IND vs AUS: Three Indian players who could be benched for first Test against Australia

The Border-Gavaskar series is only a few days away from the start. The first game will be played in Nagpur. Ahead of the highly-anticipated series, there is a lot of talk about what could be the playing XI and the wicket to be dished out at the Jamtha Stadium. Not to forget, in 2015, India beat South Africa within three days and the venue was suspended for two years.

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However, this time around, it is reported that the Indian team management has asked the curators of all four venues to produce supporting wickets. Meanwhile, ahead of the first game, the home side will have to address their playing XI issue. Not to forget, Rishabh Pant missing out on the series is a big blow to the team. Also, Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out.

Meanwhile, in this listicle, we will discuss three players who might miss out on the selection.

Three Indian players who might be benched in the first Test

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Umesh Yadav (Image Credit: Twitter)

1. Umesh Yadav

The right-arm pacer has the third-best bowling average in India (25.15) after England (23.55) and Bangladesh (23.71). Not to forget, he is only two wickets away from completing 100 wickets in India as he has 98 in 30 games. However, the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Jaydev Unadkat might play.

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Apparently, with this series being India's home assignment. It is highly likely that India will play three spinners. With three spinners and Siraj and Unadkat likely to play, Yadav might have to make way. 

Axar Patel (Image Credit: Twitter)

2. Axar Patel

The left-arm all-rounder might have to sit on the bench. He averages an astonishing 12.43 in India and has taken 39 wickets in six games. However, Patel might get tough competition from the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav.

The likes of Ashwin and Jadeja will straightaway make it to the playing XI. Not to forget, Jadeja did well for Saurashtra in his comeback game. Also, Kuldeep has done well in the recent past across formats. These are the reasons why Axar might miss out. 

Ishan Kishan (Image Credit: Twitter)

3. Ishan Kishan

Kishan has been seen as the replacement for Rishabh Pant, who s battling with injuries. Also, the former India U19 skipper can be an explosive batter. However, KS Bharat has been groomed as the wicketkeeper for India in the red-ball format.

Not to forget, Kishan's wicketkeeping is a work in progress. On the other hand, Bharat is a complete keeper who is a decent enough batter. This is the reason, Kishan might be benched for the first game.