The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced the playing XI for the third Test against Australia, scheduled to start from January 7 at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney.
NEWS – #TeamIndia announce Playing XI for the 3rd Test against Australia at the SCG.
Navdeep Saini is all set to make his debut.#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/lCZNGda8UD
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 6, 2021
Mayank Agarwal has been dropped from the side with Rohit Sharma replacing the opener in the playing XI. Whereas pacer Navdeep Saini has been handed his Test debut as he replaces an injured Umesh Yadav in the side.
Mayank Agarwal who was not in good touch with the bat in the previous two tests has been replaced by the senior man Rohit Sharma. After impressing the selectors in shorter format Navdeep Saini gets his maiden test call up as he replaces injured Umesh Yadav.
Interestingly, India will go with their third new opening pair for the Sydney Test. India opened with Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal in Adelaide, they went with Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal in Melbourne. Now, the visitors have decided to pair Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in the playing XI.
India, after losing the Adelaide Test, bounced back strongly in the series by winning the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne by eight wickets. While India does not have a strong record in Sydney, they have come agonisingly close of winning Test matches in Sydney, only to lose out of the win by narrow margins – the latest being in 2019.
