Saha, Shaw could make way for Gill, Pant, Rahul at Boxing Day Test

Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant

Veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha and young opener Prithvi Shaw are unlikely to be picked for the remaining Tests in Australia as India look to ring in wholesale changes after the batting debacle in Adelaide.

It is understood that young Shubman Gill, after a couple of impressive knocks in the warm-up games, is seen as a replacement of Shaw as senior star Rohit Sharma will not be available till the third Test in Sydney.

With Saha's batting not giving any confidence to the dressing room, the team management will certainly look at Pant, who has scored a hundred Down Under during his previous tour, as wicketkeeping might not be a factor on pitches with firm and even bounce.

KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj are the two others in fray to enter the playing XI and those would be forced changes due to the absence of skipper Virat Kohli and senior pacer, Mohammed Shami, who is out with a fractured wrist.

Former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad said that during his regime, certain plans were chalked out on the Saha-Pant conundrum. "Our committee was clear that Rishabh Pant will be our first choice wicketkeeper in places like England and Australia. Only when we are looking at matches in India, where you mostly don't need batting after No. 6, you can have a specialist 'keeper," Prasad told PTI on Sunday.

Meanwhile, it is also learnt that young pacer Mohammed Siraj's six five-wicket hauls for India is finally going to be rewarded as he gets ready to make his Test debut at MCG in place of Shami. The choice was between him and Navdeep Saini, but Siraj's better show during the two practice games has tilted the scales in his favour.

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