Last Updated on 3 weeks by Charbel Coorey

India’s potential starting XI for Perth – Certain starters:

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal
3. Shubman Gill
4. Virat Kohli
5. Rishabh Pant
6.  
7.  
9. Jasprit Bumrah (C)
10.  

With only five players confirmed in the lineup, India has six positions still undecided for the opening Test in Perth. Here’s a breakdown of the contenders and the rationale behind each selection.

Possible playing XI for India in the Perth BGT Test: The big questions

Who Opens in Rohit Sharma’s Absence?

India are considering two main options to replace Rohit at the top: Abhimanyu Easwaran and KL Rahul.

Easwaran was brought into the squad on the back of his consistent domestic performances, but his recent outings against Australia A, where he scored 7, 12, 0, and 17 across two unofficial Tests, have not done much to bolster his chances. He struggled against the extra pace and bounce on Australian tracks, and his dismissals may have raised concerns about his readiness to face a formidable pace trio of Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc. This puts KL Rahul, with his greater experience, in a stronger position to get the nod in Perth.

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Rahul’s recent form has also been under scrutiny; he didn’t score much against Australia A in the second unofficial Test in Melbourne either. However, to be fair to him, he didn’t do much wrong on what was a difficult pitch for batting. In the first innings, he was undone by a superb delivery from Boland; a ball that would have caused problems for most. In the second innings, while his dismissal to a harmless delivery from Rocchiccioli was both comical and embarrassing, Rahul appeared far more secure than his teammates. He successfully weathered the new ball from the seamers, displaying composure and resilience in testing conditions.

KL will be keen to improve his record Down Under (187 runs in 9 innings, average: 20.77) and turn his fortunes around on this tour.

Dhruv Jurel as a Specialist Batter?

Jurel’s impressive scores of 80 and 68 at the MCG have thrust him into the spotlight as a potential specialist batter for this series. He looked remarkably comfortable against all of Australia A’s quicks, emerging as the standout batter from either side in challenging conditions. While India may initially opt for Sarfaraz Khan, with the option to bring in Jurel later if Sarfaraz struggles to adapt to the pace and bounce of Australian pitches, starting the series with Dhruv Jurel at No. 6 would be a bold and proactive move.

Debut for Nitish Kumar Reddy or Two Spin-Bowling All-Rounders?

With none of India’s fast-bowling options (assuming Harshit Rana won’t start) capable of batting at No. 8, it seems unlikely that India will field four proper seamers in the Perth Test, as it would create a long tail. This leaves India with a decision: either hand a debut to the young and impressive Nitish Kumar Reddy or field two spin-bowling all-rounders.

While it may seem beneficial to include a fourth seam-bowling option and give Nitish Kumar Reddy a debut, one must realistically consider how much a 21-year-old with no prior Test match experience, even one as promising as Reddy, can deliver against a strong, battle-hardened Australian side — especially on their home turf.

Reddy was bounced out thrice in the two unofficial Tests against Australia A and took just one wicket in his 31 overs across the series. Ideally, India should view him more as a long-term project, aiming to groom him over the course of this tour rather than rushing him into the starting XI.

But two spinners, and both finger spinners, in Australia? Let’s take a closer look at Nathan Lyon’s numbers.

In the 15 Tests in Australia since India’s historic triumph at the Gabba, Lyon has taken his 59 wickets at an average of 23.77, an improvement on the 61 wickets at 31.21 he claimed in the 15 Tests leading up to (and including) the Gabba Test, which ended on January 19, 2021.

Lyon’s improved returns suggest that spin — to be more specific, overspin — has become increasingly important, especially in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne (as evidenced in the graph below).

If you think these numbers are skewed by wickets taken in the second (team) innings, that’s not quite the case. Lyon has taken 30 of his 59 wickets at an average of 26.86 in the first (team) innings.

The above analysis brings Washington Sundar into play, not just as a defensive option but also as someone capable of taking wickets — potentially even ahead of both Jadeja and Ashwin.

Of course, Ashwin can also bowl overspin, is a proper Test match No. 8, and has over 500 Test wickets to his name. However, as seen in the last couple of home series, the 38-year-old hasn’t quite been at his best with his lengths and accuracy. He averaged 41.22 runs per wicket against New Zealand, compared to Sundar’s 14.12 and Jadeja’s 21.56.

A Test Comeback for Prasidh Krishna?

With 10 wickets at an average of 17.30 against Australia A, the 6 ft 3-inch right-arm pacer could well have earned a place in the starting XI for the Perth Test. With Harshit Rana being given no game time, India have no other tall, hit-the-deck option in the squad. Given his pace, height, and skills to hit the deck, he certainly has the tools to succeed in Australian conditions. Now, it’s up to him to execute those skills under pressure — something he struggled to do in South Africa.

Siraj vs. Akash Deep

For the final spot, it’s a choice between Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep. Siraj has the advantage of prior experience, having thrived in Australia before. He led India’s pace attack during their famous Gabba Test triumph, even delivering a crucial five-wicket haul in the second innings. However, his pace has dropped recently, and he hasn’t been as threatening of late, while Akash Deep’s stock has been on the rise.

India may start with Siraj, assuming he’s well-rested, but his spot will be under scrutiny from day one.

My final starting XI for Perth:

1. KL Rahul
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
3. Shubman Gill
4. Virat Kohli
5. Rishabh Pant (wk)
6. Dhruv Jurel
7. Ravindra Jadeja
8. Washington Sundar
9. Jasprit Bumrah (c)
10. Prasidh Krishna
11. Mohammed Siraj