3rd Test: Ravindra Jadeja and Akash Deep Join Indian Squad as Toss is Won and Bowling is Chosen

Brisbane, Dec 14 (NationPress) Ravindra Jadeja and Akash Deep have been included in the squad as India clinched the toss and chose to bowl first against Australia in the third match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy held under overcast conditions at the Gabba on Saturday. The series, consisting of five matches, is currently even at 1-1.

This marks the first occasion in this series where India has opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Both Jadeja and Akash will be making their debut in this series, stepping in for Ravichandran Ashwin and Harshit Rana in the playing eleven.

"The conditions are a bit overcast, with some grass on the pitch that appears soft, so we aim to capitalize on these factors. We want to leverage the conditions and see how we can perform with the ball early on. There’s a lot of cricket ahead, and both teams have displayed commendable performance in the previous matches. This is a significant game for us, and we will strive to meet expectations," stated Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who will maintain his position batting at number six.

“We are committed to playing quality cricket and realize the importance of seizing critical moments, something we failed to do in the last match, leading to our defeat. The atmosphere is electric, and the players are eager to take the field,” added Rohit Sharma.

On the Australian side, there has been one alteration: Josh Hazlewood returns after recovering from a side strain, replacing Scott Boland in the lineup. “We would have opted to bowl first as well. It has been an exceptional series thus far. I’m pleased with last week’s performance; nearly everyone got involved in the series, and the preparations have been solid. The early conclusion of the Adelaide Test allowed us to arrive here early and acclimatize,” remarked Australian captain Pat Cummins.

Playing XIs

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep

Australia: Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood