Jadeja OUT, Pujara RETURNS, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant IN: India's Strongest XI For The Border-Gavaskar Trophy

 India will be looking to secure a remarkable third consecutive Test series victory when they tour Australia in November for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The team has already stunned Australia by winning their last two Test series on Australian soil, and now, they have the chance to complete a rare hat-trick of victories. With Australia not having defeated India in a Test series since 2014-15, India holds a slight psychological advantage heading into the contest. However, Australia, after their recent struggles, are expected to come back fiercely, especially on home turf, making the series a formidable challenge for the Rohit Sharma-led side.

Jadeja OUT, Pujara RETURNS, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant IN: India's Strongest XI For The Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Although the much-anticipated Australia series is still some time away, India will first face Bangladesh in a two-match Test series, followed by three Tests against New Zealand. It’s unlikely that India will make major changes to their squad unless someone dramatically loses form or sustains an injury. However, one key player that India might consider bringing back for the Australia series is Cheteshwar Pujara. Despite possibly being overlooked for the Bangladesh and New Zealand series, Pujara has been an instrumental figure in India’s previous triumphs in Australia, and his resilience could once again be vital. There’s a chance that India might include him in the squad for the Australia tour even if he doesn't play in the earlier series.

Certain players are almost guaranteed to make the Australia tour, including captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and star bowler Jasprit Bumrah. India's primary area of debate may center around their spinners. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been long-standing leaders in the spin department, but Axar Patel might challenge Jadeja’s spot, while Kuldeep Yadav could offer a valuable left-arm variation and potentially edge out Ashwin for a place in the playing XI. Although Ashwin could still be selected for the squad, earning a spot in the final XI could prove challenging. In the pace department, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are locks, and India will be hoping that Mohammed Shami regains full fitness before the series. There’s also a possibility of an outsider like Mayank Yadav or Harshit Rana being included as a wildcard option.

India’s strongest playing XI for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy might feature Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal as openers, with Pujara batting at No. 3. While replacing Gill with Pujara may seem unconventional, Pujara’s ability to wear down the Australian pacers—especially in hostile conditions like Perth and Gabba—could prove invaluable. Gill’s recent lack of form also means that he will need to perform well in the Bangladesh and New Zealand series to solidify his case. Virat Kohli will likely bat at No. 4, followed by Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. Rahul is expected to be preferred over younger options like Dhruv Jurel or Sarfaraz Khan in Australian conditions. Axar Patel is projected to be the spin all-rounder over Jadeja, with Kuldeep playing ahead of Ashwin due to his variety. The pace attack would be led by Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj.

India’s strongest potential XI to take on Australia:  

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (C), Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.

India’s likely squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy includes:  

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (C), Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel, and potentially Mayank Yadav or Harshit Rana, with Hardik Pandya.