Netizens fume as Team India snubs KL Rahul for MCG Test, raise questions over selection

With just a day to go for the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Team India released its playing XI on Friday morning, announcing 4 changes to the team fielded at Adelaide. While under-fire Prithvi Shaw has been benched, young gun Shubman Gill has been handed his debut. Mohammed Siraj has also been roped in as the third pacer to join Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav as Shami has been ruled out of the series owing to an injury. Moreover, Ajinkya Rahane has brought in Rishabh Pant in place of Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja for Virat Kohli. 

While all the above changes were expected, the exclusion of KL Rahul from the playing XI has not gone down well with the fans. The Karnataka batsman was pre-empted to join the playing XI as a replacement for Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who has returned back home for the birth of his first child. Fuming at the decision, netizens expressed displeasure over benching KL Rahul and echoed that the wicketkeeper-batsman should have been brought in place of Hanuma Vihari, who failed to perform in the first Test at Adelaide. 

Moreover, former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer, who had sent an encoded message to Ajinkya Rahane on Twitter, suggesting the inclusion of KL Rahul also sighed at the batsman's exclusion. Reacting to the playing XI announced, former all-rounder Irfan Pathan extended good wishes to Gill and Siraj for their debut but mentioned that he would have loved to see KL in the playing XI. 

Here's how Twitter reacted to India's playing XI for the MCG Test: 

READ | Apologised To Virat After That Run Out, He Was Okay About It: Rahane 

READ | India Announces Team For MCG Test Vs Australia; Shubman Gill & Mohammed Siraj To Debut 

Australia to remain unchanged at MCG

Australia Head coach Justin Langer has confirmed that the hosts will field the same playing XI as in the first Test on Friday. The second Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy is slated to begin on Friday in front of nearly 30,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). "I'll be a pretty courageous man to change the playing XI this Test match after the last one. Unless something happens over the next few days and that can in the world we live but we are going with the same XI," Langer said in a virtual press-conference on Thursday.

READ | Justin Langer Confirms Australia Will Field Same XI For Boxing Day Test As At Adelaide

India eye redemption 

After a humiliating defeat at Adelaide, Team India will be expected to come out all guns blazing on Friday morning at the MCG. However, the Men in Blue will be without their two key players - skipper Virat Kohli and speedster Mohammad Shami. There has been a huge roar to replace out-of-form Prithvi Shaw with Shubman Gill and also bring back Rishabh Pant into playing XI. Apart from Gill, Ravindra Jadeja is also in contention to play the second Test at MCG. 

READ | Lyon Expects India To 'come Out Firing' Post Adelaide Rout, Says 'have Plans For Pujara'