Rahane-led India promise a flurry of punches in Boxing Day Test

A surprising plot twist changed the climax of Team India’s perfect script that had them in the driver’s seat for majority of Adelaide Test. The team under a stand-in captain would hope to do their best to not let their guard down in the Boxing Day Test which kicks off in Melbourne.

Continuing the trend from Adelaide India did not wait till the coin flip to declare their XI for the game. The unfavourable result in the first Test was expected to open the door of possibilities for those who watched their team succumb to its lowest ever score from the sidelines.

However, they have not quite gone for like for like replacements, with an all-rounder coming in for a specialist batsman.

Ravindra Jadeja cleared the fitness Test just in time to earn a shot at sword swing while the swing of Siraj was preferred over fellow RCBian Navdeep Saini’s pace.

They also have gone back to trying Rishabh Pant behind the stumps. While, Saha’s glovework is arguably the best in the world, the scorecard of the second innings from Adelaide had a role in convincing the team that Pant’s batting ability could not be ignored again.

Another change and once again on expected lines is at the opening slot. In any case, Shubhman Gill making his debut at the G had acquired the shape of certainty after Prithvi Shaw’s identical dismissals in both the innings.

Australia, on the other hand, are expected to stick to the side that helped them take the lead in the first game. Once again the focus will on the Aussie bowlers, who proved why they are at the peak of their prowess rolling over the opponents with a stamp of authority. Batting wise, the team would look for a few answers, and expect that Joe Burns indication of getting into rhythm on the 3rd day in Adelaide was not a hoax.

The Aussie camp in the days leading up to the game has claimed that they don’t think an encore of Adelaide is possible as India are a formidable Test side. The test of that formidably, however, will be a big one for Ajinkya Rahane who has an added responsibility of finding his form that has eluded him for a while now.

Mohammed Shami’s absence will hurt India but drier conditions in Melbourne will be a relief for the team bolstered by the addition of an extra spinner.

The loss at Adelaide has also left India staring at a dubious record. If they fail to either win or draw the game in Melbourne, it will be the first time in their history of 88 years that they will fail to win a single Test in a calendar year (minimum of three Tests). But India would believe that often avoiding an embarrassment is a bigger motivation than achieving an improbable feat.

After all that followed the loss in the first game, it is now evident that a thumping win at the MCG is perhaps the only ointment which can remove the scar of Adelaide from the collective consciousness of a team, relying heavily on changes to stake a claim that it can reach the shores safely even without their regular captain