India have made the shock call to drop young gun Shubman Gill for the third Test against Australia, with a major shake-up to the batting order for the MCG.
Gill missed the first Test victory due to injury, and has 60 runs at 20 for the series, but the 25-year old is regarded as one of Indian cricket’s most promising talents.
He made his debut in the 2020 Boxing Day Test, scoring 45 and 35 not out to play a crucial role in a famous Indian victory.
But four years later, he has been deemed surplus to requirements, with spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar, who was dropped from the team after the Perth Test, returning at his expense.
However, the primary reason for his omission is to allow out-of-form captain Rohit Sharma, who has just 19 runs in three innings this series after missing the first Test due to paternity leave, to move back to his customary spot opening the batting.
It is expected but not confirmed that the in-form KL Rahul, India’s leading run-scorer this series, will move back to No.3, Gill’s vacated spot, to allow Sharma to partner youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat first on what is set to be a scorching Day 1 in Melbourne, with Australia replacing Nathan McSweeney and the injured Josh Hazlewood with debutant Sam Konstas and Scott Boland.
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