Ind vs Aus, Boxing Day Test: Tim Paine wins toss, opts to bat first
Dec 25, 2020
Melbourne [Australia], December 26 : Australia won the toss and elected to bat first against India in the Boxing Day Test here at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.
India named their Playing XI for the Boxing Day Test against Australia and they have made four changes to the team that played in the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval.
Shubman Gill comes in for Prithvi Shaw, Ravindra Jadeja for Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant for Wriddhiman Saha, and Mohammed Siraj for Mohammad Shami.
Gill and pace bowler Siraj are making their debut in the longest format of the game. This is India's 100th Test against Australia.
Both the teams first played the series in 1947/48 in which Australia outplayed India and won the series 4-0. India are trailing 1-0 in the four-match series after a humiliating eight-wicket loss in the pink-ball Test.
Also, Cricket Australia (CA) has announced that the Player of the Match of the second Test between Australia and India will be awarded the Mullagh Medal, named after the legendary Johnny Mullagh.
The medal, titled 'Mullagh Medal', is named after the skipper of the Australian indigenous side that toured the UK in 1868. It was the first organised group of Australian sporting teams touring internationally.
Team India XI: Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, and Mohd. Siraj.
Australia's playing XI: Joe Burns, Matthew Wade, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Tim Paine (c, wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
