Bangalore, March 04: India national cricket team skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat in the crucial second Test against Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, looking to turn things around following the 333-run defeat in the opening game in Pune last week. (LIVE UPDATES)
India suffered a blow ahead of the match after opening batsman Murali Vijay was forced out of the eleven following a shoulder injury. Left-handed opener Abhinav Mukund won a recall, having last played on the 2011 England tour. (LIVE SCORECARD)
Vijay hurt is shoulder during a diving attempt on the field in the Pune Test, a BCCI statement said. (WHERE TO WATCH LIVE STREAMING)
Vijay had suffered a shoulder injury while fielding during the final Test against England in Chennai in December, and it is unclear whether that has flared up again.
India also recalled Karun Nair to strengthen the batting and he is expected to bat at No 6.
Nair, who replaced off-spinner Jayant Yadav, has not played since scoring an unbeaten 303 in the final Test against England in Chennai in December after Ajinkya Rahane returned from a finger injury.
Under Virat Kohli, India have not played the same eleven in any of the 24 matches he has led in, since making his Test captaincy debut in Adelaide in late 2014.
That means, India have tweaked their five-bowler theory and Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will shoulder the spin responsibility on a pitch expected to play slow and gradually wear, unlike the dry, rank turner in the Pune Test.
Karun Nair, 25 in Chennai became only the second Indian batsman to score a triple century, emulating Virender Sehwag.
However, the Karnataka batsman, who became only the third player in Test history to convert a maiden Test ton into a triple century, had to wait to play his fourth Test.
With Rahane recovering and India playing five specialist bowlers, Nair sat out the last two Tests, against Bangladesh, and versus Australia in Pune.
Karun Nair, the leading Karnataka batsman, is also considered a very good player of spin.
Australia are bidding to win the match and go 2-0 up in the series, which will allow them to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the prize named after the two former skippers.
But Virat Kohli’s side are determined to atone for the Pune batting debacle, after being dismissed for 105 and 107, their lowest combined total in a home Test.
Australia retained the same eleven which had won the first Test of a series in India after 13 years.
Australia left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe captured 12/70, claiming 6/35 in either innings to return the second best figures by a bowler in a Test in India to script the massive win in the opening Test.
India don’t have a great record at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Out of the 21 they have played here, India have a 6-6 win-loss record, with nine games drawn. Against Australia, it stands at 1-2 out of five games.
However, India’s only win over Australia at the venue came in their previous clash, in 2010.
The third Test will be played in Ranchi from March 16 while the final game is due to start in Dharamsala on March 25, with both yet to stage a Test.
