Boxing Day Test: Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant hit the nets ahead of likely selection

KEY STORY

• Team India kicked-off their preparations for the Boxing Day Test against Australia on in Melbourne on Wednesday.

• The visitors had their first training session under the watchful eyes of head coach Ravi Shastri, stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane and the other support staff. In what is going to be a test of character of the current Indian team, Rahane & Co. will be looking to bounce back strongly after the debacle in Adelaide.

• India lost the first Test in Adelaide by 8 wickets after being skittled out for their lowest ever innings total in Test history – 36/9, in the second innings of the pink-ball game before Australia cruised to an easy win.

• India will be looking to spring some fresh changes in the Boxing Day Test with the hope of reviving their chances in the four-match series.

• In the absence of captain Virat Kohli, India will be aiming to strengthen their batting line-up with the inclusion of Rishabh Pant in the middle-order.

• Wriddhiman Saha, who disappointed in the first Test, is likely to make way for the left-hander. Prithvi Shaw, who was left exposed against the moving ball in Adelaide, also is in line to be replaced by Shubman Gill as an opener.

• Both Gill and Pant were seen batting in the nets along with the other senior batsmen in Melbourne on Wednesday.

• Gill, in particular, had a long session in the nets ahead of his potential Test debut. BCCI shared a video of the right-hander facing the pacers in the practice session.

Nice and clean from @RealShubmanGill 😎 #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/oHGQsJhDHh

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 23, 2020

Ravindra Jadeja returns:

See, who is back in the nets. @imjadeja is here and has started preparing for the Boxing Day Test. #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/skKTgBOuyz

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 23, 2020

• India have been handed a slight boost ahead of the second Test with Ravindra Jadeja looking likely to make his comeback.

• He seems to have recovered from his hamstring issue and was spotted bowling in the nets in Melbourne. If declared fully fit, Jadeja is likely to replace Hanuma Vihari in the playing XI for Boxing Day Test.

• Pacers Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini were also seen sweating it out in the nets as they battle each other for a spot in the playing XI.

• With Mohammed Shami ruled out of the series, Siraj or Saini can be India’s 3rd pacer alongside Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test.

• The Boxing Day Test match between India and Australia will get underway from December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).