Virat Kohli centre of attraction as India A take on Australia A
Test skipper Virat Kohli will be the cynosure of all eyes as India A take on Australia A in the second and final four-day match beginning at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Wednesday.
Kohli had requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to allow him to play the game as part of his preparations for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, where playing conditions are similar to those in the southern Indian metropolis. Kohli will bat at No.3, and Pujara will slot in as opener in place of KL Rahul.
"KL Rahul is not here and has been rested. I will be opening in place of Rahul," Pujara told reporters.
“Virat wanted to have practice before Sri Lanka tour and that's why he is here. I was named the skipper before the series and I'm leading the team. With Virat here, we have had a chat and discussed about the game how things are going on."
Umesh Yadav and Amit Mishra have also rested for this game. Haryana off-spinner Jayant Yadav has come into the squad alongside the recovered Varun Aaron.
"Aaron is fit and are ready to go for tomorrow's game,” said the India ‘A’ skipper.
How the series stands
Kohli, who was one among the several seniors rested for the three One-Day Internationals (ODI) and two Twenty20 Internationals (T20I) against hosts Zimbabwe earlier this month, will lead the Test team against Sri Lanka for the three-Test match series next month.
The two A sides had played out a draw in the opening four-day game where host batsmen Lokesh Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara had shone with the bat while the spinning duo of Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra foxed the rivals' willowers with their bite and guile.
In fact, India A skipper Pujara had declared the Indian second innings to set a 240-run victory target for the visitors, who managed to score 161 for 4 when the match came to an end.
On the flip side, Indian pacers Umesh Yadav and Abhimanyu Mithun could not do much on a pitch that offered no assistance to them.
With the local authorities seemingly making efforts to make the pitch livelier and less slow, it remains to be seen whether the Indian pacers can come up with a better show.
Australia, on the other hand, were well served by willowers Peter Handscomb and Marcus Stoinis, besides Cameron Bancroft and Travis Head - all of whom struck fifty plus scores. Handscomb fell only nine short of a century in the first innings.