IND vs AUS 2nd Test: 3 Indian Players Who Will Have A Last Chance To Prove Their Might

The IND vs AUS Test series got underway with the first Test in Nagpur from February 9. India won the match by an innings and 132 runs. Despite the loss, Australia are still topping the WTC points table with 136 points. India are placed second with 111 points. 

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 series will be played across four different venues in India. The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur will host the first Test from February 9 to 13, and the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi will host the second Test from February 17 to 21.

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The third Inndia vs Australia Test will now be played either in Rajkot or Indore from March 1 to 5 and the fourth Test will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad from March 9 to 13. Meanwhile, this is the last of the IND vs AUS four-match test series between the two teams.

According to the International Cricket Council’s Men’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2023-27, Australia and India will be playing two five-match series during the period which will be part of the ICC World Test Championship.

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The BCCI, on the other hand, has announced a 17-member squad for the first two IND vs AUS Tests against the Aussies. This is an important series for a few veteran players in the Test side. Rohit Sharma had led the way by scoring a match-winning century in the very first Test match. 

It is only time now that the likes of KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara step up their game in the remaining three Test matches. It is also important that the likes of Rohit Sharma. Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and the Indian spin twins build on their good show in the second Test. 

IND vs AUS 2nd Test: 3 Indian Players Who Will Have A Last Chance To Prove Their Might

Cheteshwar Pujara 

Pujara’s Test career has come back to life after his recent ton against Bangladesh in the recently concluded series. He scored 102* off 130 balls to find his form before the Test series against Australia. He scored just seven in the first innings of the first Test against the Aussies. He will be tested even more in Delhi which is one of the sharpest spinning tracks in India. 

 Playing in home conditions, Pujara has to contribute massively with the bat if India are to win the Test series at home. If India loses the test series, Pujara’s Test career might well be over. The Indian Test specialist has scored over 7000 Test runs and is one short of playing 100 Test matches for India.

Virat Kohli 

Virat Kohli scored 12 off 26 in the first Test. He is well and truly back in form in white-ball cricket having scored two ODI centuries in 2023 in the series against Sri Lanka. He also scored his maiden T20I century in the Asia Cup 2022 against Afghanistan. An in-form Virat Kohli is important for India’s cause heading into the WTC final. Kohli has scored over 1600 runs against Australia but has not been in great form against them since the 2020-21 series. 

Kohli scored his last Test century in 2019 in the Day-Night Test against Bangladesh. His best score in Test matches since that century is 79 against South Africa in Cape Town. 

KL Rahul 

KL Rahul’s form in Test matches has dipped since he scored his last Test century in the first Test against South Africa in Centurion. Many former cricket experts believe that Shubman Gill should have been selected ahead of Rahul for the first Test against Australia. Rahul led India in two Test matches against South Africa in early 2022 and then against Bangladesh at the end of the year. Leadership did not bring the best out of him in terms of batting. His last five scores in Test cricket reads 22, 23, 10, 2 and 20. If he does not perform in the second Test, he might well be dropped from the last two. 

Also Read: IND VS AUS: 3 BIGGEST POSITIVES FOR TEAM INDIA ON DAY 1 OF NAGPUR TEST

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