Rahul will come in place of Baba Indrajith, who scored 9 and 6 and didn't look comfortable at all against pace and bounce, which wasn't exactly 125 clicks.
While India are on top of the World Test Championship (WTC) table, the Bangladesh skipper believed that it will all boil down to how they perform during those five days and result can come even in the last session.
Ricky Ponting though added that captaincy will be the "hardest thing" for the premier fast bowler.
India dominates ICC Test Rankings
Australia's mouthwatering clash with India sees the two behemoths of the modern game go head-to-head in five tests over six weeks with the tourists eyeing a third straight series triumph Down Under.
A man who boasts a strike rate of 159.22 in the shortest format, Head became the fifth Aussie cricketer to score most runs in an over in T20Is.
Suryakumar Yadav consolidated his position atop the rankings after his stupendous 111 not out in the second T20I against New Zealand. He gained 31 rating points from the series. His 890 points kept him 54 ahead of Pakistan's Mohammed Rizwan, who is placed second.
Deepti Sharma has climbed to second spot and has the top position in her sights
Virat Kohli should not be judged on the basis of his current form, said Australia's batting great Ricky Ponting.
ICC Rankings: India slips to 3rd spot, Australia remain world No 1 in ODIs
Rovman Powell remained extremely proud of the progress the 'Men in Maroon' have made in the past year.
Anil Kumble expressed his disappointment with India's humiliating 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand, particularly criticising the team's top-order batting and the questionable pitch preparation.
When you are defending to save a game, a loose delivery comes along and you suddenly opt to play an attacking shot, you are unlikely to hit as well as if you were playing your naturally aggressive game all along. First Pant, then Jaiswal, found that out the costly way, observes Prem Panicker.
The world No. 2 India are heading into the five-Test Border-Gavaskar series, starting in Perth on Friday, following their whitewash at home, which ended their 12-year unbeaten run in their own backyard.
Having made their Test debuts in the same year, Nathan Lyon and Ravichandran Ashwin will face each other for the eighth time in the longest format during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The cupboard is bare and it will take some time to prepare another cracking line-up that can match the aura of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma.
Pakistan slipped two places to No. 3 with 115 points in ICC's mid-week update.
Saurashtra all but ensured Delhi's exit from Ranji Trophy with a 10-wicket victory inside two days in Group D, in Rajkot, on Friday.
Kamalini's batting was all about precise placing and finding angles rather than power as England bowlers ran out of options against the left-hander.
West Indies duo of Stafanie Taylor and Hayley Matthews have risen in ODI batting and all-rounder rankings respectively.
Rathour has played six Tests and seven ODIs and has 33 first-class centuries to his name.
Glenn Phillips was rewarded for a brilliant season for New Zealand in the shortest format of the game and was named the ANZ Men's T20I Player of the Year award, having thrilled New Zealand supporters with 740 runs at 38.94, scored a strike rate of 148.89.
Ravichandran Ashwin has maintained the top spot among bowlers
For India's current head coach, the Test series defeat against New Zealand at home, a first in 12 years and after 18 victories on the trot, would be a bitter pill to swallow.
India's historic streak of home Test series victories has come to an end as New Zealand secured a remarkable 2-1 series win during their tour in 2024.
Oram, 46, represented New Zealand as a player for 11 years
Pat Cummins is looking at the upcoming five-Test series against India as a chance to 'make amends' for the successive defeats at home against their fierce rivals.
Shubman Gill has reached a career-best 25th position in the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Player Rankings.
India's ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes that Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal will emerge as the future pillars in the overseas tours next month.
Ricky Ponting advised star batters Virat Kohli and Steve Smith to stop trying hard to rediscover their best and pushing themselves too hard and just focus on watching the ball and scoring runs.
In T20Is, Australia are on 299 rating points, stretching their lead over second-placed England from 14 to 18 rating points.
Four defeats in a row to India cost them heavily as they slid to number four in the latest rankings.
A haul of eight hundred and 17 fifties during the calendar year was Babar's best of his career to date.
Premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah was on Friday named vice-captain of India for the upcoming three-match home Test series against New Zealand, strongly indicating his possible elevation to the leadership role when the team travels to Australia from next month.
Suryakumar Yadav has been named the captain for this T20I series, bringing his leadership and experience to the relatively young squad. Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma will serve as the wicketkeepers, while key players such as Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Washington Sundar are included to strengthen the batting and bowling departments.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the third Test against Australia in Brisbane?
Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma has expressed his reservations about certain clauses in the BCCI's new disciplinary guidelines, particularly the restriction on families accompanying players on long tours. The guidelines, reportedly prepared at the behest of head coach Gautam Gambhir, have sparked debate within the team, with Sharma indicating he will discuss the matter with the BCCI secretary.
Virat Kohli and Steve Smith will be "dangerous" and "hungry" for runs in the remaining two Tests
Suryakumar Yadav is undergoing a lean patch, but that didn't reflect in the latest ICC T20I rankings, as the Indian batter continued to top the charts.
Steve Smith and Travis Head join top-ranked Marnus Labuschagne following their centuries in the ICC World Test Championship Final against India.
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