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Live India team selection for the Australia Test series

After the comprehensive victory over Bangladesh in the one-off Test, the selectors will have a straightforward task in picking the Indian cricket team for the four Test series against Australia.

The selection committee, headed by MSK Prasad, will meet in the BCCI office at noon and chances are that it will announce the retention of the entire Hyderabad squad. At least for the first two Tests against Australia – in Pune from February 23 and in Bangalore from March 4. However, there is one case for the committee which should make their travelling to Mumbai worthwhile. They will need to apply their minds over the right time to recall Rohit Sharma into the squad.

Rohit’s plan is to play the domestic one-day matches, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, from February 25 in Chennai to prove his fitness.Mumbai play three back-to-back matches on Feb 25, 26 and 27, against Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, which will be as good as playing a three-day first-class game. If everything goes well and the selectors are convinced, then Rohit will be available for the second Test.

Virat Kohli’s Indian team has a settled composition and have dominated the home season. Kohli has not lost a single Test in 2016 and has not tasted defeat at home yet. India have not tasted defeat in a home Test for 20 matches while Kohli has not suffered a loss for 19 Tests since the loss in Galle to Sri Lanka in 2015.

Ravichandran Ashwin became the quickest to get to 250 Test wickets during the Bangladesh Test in Hyderabad. Australia have a poor record in India, having not won a Test here since 2004. They have lost seven consecutive Tests since 2008, including a 4-0 whitewash in 2013 while they have lost their last nine consecutive Tests in Asia.

Source: HindustanTimes