India vs Australia 4th test: Vacancies open as India worry over fielding a fit XI for Brisbane Test | Cricket News – Times of India

MUMBAI: Twenty one-yr-outdated Washington Sundar, who made his white-ball debut for India in 2017 and was requested to remain again in Australia on the finish of the ODI and T20I sequence to be half of the Team India nets for purple-ball matches on this ongoing Australia tour, is more likely to be drafted into the enjoying eleven for the final of the 4 Tests in Brisbane.
What’s working in favour of Sundar is that he can bat, averages a first rate 31.29 in first-class cricket and has held his personal within the home circuit over the final 4 years.
“Ashwin is in a bad shape. It’s a 40-60 for him, whether he can play. If he doesn’t, then there’s a chance India will go in with four pacers — Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini and T Natarajan,” say these monitoring developments.
“If Ashwin is fit, even then, including Sundar in the eleven will make sense because he can bat and gives an option in the bowling department (by dropping one pacer).
“Kuldeep can’t bat and key at the Gabba will be putting runs on the board,” they add, considering the suitable substitute for a useful Ravindra Jadeja.

Ashwin, at the moment, is struggling with back spasms. Even if he’s fit to play — chances don’t appear very bright at the moment — the team management will have to consider what kind of workload he can take.
“He bowled almost 20 overs with a bad back and then batted a little more than two sessions, which is no mean feat. Sundar will be the apt replacement either way.” That is how the team management sees things at the moment.
On the pace-bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah — 50% fit right now — is being ruled out of the Test. The team won’t risk Bumrah for the fear that the tear can go worse, also given the series against England coming up at home.
Thakur and Natarajan will hit the nets at the Gabba on Wednesday with the big-picture of a four-pronged pace attack in mind.

“The contemplation was never between Thakur and Natarajan. It’s between Saini and Natarajan. The Gabba is going to have a bit of bounce and seam — so Saini comes across as the right choice. There has to be some amount of trust going into it. But if Ashwin doesn’t play, the option of four seamers is going to be considered,” say these within the know.
Thakur has performed one Test match, although he’s bowled lower than two overs. While that will not matter a lot in phrases of expertise, his means to generate tempo, derive bounce and a few motion are components the group will look to derive worth from.
That leaves the center-order to fill, with Hanuma Vihari being dominated out of the sport.
“Ideally, Mayank (Agarwal) would have fitted that slot. But he took a knock in the nets. He’s under observation. If Mayank is unavailable, Prithvi (Shaw) pads up. The rest of the line-up is more or less sorted, given the options,” sources say.

That would imply, a Test match XI on the next traces:
Openers: Rohit Sharma and Shubhman Gill
No. 3 & 4: Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane
No. 5: Rishabh Pant
No. 6: Mayank Agarwal / Prithvi Shaw
No. 7 / 8: R Ashwin and / or Washington Sundar
No. 9, 10, 11 / 12: Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur and T Natarajan (if Ashwin is out)