India will now face Australia in the all important 3rd test at Melbourne cricket ground in Melbourne with the series hanging in equal favours. Australia will be all pumped up after a comprehensive victory in the 2nd test and will eye to take the lead in Melbourne whereas Indian team will be hoping for best of starts from the openers and addition of Hardik Pandya doing wonders for the visitors.
With the current form of Indian players, changes look certain for the 3rd test especially at the top order and lower middle order. Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has came up with his surprising playing XI for the third test.
Hanuma Vihari promoted up the batting order
With the openers failing to fire, Manjrekar recommends Hanuma Vihari to open the batting for India alongside Murali Vijay. The Mumbaikar suggested that newly added Mayank Agarwal is unknown to the conditions and it may not turn out to be good for India.
“My thought is: on Australian pitches, against the hard Kookaburra ball, is it fair to throw a young talent in as an opener with no practice games under his belt? Also in India’s long history of Tests, there is not much evidence of front-line batsmen having made their debuts in Australia; there must be a reason for that,” Manjrekar wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.
Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane will take the other three slots in the batting.
In the lower middle order, he opted for Rohit Sharma to bat alongside wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant.
Ravindra Jadeja is the lone spinner in his team followed by the pace trio of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Umesh Yadav failed to capitalize on the chance in the last match and as a result Manjrekar ousted him from his unit.
Sanjay Manjrekar’s predicted playing XI
Murali Vijay, Hanuma Vihari, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami
