IND vs AUS Dream11 Prediction (1st Test): 3 players you can pick as captain or vice-captain for the match
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is finally here, as India and Australia face off at the Adelaide Oval in the first of 4 Tests.
The encounter, which starts on the 17th of December, will be India's second with a pink ball. The hosts, on the other hand, are unbeaten in Day-Night Tests, having won all 7 matches that they've taken part in.
India and Australia shared the spoils in the white-ball leg of the tour. Virat Kohli's side won the T20I series 2-1, while the Kangaroos won the ODI series by the same scoreline in dominant fashion.
India are the current owners of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with their historic triumph Down Under from two years ago still fresh in memory. However, Australia are the clear favourites heading into this series despite a few injury concerns.
Steve Smith is back at his rightful place in the middle order this time around, while Marnus Labuschagne has been consistency personified to make the No. 3 spot his own. David Warner is facing a race against time to be fit for some part of the series, and in his absence, Australia need to find the right opening combination for the 1st Test.
India, meanwhile, won't be at full strength at any point during the series. Captain Virat Kohli won't take guard against the red ball, as he'll head back home after the 1st Test to attend the birth of his child. Rohit Sharma has cleared a fitness test at the NCA and is expected to feature in only the final two Tests of the series.
The 1st Test will have a major impact on the outcome of the series, and bowlers are expected to make merry in the match. Here are 3 players who could be the captain or vice-captain of your Dream11 team for the IND v AUS 1st Test.
#3 Pat Cummins (AUS)
In India's last tour of Australia in 2018-19, Pat Cummins was his team's second-highest wicket-taker behind Nathan Lyon. With 14 wickets in 4 games at an average of 27.8, the 27-year-old bowled his heart out in almost every spell and led the Aussie pace attack admirably.
The same can be expected to continue in the 1st Test, especially with the pink ball. Cummins sat out the final ODI and the 3 T20Is that followed, and will be well-rested for this encounter. He could make the most of sessions under the lights with his nagging lengths and seam movement against an Indian batting lineup that hasn't looked settled overseas.
Cummins even scored 163 runs in the previous instalment of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and could frustrate the Indian bowlers at the tail end of innings once again. He is a good choice to be the captain or vice-captain of your Dream11 team for the IND v AUS 1st Test.
#2 Jasprit Bumrah (IND)
Jasprit Bumrah was the star of India's famous triumph in 2018-19, as he picked up 21 wickets in the 4 Tests at an average of 17 and threatened to make inroads whenever he was brought into the attack.
Much like Cummins, the India spearhead sat out the T20I series and will be fit and fresh for the 1st Test. Bumrah has developed a lethal outswinger that he has used in the longest format of the game recently. This, combined with his natural angle into the right-hander and raw pace, is bound to give batsmen nightmares.
Australia's opening combination is far from settled, and Bumrah can be expected to make early inroads. He is another good candidate to be the captain or vice-captain of your Dream11 team for the IND v AUS 1st Test.
#1 Steve Smith (AUS)
It would be criminal to ignore Steve Smith in any game involving India, despite a few reports claiming that he is suffering from stiffness in his back and may not be 100% fit for the 1st Test.
The 31-year-old averages 84.06 in 10 Tests against India, and has notched up 7 hundreds and 3 fifties. Smith is also in a bit of a lean patch by his standards, as he didn't score a single ton in Australia's most recent series against New Zealand and Pakistan. His favourite opponent might just be the catalyst he needs to build on his Test average, which stands at a mind-boggling 62.84.
Smith is an excellent choice to be the captain or vice-captain of your Dream11 team for the IND v AUS 1st Test.