India vs Australia: Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana Make Debut in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

The first Test of the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy is underway at the Optus Stadium, Perth, with India making bold changes to their playing XI. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and pacer Harshit Rana are making their Test debuts, while Washington Sundar has been picked as the lone spinner, leaving out veterans Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

India's Playing XI: A New-Look Lineup

With regular captain Rohit Sharma unavailable due to personal reasons and opener Shubman Gill ruled out with a thumb injury, India’s top order has a fresh look. KL Rahul has been tasked with opening alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, while Devdutt Padikkal steps into the No.3 slot. Padikkal was not part of the initial squad but stayed back after impressing in India A's matches in Australia.

In the middle order, promising talent Dhruv Jurel has been selected over Sarfaraz Khan following his strong performances in the unofficial Test series. Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah leads the bowling attack, supported by Mohammed Siraj, debutant Harshit Rana, and the versatile Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Australia's Playing XI

Australia’s lineup includes debutant opener Nathan McSweeney, who will pair with Usman Khawaja at the top. Veteran spinner Nathan Lyon is the only specialist spinner in the side, with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh offering additional overs. Skipper Pat Cummins leads a fearsome pace trio with Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

Toss and Pitch Report

India won the toss and chose to bat first on a pitch expected to provide pace and bounce. Bumrah emphasized confidence in India’s preparation, recalling their experience at this venue in 2018.

At the toss, Bumrah said:

"We are going to bat first, looks like a good wicket. Very confident with our preparation. The wicket gets quicker. Nitish makes his debut. We have 4 quicks and Washi is the lone spinner."

Cummins remarked:

We were 50-50, either way we are pretty happy. Feel well placed, pretty fresh. Any format we (India-Australia) play seems fiercely fought."

Full Playing XIs

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah (captain), Mohammed Siraj.

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

Stay tuned for updates as India and Australia battle it out in this high-stakes Test series opener.

Reference from:-https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/nitish-kumar-reddy-harshit-rana-make-debut-for-india-washington-sundar-plays-ahead-of-ashwin-and-jadeja-101732237482236.html