India playing XI for Boxing Day Test announced; Gill, Pant, Jadeja and Siraj in

Team India’s playing XI for the second Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground has been announced on Friday. Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohd Siraj are in the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test, starting from Saturday.

Already 0-1 in the four-match Test series, India will take on the mighty Aussies in absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli. Ajinkya Rahane-led team will have two debutants in form of Shubman Gill and Mohd Siraj. While Wriddhiman Saha has been replaced by Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja is also making a comeback to the Test side.

ALERT🚨: #TeamIndia for 2nd Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia to be played in MCG from tomorrow announced. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/4g1q3DJmm7

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 25, 2020

Opener Prithvi Shaw’s axing was on cards after he was bowled out for scores of 0 and 4 in two innings of the opening Test at Adelaide. Shubman Gill’s languid approach and that extra second while facing fast bowlers, coupled with a way tighter technique than Prithvi Shaw, might just give the dressing room the confidence required in testing times.

Gill will have the company of Mayank Agarwal, who would be wanting to do an encore, if not better, of his performance at a venue where he made his Test debut.

Shubman Gill has delivered a couple of impressive knocks in the warm-up games (Twitter/BCCI)

Similarly, Rishabh Pant, whose intent always provides way more assurance than a passive Wriddhiman Saha, is expected to play his fearless brand of cricket which is the need of the hour. Pant was an instant hit during the last tour in 2018-19 but in the past year, had lost both form and confidence to surrender his place in the white-ball formats.

Young workhorse Mohammed Siraj will step in temporarily to fill the void created by crafty Mohammed Shami’s injury and it will be about how Rahane, touted as a bowler’s captain, handles him.

With PTI inputes