Virat Kohli won’t be sweating over this but the rest of India probably would be. The Indian skipper has made surprising everyone with his playing XI a habit and it backfired pretty spectacularly during the second Test against Australia in Perth.
But as the Boxing Day Test draws close, Kohli will once again be called to make a tough decision. The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch, for starters, will have a green tinge but it should, according to most reports, then get better for batting.
So far the two rivals have played each other 12 times at the MCG, with the Aussies winning as many as eight matches, India winning two and two matches being draws.
Australia coach Justin Langer has already dropped a selection hint by saying that the hosts would have a close look at all-rounder Mitchell Marsh before Wednesday.
If that seems to be the way to go then India might quickly draft Hardik Pandya into the line-up. But coach Ravi Shastri did mention that Pandya has played just one first-class game after returning from injury and they will have to be careful.
If Pandya is indeed picked, then Hanuma Vihari might have to be dropped, which in turn might make the already fragile batting even weaker.
The other big worry for India has been the opening combination. Murali Vijay and KL Rahul just haven’t clicked and Prithvi Shaw’s injury has only compounded matters. The selectors have now flown in the in-form Mayank Agarwal as Shaw’s replacement, but will the Indian management throw him into the deep end right away?
The team is still sweating over the fitness of Ravichandran Ashwin but Ravindra Jadeja is now fit. Kuldeep Yadav, who the Aussies couldn’t read at all during the T20 matches, is also available.
Either which way, the challenge for most Indian fans will be to somehow figure out what the Indian skipper is thinking? Can your choice match his?
So ahead, take a punt and we’ll see how it turns out:
