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Here’s a look at India’s likely playing XI for the third Test of the ongoing five-match series against Australia, which is set to take place at The Gabba in Brisbane.
India’s likely playing XI for the 3rd Test against Australia which is set to start on December 14 in Brisbane. (Picture Credit: AP, AFP)
The third Test of the ongoing five-match series between India and Australia will start on Saturday, December 14. The match is scheduled to take place at The Gabba in Brisbane. India chased down the target of 328 runs in the last Test played against the Baggy Greens at this iconic stadium in January 2021. Indian players who failed to fire in the Adelaide Test, which India lost by 10 wickets on Sunday (December 8), would like to come up with a big show in Brisbane to once again help the visitors take the lead in the ongoing series.
For the third Test of the series Down Under, Indian team management is expected to make at least a couple of changes in the playing XI. Harshit Rana, after a forgettable show in Adelaide, where he failed to take any wickets and also scored zero in both innings, is set to make way either for Akash Deep or Prasidh Krishna.
Prasidh last played a Test match for India in January 2024 against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town. There are high chances that Bengal pacer Akash Deep will get preference over him as Rana’s replacement.
Legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who is the highest wicket-taker in World Test Championship (WTC) history, is also expected to make way for Washington Sundar. Sundar played in the series opener at Optus Stadium in Perth last month but was dropped from the playing XI for the Adelaide Test to make way for Ashwin.
In the day-night Test, Indian captain Rohit Sharma came out to bat at No. 6. But he failed to do much with the bat and got out after making 3 and 6 runs in two innings. There is a high possibility that Rohit will move back to his usual position and open the innings once again with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Rohit’s return to the top will mean that KL Rahul will bat in the middle order once again. The 32-year-old right-handed batter from Karnataka, who made his Test debut on December 26, 2014, in Melbourne, has scored 430 runs in 16 Test innings as a No. 3, 4, and 6 batter.
There were question marks over Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness in the build-up to the match, but there have been no concerns related to it, and the world No. 1 Test bowler will lead India’s pace attack at The Gabba.
India’s playing XI for the 3rd Test against Australia: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
