India’s practice session unveils possible XI for Perth Test

India`s slip cordon during a practice session on Tuesday (Pic: @IPLnCricket/X)

With only three days left before the Indian cricket team embarks on its highly anticipated Australian tour, they face an unexpected setback due to multiple player absences.

Captain Rohit Sharma is expected to miss the series opener in Perth as he stays back for the birth of his child. To complicate matters, Shubman Gill fractured his thumb during the three-day simulation game against India A, further depleting India's top-order batting options.

While the team has reserves in the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, and Dhruv Jurel, the question now is which of these players will be called up to fill the gaps in the playing XI for the first Test.

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From recent practice session footage shared on social media, it appears that Padikkal and Jurel are the frontrunners to make the cut for the opening Test in Perth.

In the training session on Tuesday, both Padikkal and Jurel were seen in the slip cordon alongside established names like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jurel, who is traditionally a wicket-keeper batter, was spotted fielding in the gully position, indicating his likely inclusion as a specialist batter in the middle order for the first Test.

Though Gaikwad and Easwaran have also been discussed as potential replacements for Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, it seems the team management has opted for Padikkal and Jurel. Of the two, Jurel has made the most significant impression in recent practice games, particularly against Australia A. In that series, he was one of India's standout performers, scoring two crucial half-centuries while batting in the middle order.

Given that Rishabh Pant is set to take on wicketkeeping duties for the opening Test, Jurel's role will shift to that of a specialist batter. His impressive performances in the lead-up to the series, coupled with his adaptability, have made him a strong contender for a spot in the playing XI.

As India finalise their squad for the Perth Test, the selections of Padikkal and Jurel underline the team management's confidence in their ability to rise to the occasion, despite the absence of key players like Sharma and Gill.