Ravi Shastri on India's opening woes and Mayank Agarwal's probable debut

What's the story?

Indian Cricket Team coach, Ravi Shastri has opened up about Murali Vijay and KL Rahul's poor batting form ahead of the all-important Boxing Day Test against hosts Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. While Vijay has managed 49 runs in four innings so far this series, Rahul has scored 48 runs in as many innings.

The heart of the matter

Speaking about openers KL Rahul and Murali Vijay's batting woes, Shastri told cricket.com.au, "It's a big concern. It's obvious that responsibility and accountability has to be taken by the top order. They've got the experience, they've got the exposure over these last few years to get out there and deliver. It's about how strong you are in the mind".

When asked about Mayank Agarwal's probable Test debut at the MCG, Shastri added, "Mayank is a good young player. He has got loads of runs for India A. He is someone who has come through the ranks and when you look at his domestic record, his performances are as good as anyone. So that's a call we will have to take".

The Background

After India won the first of the four-Test match series at the Adelaide Oval by 31 runs, the focus shifted to Perth's Optus Stadium which hosted its first-ever five-day game. The hosts were determined to turn their fortunes around in the second Test and they made just that by thrashing the visitors by 146 runs. With the series level at 1-1, the historic Boxing Day Test has assumed much significance.

What's next?

With Shastri expressing concerns about the forms of Murali Vijay and KL Rahul, it is likely that at least one of these players will have to make way for Mayank Agarwal at the Boxing Day Test. Though Mayank is yet to play for Team India at the highest level, his domestic credentials might augur well for him to make his Test debut at the MCG.