After a humiliating 3-0 defeat to New Zealand at home, India are certainly on the back foot and on top of that, they would also be worried about making it to the upcoming World Test Championship finale. Reports suggest that BCCI officials have already held discussions regarding the senior players and their future while head coach Gautam Gambhir is also under immense pressure to prove his value in the longest format.

The five-match Australia series is not going to be easy either, particularly playing in Perth, where the bowlers get extra bounce from the surface. On top of that, captain Rohit Sharma is out on paternity leave and Shubman Gill has been ruled out with a fracture in his right hand. A couple of players are in contention to make their debut and keeping that in mind, here’s the possible line-up for the first Test in Perth, slated to begin on November 22.

Here’s India’s predicted XI for the first Test against Australia:

Openers – KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal

KL Rahul, who was dropped from the second and third Test against New Zealand, is expected to make his return to the playing XI. He is expected to replace Rohit Sharma, who is out of the first Test but is expected to return in Adelaide for the second. Rahul was competing with Abhimanyu Easwaran for the opening spot but due to his experience, the team management may consider him to open. However, the cricketer himself is going through a tough time with form.

The focus will be on Yashasvi Jaiswal in the series. The youngster has done well and is the second-leading run-scorer of the ongoing edition of the World Test Championship but his form in the New Zealand series was concerning. On top of that, Jaiswal has no experience playing Test cricket in Australia. It will be a challenge for the Mumbai batter and will also test his temperament.

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Middle-order: Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel

Devdutt Padikkal wasn’t originally named in the 18-member squad. However, after Shubman Gill’s injury, the cricketer was asked to continue with the Indian team and was added to the squad on the penultimate day. The team management was impressed with his practice sessions but like many others, he doesn’t have enough experience. The 24-year-old has played only one Test so far against England and scored a half-century in the game.

Whenever India play Australia Down Under, there’s extra attention on Virat Kohli. He has been their biggest rival, having scored six centuries in the country. The success of the visiting team largely depends on Kohli’s shoulders and he needs to deliver to his potential but his ongoing form is concerning. However, the 36-year-old had some very good practice sessions in Perth.

Rishabh Pant meanwhile is arguably India’s most important batter at the moment. The southpaw was a force to reckon with when India last travelled to Australia and can prove to be dangerous once again. He won’t be shy to take on the Australian bowlers and his knocks can very well define the fate of the game.

The competition between Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan might be the talk of the town this winter. Sarafaraz got the opportunities in the series against New Zealand and the 27-year-old did well in the Bengaluru Test but not much in the remaining two. Jurel, on the other hand, impressed in the unofficial Test against Australia A and has looked good in the nets and for the same reason, he is likely to be picked ahead of Sarfaraz.

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All-rounders – Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravichandran Ashwin

Nitish Kumar Reddy is all set to make his Test debut in Perth. The 21-year-old has played 23 first class matches and scored 779 runs and also picked up 56 wickets at an average of 26.98. India are desperate to play a fourth seamer that can bat and for the same reason, Reddy is considered for the role.

There’s competition between Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar in the team. However, Ashwin is likely to be considered given that Australia are likely to play with five left-handed batters. The off-spinner is known for doing well against the southpaws and for that reason, he is likely to be considered above Jadeja and Washington.

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Bowlers – Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Mohammed Siraj

Ace pacer Harshit Rana is expected to make his international debut in Perth. The 22-year-old was in contention since the end of the IPL but is yet to receive his cap. As per reports, Rana has impressed the team management with his bowling as he is generating extra bounce from the surface with his fast bowling.

Jasprit Bumrah meanwhile is arguably the most important player in the team. India’s entire success heavily depends on how Bumrah functions in the series. He is the main weapon with the ball and the pacer has done well in Australia previously, picking up 32 wickets in seven matches at an average of 21.25.

Mohammed Siraj’s form is concerning but the surfaces in Australia, particularly Perth will support the cricketer. He has done well in the last edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, picking up a five-wicket haul at Gabba, Brisbane.

India’s predicted XI against Australia for the first Test: