Rain Expected to Hinder India's Training Ahead of Perth Test

The Indian team is in preparations for the first Test match against Australia in Perth, which begins this Friday on November 22. The squad management is impressed by a number of players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana, who are vying for debuts and Devdutt Padikkal being regarded as a backup if needed. Captain Rohit Sharma will not be available for the first test, while Shubman Gill’s availability still remains a major concern as he injured his thumb during practice in the nets on Saturday. 

In the midst of India’s preparation for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (2024-25), the first match is expected to be disrupted by rain. As per the weather report, rain clouds will cover Perth and the rain is expected to pour from November 19-21. So, the Indian side won’t be practicing for three days before the first test. There are several young players in the Indian camp who will be playing cricket for the first time in Australia, so it is a bit concerning if they don’t get to practice enough before the test. 

According to AccuWeather, the conditions for the first day of the Perth test will be gloomy. New Zealand was bowled for just 46 runs in the first innings of India’s recent match against them in Bengaluru last month under similar circumstances. The Kiwis had difficulty playing under overcast conditions. So the toss is going to be an important factor as both teams will look to bowl first, as the pitch in Perth is pacer friendly. 

The rest of the days are expected to be sunny, which will benefit the batsmen. The Indian side is coming off a harsh 0-3 home test series defeat against New Zealand, where the batting side performed very poorly. Given the tough pitch conditions in Australia, the batters will have a huge test in front of them. With several key players missing the opening game, the first BGT test will be quite challenging for the visitors. 

Meanwhile, for Australia, Only Cameroon Green will miss the series due to a stress fracture in his lower back. Steve Smith will bat at the number 4 position in his absence and Nathan McSweeney will be promoted in the top order along with Usman Khawaja.