IND v AUS 2020: Prithvi Shaw, Wriddhiman Saha named in India's playing XI for 1st Test

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in a tweet on their official Twitter account, confirmed India’s playing XI for the first Test against Australia, starting on Thursday.

After much debate surrounding the opening combination, the Indian team management have decided to go with Prithvi Shaw alongside Mayank Agarwal at the top of the order. The 21-year-old will be playing his first Test Down Under after an injury ruled him out of the previous tour, paving the way for Agarwal’s eventual debut.

UPDATE🚨: Here’s #TeamIndia’s playing XI for the first Border-Gavaskar Test against Australia starting tomorrow in Adelaide. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/WbVRWrhqwi

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 16, 2020

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant remains on the bench in spite of an impressive attacking hundred in the second warm-up game against Australia ‘A’ at Sydney. Wriddhiman Saha will take the gloves in the Day-Night game, in spite of Pant playing as the keeper in the aforementioned warm-up game.

Team India pick R Ashwin as specialist spinner

Ravichandran Ashwin will play the first Test as India's specialist spinner.

Interestingly, Virat Kohli and the Indian team management have also resisted the temptation to play the pink-ball affair with a four-pronged pace attack. Ravichandran Ashwin comes in as the specialist spinner, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav making up the pace contingent.

As expected, Cheteshwar Pujara and vice-captain retain their places in the line-up, while all-rounder Hanuma Vihari rounds up the eleven after also scoring an impressive hundred in the warm-up fixture against Alex Carey’s Australia A side at Sydney.