Fri Dec 06 04:10:00 UTC 2024: ## India Faces Australia in Adelaide Day-Night Test; Bumrah Celebrates Birthday on Match Day
**Adelaide, Australia –** The second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia begins today under cloudy skies at the Adelaide Oval. India, having convincingly won the first Test in Perth by 295 runs, are aiming for a series win and a potential hat-trick of series victories in Australia.
The match marks a significant change for India’s batting order, with captain Rohit Sharma moving to number six. Several other changes were made to the team: Ravichandran Ashwin returns to the squad, replacing Washington Sundar, while Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma replace Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel respectively. Jasprit Bumrah, who celebrates his 31st birthday today, will be a key part of the bowling attack.
India won the toss and elected to bat first. The opening match saw a dramatic start for India, as Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed LBW by Mitchell Starc on the very first ball of the match. Shubman Gill and KL Rahul steadied the innings, though Rahul was fortunate to survive a no-ball appeal.
Australia’s playing XI includes Usman Khawaja, Nathan McAndrew, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Scott Boland.
The match is a day-night Test, played with a pink ball. The weather forecast predicts cloudy conditions, raising the possibility of rain affecting play. The Adelaide pitch, described by the curator as “grassy”, is expected to offer assistance to both pace and spin bowlers. Ashwin, with a strong record in day-night Tests and at the Adelaide Oval, will be key to India’s hopes. The series continues with matches in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The head-to-head record between the two nations in Test series shows a close contest.
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