After a humiliating eight-wicket loss in the Day-Night Test at the Adelaide Oval, India will lock horns with Australia in the second and Boxing Day Test matches which get underway on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The visitors have a lot of departments to work on, and many experts aren’t backing them to bounce back in the upcoming game. Although India put up an impressive show in the first Test, they could only manage to post 36/9 in their second innings which proved to be the turning point in the game. Why is Rohit Sharma Unavailable for Selection in India vs Australia 2nd Test at MCG?

Also, regular skipper Virat Kohli – who’s expecting the birth of his first child in January – will now fly back to India while Mohammed Shami is also ruled out of the series due to injury. Hence, fielding a well-balanced team in the second game will be a challenge for the visitors. As India gear up for the second Test, let’s look at their probable playing XI. Virat Kohli Ends Year 2020 With No Century Across Formats in International Cricket.

Openers: While Mayank Agarwal who showcased some resilience against the moving Pink Ball is all but set to retain his place in playing XI, his opening partner Prithvi Shaw is expected to warm the benches. The 21-year-old could play only six deliveries in the two innings at Adelaide Oval and faced a lot of backlash for his mediocre show. As per reports, Shubman Gill is set to make hisTest debut in second match and the youngster will be aiming to make a significant impact.

Middle-Order: As India’s batting line-up collapsed badly in Adelaide, they will continue to play with six proper batsmen. While India’s modern-day wall Cheteshwar Pujara will bat at number three, stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane should bat at number four in Kohli’s absence. Hence, KL Rahul is set to make a comeback in whites but at the number five position. Hanuma Vihari will continue to bat at number six.

Wicket-Keeper: With Wriddhiman Saha not delivering well with either bat or gloves in Adelaide, he’s set to replace by young wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant. The southpaw enjoyed batting in Australian track in India’s last tour and also scored a 73-ball century in the second practice game. Hence, he’s expected to come in the team to strengthen the batting.

Bowlers: R Ashwin did a spectacular job with the pink ball in Adelaide and is expected to get even more lethal with the red-cherry in MCG. However, the problem will be in the pace department. While Ishant Sharma is already out of the tour due to an injury, pacer Mohammed Shami will also miss the remaining three Tests. Hence, there will be toss-up between Navdeep Saini and Mohammad Siraj to make a three-man pace attack alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav. While Saini has done well in limited-overs cricket, Siraj’s recent first-class numbers are exceptional, and he’s to make his Test debut.

India Likely Playing XI: Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KL Rahul, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravi Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 21, 2020 01:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).