India vs Australia: Australia Wins Toss, Opts to Bat – Playing XI & Team Changes – CT 2025
Toss Update & Match Strategy
In a crucial contest, Australia won the toss and opted to bat first against India. Australian captain Steven Smith highlighted the importance of a strong first-innings score. A dry pitch will probably help spin bowlers later. Indian captain Rohit Sharma showed confidence in his team’s adaptability. He noted the pitch’s unpredictable nature.
Team Changes & Playing XI
India’s lineup stays the same as last match. They have four spinners and two seamers. Australia made two key changes. They brought in Cooper Connolly and Tanveer Sangha. They replaced the injured Matthew Short and Spencer Johnson.
Australia Playing XI:
- Travis Head
- Cooper Connolly
- Steven Smith (c)
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Josh Inglis (wk)
- Alex Carey
- Glenn Maxwell
- Ben Dwarshuis
- Nathan Ellis
- Adam Zampa
- Tanveer Sangha
India Playing XI:
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- Axar Patel
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Hardik Pandya
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Mohammed Shami
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Varun Chakaravarthy
Captain Statements:
Rohit Sharma (India Captain):
“Ah, I was prepared to do both to be honest. The wicket out here has played differently. So, when you are in two minds, it’s good to lose the toss. Yeah, we have played three games here. Every time the pitch has played differently. The pitch keeps changing it’s nature and you have to play good cricket. We are really focused on doing our job right. We have defended totals and we have chased as well, so we are ready to do anything. Well look, there are 4 or 5 surfaces out here.
Every wicket out here plays differently. The slower bowlers have got a lot of assistance from this surface.So, we are going with the same team. We are playing 4 spinners and 2 seamers. Yeah boys are very much okay in playing two games inside 3 days. We know that we are bowling first now, we need to try and restrict them to as less as possible.”
Steven Smith (Australia Captain):
“We are going to have a bat first. Looks like a dry surface. We want to put runs on the board. The guys had a couple of sessions in the academy. Looks like a lot drier. It should take some turn later on. Of Course, India are a good side. We have got two changes. Matthew Short is injured. Cooper Connolly comes in for Short. Tanveer Sangha comes in for Spencer Johnson.”
Match Context & Expectations
With Australia opting to bat, all eyes will be on their top order to provide a strong foundation. India’s bowling attack, featuring a mix of spin and pace, will look to exploit the pitch conditions early. The battle between India’s spinners and Australia’s batters is expected to be a key factor in determining the match’s outcome.