India vs. Australia: 2 Debutants Named, BCCI Announces Playing XI For Boxing Day Test

Two debutants have been named as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India's playing XI for the Boxing Day Test against Australia on Friday.

Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill are set to make their Test debut when India takes on Australia in the second Test of the ongoing Border Gavaskar series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Meanwhile, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will mark his Test return after last playing in the whites in New Zealand earlier this year. Jadeja cleared the fitness test on Thursday and is expected to strengthen Team India's bowling on the MCG pitch.

From 49 Tests, Jadeja averages over 35 with the bat, while he has 213 wickets to his name. He has come in for captain Virat Kohli, who has returned home for the birth of his first child.

In Kohli's absence, his deputy Ajinkya Rahane will lead India in the remaining three Tests on the ongoing 2020-21 Down Under tour. Rahane has captained India in two Tests so far: vs Australia and Afghanistan, winning both the matches. Rahane, who scored 42 and a duck in Adelaide, will look to lead the side from the front with the bat. He is one of those fewer batsmen who average more in away Tests (44.38) than at home (39.28).

Speaking of Australia specifically, Rahane averages 41.12, having struck a century and four fifties. Co-incidentally, his hundred came in the Boxing Day fixture at the MCG in 2014.

Siraj and Gill have come in for Mohammed Shami and Prithvi Shaw. While fast bowler Shami has been ruled out for at least six months after suffering a wrist fracture in the first Test, Shaw has been dropped for his poor performances with the bat and while fielding in the first Test, which India lost by eight wickets.

India's Playing XI for 2nd Test: Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.