian squad, after recovering from a mild hamstring strain. Abbott will continue to recover in Sydney and join the Aussie squad before the second Test in Melbourne starting on December 26. Abbott was expected to be part of the day-night Test if Mitchell Starc, who has been away from the squad due to family illness, was not considered match fit. ALSO READ: Sydney Sixers thrash Melbourne Renegades to claim ''biggest victory'' in BBL history Abbott is the third casualty for the Australian side with openers David Warner and Will Pucovski both unavailable for the Adelaide Test. Earlier, in-form all-rounder, Cameron Green gave a major scare to the Aussie side after he was stuck on the head while bowling in an Australia ‘A’ match against India last week. Notably, Henriques was not part of the Australia ‘A’ matches due to hamstring strain after returning to the national team in the limited over series against India. Meanwhile, Green is likely to be part of the Adelaide Test and medical experts are continuing to monitor the youngster before the much-awaited match. ALSO READ: Mitchell Starc to rejoin the Australian squad after family illness With Warner and Pucovski out with injuries and Joe Burns going through a poor run of form, it would be interesting to see what combination Australian team picks for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener. Australian head coach Justin Langer was spotted taking a look at the Adelaide pitch on Sunday as the former Aussie opener shadow batted a bit to get into the groove of the Test series. The pink-ball Test will be the first such match between Australia and India.

Another blow for Australia, Sean Abbott out of Adelaide Test vs India; Moises Henriques called in

<p>Australia's pacer spearhead Mitchell Starc will be rejoining the squad in Adelaide on Monday to prepare for the first test against India after he withdrew from the T20 series due to a family illness.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/its-all-about-experimenting-kapil-dev-urges-kohli-to-promote-pandya-to-no4-in-t20is-349477" hreflang="en">Kapil Dev urges Virat Kohli to promote Hardik Pandya to No.4 in T20Is</a></p>

<p>Cricket Australia on Sunday said that Starc will be travelling with several other members of the Australian side and the Indian team on a charter flight.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We feel for Mitch at this difficult time and were happy he has taken time out to spend with his family," Australia coach Justin Langer said in a statement.</p>

<p>"We look forward to welcoming him back into the squad on Monday."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-think-shaun-marshs-time-is-done-brad-haddin-on-chances-of-veteran-aussies-selection-349465" hreflang="en">'I think Shaun Marsh’s time is done': Haddin on veteran Aussie's selection</a></p>

<p>Starc's fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood also welcomed the fast bowler.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It's obviously great news for us to have Starcy come in tomorrow," Hazlewood told reporters on Sunday. "He's a huge part of our team and a huge part of our attack.</p>

<p>"Everyone knows his numbers with the pink ball are pretty special so we welcome him with open arms."</p>


Australia's pacer spearhead Mitchell Starc will be rejoining the squad in Adelaide on Monday to prepare for the first test against India after he withdrew from the T20 series due to a family illness.

Australia's pacer spearhead Mitchell Starc will be rejoining the squad in Adelaide on Monday to prepare for the first test against India after he withdrew from the T20 series due to a family illness. Also read: Kapil Dev urges Virat Kohli to promote Hardik Pandya to No.4 in T20Is Cricket Australia on Sunday said that Starc will be travelling with several other members of the Australian side and the Indian team on a charter flight. "We feel for Mitch at this difficult time and were happy he has taken time out to spend with his family," Australia coach Justin Langer said in a statement. "We look forward to welcoming him back into the squad on Monday." Also read: 'I think Shaun Marsh’s time is done': Haddin on veteran Aussie's selection Starc's fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood also welcomed the fast bowler. "It's obviously great news for us to have Starcy come in tomorrow," Hazlewood told reporters on Sunday. "He's a huge part of our team and a huge part of our attack. "Everyone knows his numbers with the pink ball are pretty special so we welcome him with open arms."

