Team India are expected to make major changes in the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test.
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In this regard, former India opener Gautam Gambhir has suggested the visitors to include Ravindra Jadeja in their playing XI and go in with a five-pronged bowling attack.
Opener Prithvi Shaw’s technique has come under the scanner after his mode of dismissals in both the innings at Adelaide, with many cricket greats suggesting that he is not ready for Test cricket yet.
Gambhir, who wanted Shaw to start the series, also feels that the youngster is currently lacking confidence and Shubman Gill should open alongside Mayank Agarwal in the second Test.
"I wanted Prithvi Shaw to start the series because if a player has scored a hundred and two fifties in four Test matches and hit a fifty in the last tough tour to New Zealand, then you start with him, no doubt the form was not good."
"But now in the type of form he is in, more than the form his confidence is very low, so I will want to see Shubman Gill at the top along with Mayank Agarwal and Pujara at No.3," Gambhir said on Star Sports show Cricket Connected.
As regulars skipper Virat Kohli will miss the last three Tests due to paternity leave, Gambhir wants stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane to take additional responsibility of batting at No. 4.
"I will want to see Rahane at No.4. I will not want to see Rahane stay at No.5 because if he is the captain now, he has to lead from the front. So, Rahane should play at No.4 in the place of Virat Kohli."
As per Gambhir, KL Rahul should come in place of Kohli in the playing XI and bat at No. 5 while he wants Rishabh Pant to replace Wriddhiman Saha as a wicketkeeper batsman.
"KL Rahul should play at No.5 and Rishabh Pant should play at No.6."
Gautam Gambhir concluded by stating that India should go with five bowlers in the Melbourne Test, with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja replacing Hanuma Vihari in the playing XI.
"Jadeja and Ashwin should play at No.7 and No.8 and then three seamers. I will want to go in with five bowlers."