Sarfaraz Khan kicked aside as India’s top 6 for Perth Test leaked

The India National Cricket Team is scheduled to take on the Australia National Cricket Team in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, starting on Friday, November 22. Ahead of the series opener at the Optus Stadium in Perth, the top six of the Indian batting lineup has been leaked.

India captain Rohit Sharma will miss the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia due to the birth of his son. Rohit and his wife welcomed a baby boy on Friday, November 15. He decided to stay with his family in India, and Jasprit Bumrah is likely to lead the national team in the first Test.

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill Ruled Out of First Test in Australia

India traveled to Australia with an 18-player squad, including a replacement for Rohit Sharma for the first Test. However, the visiting team suffered a setback during practice when young batter Shubman Gill sustained a finger injury while taking a catch in the slips. He has been ruled out of the series opener.

With just four days remaining for the first Test, India will have to reshuffle their batting order. The team management asked Devdutt Padikkal, who was part of the India A team in Australia, to stay back as a backup. They also need to find the right combination for the top of the batting order for the Test.

India’s Top 6 For Perth Test in BGT 2024-25 Leaked

Sports journalist Bharat Sundaresan revealed the Indian team’s slip cordon X (formerly Twitter), which all but revealed the top 6 of the Indian team for the Perth Test.

Devdutt Padikkal was practicing at the first slip, Virat Kohli at the second, and KL Rahul at the third slip. He also stated that Yashasvi Jaiswal was positioned at the gully, with Dhruv Jurel taking catches at silly point. While Rishabh Pant will be the designated keeper for India.

“The slip cordon for India currently, Padikkal at first slip, Virat second, Rahul third slip, Jaiswal at gully while Dhruv Jurel is taking catches at silly-point. That should be the top 6 for the first Test?,” Bharat wrote.

Virat Kohli To Play Crucial Role for India in BGT 2024-25

Virat Kohli, who has struggled to score runs in the longer format recently, is expected to play a crucial role for the visiting team in the upcoming series. He has had a good record in Australia in Test matches. Kohli has scored 1,352 runs in 13 Test matches, including six centuries and four half-centuries.

Virat Kohli vs Australia in Tests

Also read: Shreyas Iyer appointed as captain of Mumbai for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy; Prithvi Shaw returns