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Rohit Sharma In, KL Rahul And Sarfaraz Out; India's Strongest XI For 1st Test vs Australia

Debashis Sarangi

Rohit's comeback might delay Rahul's Test return [@SPORTYVISHAL/X, @sujeetsuman1991/X]Rohit's comeback might delay Rahul's Test return [@SPORTYVISHAL/X, @sujeetsuman1991/X]

Indian captain Rohit Sharma was blessed with a baby boy on Friday, November 15. The development spread like wildfire on Friday night, with several active and retired cricketers congratulating Rohit for the good news. 

Meanwhile, according to the Press Trust of India, Rohit might travel to Australia and feature in the first Test against the host nation at Perth Stadium. Earlier, it was reported that Rohit would likely miss the opening encounter due to personal reasons. 

However, as he embraced fatherhood much prior to the Test match, the Indian captain is expected to land on Aussie soil just in time. With Rohit returning to the setup, let's see what India's strongest XI could be for the first Test in Perth. 

Rohit Sharma-Led India's Top Five To Remain Unchanged

If Rohit Sharma joins the Indian team before the first Test, he will likely open the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. The duo has enjoyed stellar success at the top order and will be expected to blunt the new ball for the visiting side. 

Meanwhile, Shubman Gill is the front-runner to bat at number three for India. The stylish batter from Punjab recently slammed a valiant hundred in the home series against New Zealand and would be keen to stun the Aussies with his scintillating performances. He will be followed by Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, India's two most crucial players against Australia's rampant bowling attack. 

Thus, India's top five will likely comprise Rohit, Jaiswal, Gill, Kohli and Pant, provided the skipper makes himself available and the other players don't develop a last-minute injury. 

KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Or Dhruv Jurel; Who Will Be India's Number Six in Australia?

With New Zealand bowlers exploiting Sarfaraz Khan's technique, KL Rahul was expected to make his way back into the Indian Test XI. Furthermore, had Rohit missed the Perth Test, Rahul could've opened the batting with Jaiswal. 

However, Rohit's comeback and an untimely elbow injury might delay Rahul's return to the playing XI. Also, given that he looked out of sorts and his competitor Dhruv Jurel grabbed the headlines with two flamboyant fifties, India might actually bring the latter as their number six for the opening game. 

Jadeja In; Sundar To Play Ahead of Ashwin?

It's worth mentioning that Ravindra Jadeja will make it into the Indian XI as their first-choice spin-bowling all-rounder. However, there will be a toss-up for the number eight slot, with several players auditioning for that spot. 

It won't be surprising if India adopt a traditional approach and field four fast bowlers to capitalise on Perth's seam-friendly conditions. However, if they decide to strengthen their batting without compromising their bowling quality, Washington Sundar might get the nod ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin. 

Sundar exhibited prolific form in New Zealand Tests, scalping 16 wickets and scoring 89 runs in two matches. Besides his red-hot form, Sundar's ability to generate overspin makes him a better bowling prospect than Ashwin in Perth. 

Bumrah, Siraj And Harshit Rana To Lead India's Pace Battery?

Regarding India's fast bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah will spearhead the attack, with Mohammed Siraj and one player between Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana assisting him. According to some reports, India might prefer Harshit Rana for the third seamer's role as he can hit the deck at a searing pace. 

India's strongest XI for 1st Test vs Australia (if Rohit Sharma returns)

Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana