IND v AUS 2020: Aakash Chopra picks India's likely playing XI for the first Test
Former opener Aakash Chopra has picked Team India's likely playing XI for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting on December 17. He did this exercise in a video shared on his Facebook page.
Aakash Chopra started by pointing out that Mayank Agarwal is the obvious choice for one of the opening positions.
"Mayank Agarwal is solid and confirmed as one of the openers."
The reputed commentator believes Shubman Gill will get the nod ahead of Prithvi Shaw even though the latter has performed decently in the few Test matches he has played thus far.
"I feel Shubman Gill will play although Prithvi Shaw is ahead in the pecking order. Shaw had struck a century on debut and made runs in the next match. He played ahead of Shubman in New Zealand. His performance was okay, not great but no one did very well there."
Aakash Chopra reasoned the Indian team is likely to go with the form Shubman Gill displayed in the second innings of the pink-ball practice match.
"In the warm-up encounters, both failed in the first match. In the first innings of the second match, both scored 40s but in the second innings Shubman Gill made more runs. And the winds start changing, which is there with this team that they tend to flow with the wind."
Aakash Chopra picked Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari as the batsmen to follow the openers. He cautioned the Indian team against entertaining the thought of going in with five bowlers.
"After that Pujara at No.3, Kohli at No.4, Rahane at No.5 and Vihari at No.6. In my opinion, India should definitely play six batsmen. They should not at all think about playing five bowlers to get 20 wickets, the twenty wickets will fall."
Aakash Chopra reckons Wriddhiman Saha should serve as the wicket-keeping option considering that India is likely to field six specialist batsmen in their playing XI.
"Now if you have batting till No.6, then you have the option at No.7 to play Saha or Pant. If you talk about the pecking order again, then Wriddhiman Saha is the better keeper of course and you should go with him. He has made runs as well, it's not that he is a mug with the bat."
However, the 43-year-old observed that the Indian team is likely to opt for Rishabh Pant, considering the southpaw's excellent record in overseas conditions.
"But I feel the team will go with Rishabh Pant because he had scored a hundred the last time he had gone there, the only Indian keeper to score a century in Australia and England. Most of the catches behind the wickets in Australia come of pacers, which he had held very well last time."
Aakash Chopra's choice of specialist bowlers in India's likely playing XI
Aakash Chopra wants India to play Ravichandran Ashwin as the spinner and not go with a four-pronged pace attack.
"I feel India should play a spinner as the fourth bowler. If you go with four fast bowlers and think that Hanuma Vihari will do the bowling, you will be defeated badly. So, they should definitely play Ravichandran Ashwin."
Aakash Chopra observed that Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah are sure-shot picks as two of the three pace bowlers.
"Shami and Bumrah, perfect."
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj are a couple of options for India as the third seamer.
"Now who should be the third fast bowler. Navdeep Saini has the pace and bounce and gets sideways movement of the surface. Siraj has the ability to swing the ball and he can probably exploit the conditions better."
However, he reckons that Umesh Yadav will pip the duo to the spot.
"But I feel Umesh Yadav will play and if he is playing he should be given the new ball as well because he gets wicket with the new ball."
Aakash Chopra's playing XI for India for the first Test match: Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav