AUS vs IND 1st Test: India will face Australia in the 1st Test Match of the Test Series at Adelaide from 17th December (Thursday). The game is scheduled to start at 9:30 AM IST. Australia wins the ODI series 2-1 while India claimed the hosts 2-1 in the T20I series so far. Both the teams have won 3 games each on the tour.
AUS vs IND 1st Test Match Preview:
After the wreck that the year-long global pandemic wrought on our lives. Cricket is trying to climb back and regain its popularity. With no end to the pandemic in sight, people are getting adjusted to the new normal. With this match, there comes an expectancy to bring back the old times. In keeping with the pandemic regulations, the cricket ground is expected to be filled to 50% capacity in the first of the four-Test matches.
The AUS vs IND match is going to be very important for both teams. As they are both trying to achieve major goals that could lead to rich pay-offs in the lead up to next year’s T20 World Cup. Apart from winning the Border-Gavaskar trophy. By achieving these, their chances to qualify for the world test championship final increases a few folds. The players who featured in the test series could use this as an opportunity to get back in proper form. But the most exciting part of this is that two of the world’s best teams packed with highly competitive and skilled characters in cricket are going to clash against each other in front of crazy cricket fans.
AUS vs IND 1st Test Team Predictions :
The first match of the series is going to be the most important for both teams. If India loses the pink-ball test, the chances are Australia will be in favor of winning the series.
David Warner missing the first test gave India a little bit of hope. Smith and Labuschagne duo seems to be only getting better with time as the tour progresses. While the Indian side does not seem to have the best batting units to score big with consistency in this Australian attack, it is important for the bowling side to deliver and restrict the Aussies to a low score.
India has created history by winning a test series in Australia in the 2018-19 season of the Border-Gavaskar series. It was possible due to the strong bowling attack, Cheteshwar Pujara’s consistency, and the ban of Warner and Steve Smith. But this time, the duo have returned along with Marnus Labuschagne, making it difficult for India to win.
Going into the first AUS vs IND test, Australia boasts of a strong team including the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cummins. The return of the evergreen trio of Smith, Warner, and Labuschagne just makes matters much more difficult. Add to that the fact that Australia are yet to lose a day-night test match at Adelaide and it is not hard to see why winning the first test would be such an uphill task for the Indian team.
Player Spotlights :
India has to keep an eye on Mitchell Starc since he is back for the match. He is an extraordinary wicketkeeper in the pink ball test cricket with a record of 59 wickets in just 10 matches. So he could prove to be real trouble for India.
Glenn Maxwell didn’t have an eventful season in the recently concluded IPL. But now he is back home. He also has a wonderful batting history in the last ODI series in England. So it is going to be really interesting to see if he would be able to return back to his old form of winning matches almost single-handedly.
Hardik Pandya did not have a good bowling form but, in turn, had a good batting form in the IPL. He should be able to show some versatility as he is considered to be one of the top six batsmen and a viable sixth bowling option in ODI cricket. He has not been in a test match since the 2018 match against England. So it would be really interesting to see how he can adapt to the more testing conditions at hand.
In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal is probably the best Indian bet at an opener. Who he is paired off with at the opening slot, however, remains to be seen. KL Rahul is to be the wicketkeeper and also bat at no. 5, which could lend some stability to a weak middle-order. India is preferably going to pick Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah to spearhead the bowling attack, leading to a choice between Navdeep Sain and Shardal Thakur for the third bowler. Yuzvendra Chahal has a higher chance of being picked as the lone spinner between him and Kuldeep Yadav due to his good performance in the IPL.
AUS vs IND 1st Test Match Probable XIs:
Australia: Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Harris, Joe Burns, Travis Head, Matthew Wade. Tim Paine(C/WK), Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Lyon, and Mitchell Starc,
India: Shubman Gill, Agarwal, Pujara, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane. Vihari, Pant (WK), Ashwin, Bumrah, Shami, and Umesh Yadav
Conclusion
Being that both the teams are in good form, this match at the present pitch should be really exciting and a place to score high runs. The audience and the cricket fans can really expect a pretty intense clash of teams in this game.
