Shubman Gill, India
Shubman Gill. image credits: twitter

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has selected his choice of playing XI for the first Test against Australia in Nagpur. The RCB wicketkeeper has picked Surya Kumar Yadav and Axar Patel over Shubman Gill and Kuldeep Yadav ahead of the first test in Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023.

Dinesh Karthik went with KL Rahul over Shubman Gill to Partner Rohit Sharma at the top of the order. KL Rahul has dipped in form during 2022 but the Indian vice-captain had a terrific outing in the 2017 Border Gavaskar Trophy and will hope to replicate the same performance, Gill, on the other hand, has been in stupendous form in all three formats and it would tough call to leave him out.

Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik. image credits: Twitter

The middle order comprises the like Cheteshwar  Pujara, Virat Kohli, and Surya Kumar Yadav. Karthik Predicts Surya to make a debut as Suryakumar has the shots against spin – from the conventional & reverse sweeps and slog sweeps to the inside-out aerial hits. As far as the wicketkeeping is concerned, Karthik picked another debutant KS Bharat over Ishan Kishan.

Bharat being the backup keeper for Rishabh Pant for over a year would be the first-choice wicketkeeper going into the contest. With Karthik going with Bharat, India is left without  Left-handers in the top 6.

Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel are the choice for Karthik in the spin bowling unit. He opted to include three finger spinners and left out left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

The three spinners are also capable of showing their all-round ability with bat and will be a very important trump card for India going into the series. The two seamers in the playing XI are Mohammed Siraj and Mohammad Shami.

Dinesh Karthik’s India playing XI for the first Test against Australia

Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami.

Team India will take on Australia on February 9, in Nagpur.