Mitchell Starc to rejoin the Australian squad after family illness

<p>Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne on Saturday said that there are no talks about him opening against India, however, he is ready to open the innings for the hosts.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/quinton-de-kock-to-captain-south-africa-test-team-without-strike-bowler-rabada-349108" hreflang="en">Quinton de Kock to captain South Africa test team without strike bowler Rabada</a></p>

<p>Openers David Warner and Will Pucovski have been ruled out of the first Test which makes Labuschange's chances to open the innings for the home team even more.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“No, there has not been (any talk on batting position)... currently I think number three. But I am just preparing to bat, if that’s No.1 or No.3, it doesn’t matter. I am ready to face the ball, no matter what the circumstances are,” he said during a virtual press conference. “Look, I finished last summer at three, so hopefully at three. But my job is to face the ball that is coming down to me wherever I am batting,” said the 26-year-old, who has played 14 Tests so far.</p>

<p>Labuschagne said he is ready to do whatever is the best for the team. “If the team needs me to open, that’s what I will do. It’s a team sport, it’s about winning games. We’ll have to wait and see how things pan out with a few other moving parts currently.”</p>

<p>The Australian talked about his preparations against India's bowling attack under lights. “We’re obviously prepared. We played (Jasprit) Bumrah in one-dayers and in the last ODI he really ramped it up and bowled very well. For us, we know who we are coming up against.</p>

<p>“So, it’s just making sure we are really focussed and understand what bowlers are doing. We know which bowlers we are playing (against) and we make sure that we prepare accordingly.”</p>

<p>Labuschagne also said that facing bowlers like Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in the nets makes their players a better batsman.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“One thing that makes our batters that good is that we’re facing the best bowling attack in and out during training. The likes of Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and (James) Pattinson, they are unbelievable bowlers. Facing them every training session ensures we prepare as good as we possibly can be at Test level,” he explained.</p>

<p>(Inputs from PTI)</p>


Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne on Saturday said that there are no talks about him opening against India, however, he is ready to open the innings for the hosts.

Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne on Saturday said that there are no talks about him opening against India, however, he is ready to open the innings for the hosts. Also read: Quinton de Kock to captain South Africa test team without strike bowler Rabada Openers David Warner and Will Pucovski have been ruled out of the first Test which makes Labuschange's chances to open the innings for the home team even more. “No, there has not been (any talk on batting position)... currently I think number three. But I am just preparing to bat, if that’s No.1 or No.3, it doesn’t matter. I am ready to face the ball, no matter what the circumstances are,” he said during a virtual press conference. “Look, I finished last summer at three, so hopefully at three. But my job is to face the ball that is coming down to me wherever I am batting,” said the 26-year-old, who has played 14 Tests so far. Labuschagne said he is ready to do whatever is the best for the team. “If the team needs me to open, that’s what I will do. It’s a team sport, it’s about winning games. We’ll have to wait and see how things pan out with a few other moving parts currently.” The Australian talked about his preparations against India's bowling attack under lights. “We’re obviously prepared. We played (Jasprit) Bumrah in one-dayers and in the last ODI he really ramped it up and bowled very well. For us, we know who we are coming up against. “So, it’s just making sure we are really focussed and understand what bowlers are doing. We know which bowlers we are playing (against) and we make sure that we prepare accordingly.” Labuschagne also said that facing bowlers like Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in the nets makes their players a better batsman. “One thing that makes our batters that good is that we’re facing the best bowling attack in and out during training. The likes of Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and (James) Pattinson, they are unbelievable bowlers. Facing them every training session ensures we prepare as good as we possibly can be at Test level,” he explained. (Inputs from PTI)

'If the team needs me to open, that’s what I will do': Labuschagne on his batting order against India

<p>Virat Kohli's absence in the final three Test matches against hosts Australia has been the talking point of the tour. Ajinkya Rahane is likely to lead the team in Kohli's absence. Rahane will be leading with a huge void left by Kohli's absence.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-and-co-fined-for-slow-over-rate-in-third-t20i-against-australia-348576" hreflang="en">Virat and Co. fined for slow over-rate in third T20I against Australia</a></p>

<p>Aussie legend Ian Chappell feels that captaincy should not be a problem for India in the Test series as they have Rahane, however, he agreed that Virat's absence could play a huge role.</p>

<p>Chappell recalled Rahane’s ‘aggressive’ style of captaincy in the Dharamsala Test in 2017. “Well, I saw him captain in one Test against Australia (in Dharamsala in March 2017) and found his captaincy to be fabulous. He was really an aggressive captain,” Chappell told PTI during a virtual interactive session “Cricket Conversations”, anchored by senior cricket journalist Ashis Ray.</p>

