Rahane reveals Kohli's message to team before departing, divulges plan post Adelaide rout

Revealing skipper Virat Kohli's motivating words to the team before his departure, stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane said that Team India will 'definitely' miss a player of Virat's stature. Rahane spoke about the team dinner at Adelaide after the humiliating defeat in the first Test of series against Australia and also highlighted Kohli's words to the team before he boarded the flight back to India. Kohli will not be featuring in the remaining three Tests as he has travelled back home for the birth of his first child. 

"Virat spoke to all of us before leaving. We had our team dinner at Adelaide, so he spoke to all of us, about being positive, just playing to our strength and to play as a team, as a unit. That's what we have been doing for so many years and it is all about that - about staying in the moment, playing for each other and enjoying each other's success," Rahane revealed. 

The stand-in skipper also shed light on the team's plans after the Adelaide rout and said that the visitor's plan to stick to the basics and play to their strength. Addressing a virtual press conference on the eve of the Boxing Day Test, Rahane said, "Talking about the last Test, we had two good days, just one bad hour where we actually lost it but it was all about backing ourselves as an individual and as a team. Play to our strengths. Our record at MCG is really good but what is important for all of us is to start well. It's all about staying in the moment, reading the situation well."

He also spoke about the importance of bowling in partnership and asserted that Jasprit Bumrah has been really good for Team India. "Apart from that, Umesh and guys who'll play instead of Shami tomorrow they are also equally talented. Umesh has been doing really well for so many years. It's all about bowling in partnership for us. Having said that, we have discussed how we are going about it," Rahane said. 

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When asked about the opportunity to lead India in Tests, Rahane said, "It's a proud moment for me to be leading India. Its a great opportunity and responsibility as well. I don't want to take any pressure. What I want to do is back my teammates and as a team, we want to do well. So as a team, the focus is on that and not me. It's not on me." The 32-year-old also touched upon the pre-match mind games being played by Australia and stated that he would rather focus on his team. 

"Australians are very good at playing mind games and I will let them do that. We are focussing on ourselves, what we want to do as a unit and we are going to back our every individual," Rahane said on the eve of the match.

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Team India announce playing XI 

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. 

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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