WATCH: Indian players get ready for Perth Test with simulation match, BCCI posts exclusive highlights video

Team India is getting ready for the opening match of the 5-game Test series against Australia. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) posted exclusive highlights on their social media handles of the simulation game in Perth. Most of the players, barring Rohit Sharma are playing the game at the famed WACA stadium. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal seemed at ease with the pace and bounce the wicket had to offer. The left-handed batter even went down on his haunches to play an uppercut. Shubman Gill was seen walking out to bat and then fell caught down the leg side by the wicketkeeper. 

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Virat Kohli played a few trademark shots that gave fans glimpses of his old self. Rishabh Pant was his aggressive self as he stepped down the wicket and played a huge shot. According to various reports, most of India’s batters have found it tough to negate the extra bounce on the wicket. 

Ravi Shastri names his playing XI for the opening Test match in Perth

Meanwhile, former Indian coach Ravi Shastri has predicted KL Rahul to open the innings in Rohit Sharma's absence and believes Nitish Reddy could make his debut in the first Test match in Perth. The game is set to be played at the Perth Stadium starting on the 22nd of November. 

Earlier, Rahul was struck on his elbow during the simulation game which has caused huge concerns for the Indian fans. The 32-year-old was looked at as one of India’s opening batters if Rohit Sharma didn’t play the opening match. 

Shastri, while speaking to ICC review, said, “It’s horses for courses in many ways. Most of the team will pick themselves. But there’ll be one or two cases where you might have to just go dig deep and go with your gut feeling.”

India’s former coach also backed Shubman Gill to open the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal if Rohit doesn’t play the first match. “that’s a tough one and selectors have a choice. You can push Shubman Gill back up the order and he has opened in the past in Australia.”

“You’ll have to make an alternative. Abhimanyu Eeswaran hasn’t done well. But it’s about how he batting in the nets. How KL Rahul is batting in the nets. But the option of Shubman Gill is also there,” he said. 

Ravi Shastri added, “Sometimes runs aren’t important, if a player is moving well, and if the feet are moving nicely, and you try and understand his game and you realize if he has the game for these conditions. If he has the right shots for these kind of pitches. These are the things you have to look at when you pick a side overseas. I would be watching them like a hawk in the nets, the batters and the bowlers. Because for me as a bowler, rhythm is important.”

“Do India’s team management want to take a risk by going in with two spinners or do they take Nitish Reddy? Nitish will have to do a job like Shardul Thakur did as the 4th seamer. He can bat a bit, give the bowlers bit of respite so that they can bowl in short spells. So that would be my pick, seeing the conditions,” concluded Shastri.