<p>“I remember a couple of aspects about his captaincy. What stood out for me was in the Australian first innings, Warner was going well and getting on top of Indian bowlers. He brought in Kuldeep Yadav (debutant) and he dismissed Warner.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-emerges-as-the-highest-paid-player-in-ipl-checkout-the-figures-348760">MS Dhoni emerges as the highest-paid player in IPL; Checkout the figures!</a></p>

<p>“The second thing I remember was India chasing a low total and they lost a couple of wickets. Rahane just came in and attacked the Australian bowlers and scored some 20 odd (38 off 27 balls). I liked that approach.”</p>

<p>“Look, as a captain, you always have two choices -- one is the aggressive route and the other is a conservative approach. I have believed that in Test cricket aggressive approach is must and Rahane is aggressive.”</p>

<p>India have an edge against the Australian side in the day and night test match where Kohli will be present but the hosts will be missing out on Warner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Everything that could have gone wrong with opening has gone wrong. Warner is out and Joe Burns has been struggling. Luke Pucovski after another concussion, I don’t think it would be good to play him both in terms of confidence and medical point of view.”</p>

<p>“I think Australians will go with Joe Burns and Marcus Harris opening combination. I thought Cameron Green would have played in Sydney but after his century in the warm-up game and a couple of wickets that he picked, there may be a temptation to play him in Adelaide,” said the former Aussie legend.</p>

<p>Pacer Mitchell Starc will be replaced by James Pattinson. Starc is not available as he is out on compassionate grounds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“But top order is the biggest concern. It’s not just about Warner’s presence but the manner in which he scores those runs as has detrimental effect on the opposition. In his absence, the responsibility will now be on Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne,” Chappell said.</p>

<p>He revealed a trick on how India could dismiss Smith. “You have to unsettle him (Smith) by changing plans. If you bowl short of a length, then he will be rocking back (and hitting for fun) all day. Somehow, you have got to get him to play forward even at the cost of few runs. But you will still have some chance of getting him out,” he said.</p>


Virat Kohli's absence in the final three Test matches against hosts Australia has been the talking point of the tour. Ajinkya Rahane is likely to lead the team in Kohli's absence.

Virat Kohli's absence in the final three Test matches against hosts Australia has been the talking point of the tour. Ajinkya Rahane is likely to lead the team in Kohli's absence. Rahane will be leading with a huge void left by Kohli's absence. Also read: Virat and Co. fined for slow over-rate in third T20I against Australia Aussie legend Ian Chappell feels that captaincy should not be a problem for India in the Test series as they have Rahane, however, he agreed that Virat's absence could play a huge role. Chappell recalled Rahane’s ‘aggressive’ style of captaincy in the Dharamsala Test in 2017. “Well, I saw him captain in one Test against Australia (in Dharamsala in March 2017) and found his captaincy to be fabulous. He was really an aggressive captain,” Chappell told PTI during a virtual interactive session “Cricket Conversations”, anchored by senior cricket journalist Ashis Ray. “I remember a couple of aspects about his captaincy. What stood out for me was in the Australian first innings, Warner was going well and getting on top of Indian bowlers. He brought in Kuldeep Yadav (debutant) and he dismissed Warner. Also read: MS Dhoni emerges as the highest-paid player in IPL; Checkout the figures! “The second thing I remember was India chasing a low total and they lost a couple of wickets. Rahane just came in and attacked the Australian bowlers and scored some 20 odd (38 off 27 balls). I liked that approach.” “Look, as a captain, you always have two choices -- one is the aggressive route and the other is a conservative approach. I have believed that in Test cricket aggressive approach is must and Rahane is aggressive.” India have an edge against the Australian side in the day and night test match where Kohli will be present but the hosts will be missing out on Warner. “Everything that could have gone wrong with opening has gone wrong. Warner is out and Joe Burns has been struggling. Luke Pucovski after another concussion, I don’t think it would be good to play him both in terms of confidence and medical point of view.” “I think Australians will go with Joe Burns and Marcus Harris opening combination. I thought Cameron Green would have played in Sydney but after his century in the warm-up game and a couple of wickets that he picked, there may be a temptation to play him in Adelaide,” said the former Aussie legend. Pacer Mitchell Starc will be replaced by James Pattinson. Starc is not available as he is out on compassionate grounds. “But top order is the biggest concern. It’s not just about Warner’s presence but the manner in which he scores those runs as has detrimental effect on the opposition. In his absence, the responsibility will now be on Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne,” Chappell said. He revealed a trick on how India could dismiss Smith. “You have to unsettle him (Smith) by changing plans. If you bowl short of a length, then he will be rocking back (and hitting for fun) all day. Somehow, you have got to get him to play forward even at the cost of few runs. But you will still have some chance of getting him out,” he said.

