India are set to make two changes to their playing XI for the third Test against Australia, starting Saturday at the Gabba in Brisbane. According to a report in the Indian Express, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is set to lose his place in the XI, with Washington Sundar likely to replace him. Sundar played the series opener in Perth which India won by 295 runs, but was dropped from the team for the pink-ball Test in Adelaide as Australia levelled the five-match series 1-1 after beating the visitors by 10 wickets.
The report also added that pacer Akash Deep might play in place of Harshit Rana. However, there is also a possibility that India might line-up with four frontline pacers, especially with the Gabba track set to offer enough to the quicks.
Rana returned figures of 3/48 and 1/69 on his debut in Perth, before going wicketless across both innings in Adelaide. Akash, on the other hand, was more proactive at the nets in Brisbane, which could be a clear indication that captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir wants to try the Bengal pacer.
Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood, who was dropped from the XI for the second Test in Adelaide, will return to the side for the game at the Gabba. The development was confirmed by Australia captain Pat Cummins on the eve of the game.
Scott Boland, who replaced Hazlewood last week, is set to be sacrificed once again despite bagging five wickets in the match.
India likely XI: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Australia likely XI: Nathan McSweeney, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
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