Brad Hogg picks Ajinkya Rahane to lead India in Virat Kohli's absence during Test series

Brad Hogg has picked Ajinkya Rahane to lead the Indian Team in the upcoming four-match Test series against Australia that gets underway on December 17. Regular skipper Virat Kohli will be captaining the side in the first Test at the Adelaide Oval that will be played under lights. However, the batting megastar would be heading back to India after the Test match to be with his wife Anushka Sharma as they are expecting their first child in January. 

Meanwhile, Kohli's limited-overs deputy has been roped in for the Test series. With Rohit Sharma's inclusion in India's Test squad for the Australia series, it is likely that the opening batsman will also lead the team, after Kohli's departure. Ajinkya Rahane, the Test vice-captain, could also be leading the squad in place of Virat Kohli. However, there has been no final decision on it yet. 

'Rahane will do a fine job': Brad Hogg

It so happened that a passionate cricket fan asked the veteran Australian spinner what he reckoned about Ajinkya Rahane leading India in the last three Test matches to which the two-time World Cup winner went on to say that the Test specialist will do a fine job and the only other option would be Rohit Sharma. 

Nonetheless, the former left-arm spinner also mentioned that Sharma's overseas record in the longest format provides no certainty of him holding a spot in the team.

India Tour of Australia 2020/21 (Test Series)

The final leg of the India vs Australia 2020 series will see the two sides play four Tests in the Test Series. Adelaide will play host to an iconic day-night Test between the two countries, with the series opener scheduled to begin from December 17.

The Boxing Day Test will take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26, before the players go back to Sydney to play the annual New Year's Test. That match is scheduled for January 7 to give players some additional rest between matches. The final match of the India vs Australia 2020 series will begin on January 15 at the Gabba in Brisbane.

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What's at stake?

As India and Australia lock horns in pure whites come December, it will not just be about Australia's vengeance or India's desire to write history, and nor will it be about winning the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Because this time, there's something much bigger on the line - The World Test Championship. India currently sit atop the World Test Championship with 360 points whereas Australia are just below the Men in Blue with 296 points. The teams also face the challenge of COVID-19 and the taxing bio-bubble which is expected to take a toll on the players. 

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