Australia vs India: The home side will field the same XI says, Justin Langer.
Australia vs India 2nd Test: Australian coach Justin Langer heaped praises on the pacers after the successful encounter in the first test game. Langer also said the Australians will be unchanged in the second Boxing Day Test against India.
Speedster Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood on the third day of the pink ball test to turn the table for the visitors. Both the pacers collectively took nine scalps inside an hour to wrap the visitor’s innings. India was restricted to just 39/9 after complete domination from the Aussies.
Langer says Australia will play the same playing XI until and unless something happens in the next few days.
Australia will remain unchanged, Langer:
“It will need some different sort of courage to change the current playing XI for the Australians in the second Test game. Unless something happens over the next few days and in the world we live bit we are going with the same XI,” Langer said in a virtual press conference on Thursday.
The Australian cricket board has already clarified its stance on the increasing seating capacity per day. Cricket Australia increased the per day capacity to 30,000 fans which was earlier set to 25,000.
MCG will host 30,000 fans per day on the second Boxing Day Test match against India.
Justin Langer expressed his happiness and excitement to stage the Boxing Day Test Match amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Thirty thousand (crowd) is better than none. And it wasn’t that long ago, probably a few weeks ago that we wonder if we had a Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne. Every time I come here I pinch myself, playing at the MCG I’ve come here a lot. It’s just an amazing stadium, the hype about it and boys love playing here,” said Langer.
“Everyone will love, Indian will love, probably a lot of cricketers have dreamt of playing here a Test match and 30,000 is better than none and it certainly provides the atmosphere,” he added.
The cricketer who will get the Play of the Match in the second Test between India and Australia will get Mullagh Medal, named after the legendary Johnny Mullagh.
Australia’s playing XI for Boxing Day Test:
Joe Burns, Matthew Wade, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Tim Paine (c/wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
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