India's expected Test squad against Australia
India will be playing a full-fledged tour against Australia down under, commencing with a three-match T20I series followed by a Test series which gets underway in November. This may very well be the last Test series that India plays before starting the preparation of the World Cup.
India may not have won the Test series in England, but they can take heart from the fact that they ran the host so close. If they manage to do the same against this depleted Aussie team sans Smith and Warner, then this will be a golden opportunity for the Indian team to register their first series win down under.
Here is the best possible squad that the selectors can opt for this long and gruelling Test match series.
#1 Openers - KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Murali Vijay
One of the main causes of worry in this Indian batting line-up is the starts given by the openers at the top. They have been largely inconsistent and often fail to convert good starts if they get one to a more substantial score.
India will most probably go with a tried and tested combination of Murali Vijay and KL Rahul for the first Test even after their disappointing show in England series. Vijay, in particular, has to perform well as this could be his last opportunity and could be selected for this tour on the back of a good county stint that he is currently having. Rahul usually plays well in fast, and bouncy pitches and this will definitely suit his style of play.
Prithvi Shaw is a future star waiting in the wings and will get a look in case one of the regulars fail to get going.