'His captaincy is fabulous': Australian legend Ian Chappell on Ajinkya Rahane

<p>The action in India’s tour of Australia 2020-21 will now move to the four-match Test series after the successful completion of the ODI and T20I series. The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy is set to commence from December 17 with the pink-ball Test. Preparations for the much-awaited day-night Test is already running in full flow and the Indian team is scheduled to play a practice match against Australia A, under the lights with the pink ball.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, India A might be without Virat Kohli in the pink-ball warm-up match with the Indian skipper expected to rest. Kohli has been playing continuous cricket since the IPL 2020 began and didn’t miss a single match in the white-ball matches against Australia.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-bosses-sourav-ganguly-jay-shah-to-continue-as-supreme-court-lists-next-hearing-in-january-348601" hreflang="en">BCCI bosses Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah to continue as Supreme Court lists next hearing in January</a></strong></p>

<p>India are expected to field players from the Test squad, who were also part of the limited-overs series but Kohli has hinted he might not be a part of the match.</p>

<p>After the completion of the third T20I, Kohli said he would only take part in the match if his body allows doing so. He said that playing for a specific part of the match is not his thing and will only play the full game if the physios give him clearance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I will wake up tomorrow and see if I can play the tour match. Playing it on and off is not my thing and I like to play the full game. I will talk to our physio and then decide on my participation," he said on Tuesday (December 8).</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-overshadows-coronavirus-tops-list-of-most-trending-search-on-google-india-in-2020-348595" hreflang="en">IPL overshadows coronavirus, tops list of most trending search on Google India in 2020</a></strong></p>

<p>Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are confirmed to participate in the pink-ball warm-up match against Australia A after getting adequate rest in the white-ball encounters. If Kohli misses out, then Ajinkya Rahane is expected to continue to lead the side.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The second first-class match between India A and Australia A will kick off on December 11. The match will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground.</p>


The action in India’s tour of Australia 2020-21 will now move to the four-match Test series after the successful completion of the ODI and T20I series. The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy is set to commence from December 17 with the pink-ball Test.

The action in India’s tour of Australia 2020-21 will now move to the four-match Test series after the successful completion of the ODI and T20I series. The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy is set to commence from December 17 with the pink-ball Test. Preparations for the much-awaited day-night Test is already running in full flow and the Indian team is scheduled to play a practice match against Australia A, under the lights with the pink ball. However, India A might be without Virat Kohli in the pink-ball warm-up match with the Indian skipper expected to rest. Kohli has been playing continuous cricket since the IPL 2020 began and didn’t miss a single match in the white-ball matches against Australia. ALSO READ: BCCI bosses Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah to continue as Supreme Court lists next hearing in January India are expected to field players from the Test squad, who were also part of the limited-overs series but Kohli has hinted he might not be a part of the match. After the completion of the third T20I, Kohli said he would only take part in the match if his body allows doing so. He said that playing for a specific part of the match is not his thing and will only play the full game if the physios give him clearance. "I will wake up tomorrow and see if I can play the tour match. Playing it on and off is not my thing and I like to play the full game. I will talk to our physio and then decide on my participation," he said on Tuesday (December 8). ALSO READ: IPL overshadows coronavirus, tops list of most trending search on Google India in 2020 Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are confirmed to participate in the pink-ball warm-up match against Australia A after getting adequate rest in the white-ball encounters. If Kohli misses out, then Ajinkya Rahane is expected to continue to lead the side. The second first-class match between India A and Australia A will kick off on December 11. The match will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Virat Kohli hints at skipping pink-ball warm-up match against Australia A