One of the most awaited Test contests, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, gets underway on November 22 (tomorrow) and will witness hosts Australia take on visitors India in a first-ever five-match series between both nations. The first Test will be played at Perth Stadium in Perth and will commence at 7:50 AM Indian Standard Time (IST). The BGT 2024-25 is crucial for both nations as the outcome will depend, on which side inches closer to featuring in the WTC 2023-25 Final making this series a high-stake one. IND vs AUS 1st Test 2024 Preview: Likely Playing XIs, Key Battles, H2H and More About India vs Australia Cricket Match in Perth.

The India National Cricket Team is coming off a humiliating 0-3 home series loss against New Zealand and will want to start the BGT 2024-25 with a win, despite missing their regular captain Rohit Sharma and opener Shubman Gill for the IND vs AUS 1st Test. Here's how a new-look India XI could be seen taking the field on Friday, November 22 against Australia.

Top-Order: Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to play the role of the aggressor in the absence of Sharma and will have tested-and-proven player KL Rahul as his opening partner. With Gill out nursing an injury, Devdutt Padikkal is most likely to play his second Test, having made his debut against England in March.

Middle-Order: India's most trusted batter, Virat Kohli, comes in at No.4, a no-brainer given the lack of experience in the batting order. Rishabh Pant cements his place as No.5, given his performances in Australia during his last tour. Having scored runs against Australia A, Dhruv Jurel could get the nod ahead of Sarfaraz Khan in the Perth Test. Virat Kohli Test Record in Australia: Take A Look At Star Indian Batsman's Stats, Performances in Australia Ahead of IND vs AUS BGT 2024-25 1st Test.

All-Rounders: In what could be a surprise package for India, Nitish Kumar Reddy could make his Test debut at Perth. Reddy's fast-bowling skills allow team management to play an extra bowler/batter. Ravichandran Ashwin, who disciplined Australia's batting the last time the all-rounder toured Down Under for Tests, will be expected to deliver the same as the lone spinner in the XI.

Bowlers: Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah will once again lead the bowling unit, along with Mohammed Siraj. Siraj had a stellar BGT 2019-2020, where the pace shined. Harshit Rana has been dishing out performances in the last few months in domestic matches, which gives him an edge over other candidates for IND vs AUS 1st Test 2024.

India Likely Playing XI for 1st Test vs Australia: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Mohammed Siraj, and Harshit Rana.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 21, 2024 01:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).