India Elects to Bat First in Australia Test

India's stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and opted to bat first in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at Optus Stadium in Perth. Both Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy made their Test debuts for India, while Nathan McSweeney debuted for Australia. This match is crucial for the ICC World Test Championship standings, with India needing to win four out of five Tests to secure a spot in the final. Notably, regular captain Rohit Sharma and opener Shubman Gill are unavailable for India due to personal reasons and injury, respectively. Bumrah expressed confidence in their preparation, emphasizing the need to adapt to the conditions. The match marks a significant challenge for India, who aim to reclaim their form after a recent series loss to New Zealand.