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Ahead of the Boxing Day Test against India in Melbourne, Australia head coach Justin Langer has confirmed that the home team will field the same playing XI in the second Test that beat India by eight wickets in Adelaide.
The Aussie bowlers wreaked havoc on day three of the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval. Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood’s pair took nine wickets in the second innings as India were restricted to 36/9 – their lowest ever score in Test cricket.
Langer said unless something happens over the next few days, Australia are going to field the same XI.
The second Test of the 4-match series is starting from December 26 at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
“I’ll be a pretty courageous man to change the playing XI this Test match after the last one. Unless something happens over the next few days and that can in the world we live, but we are going with the same XI,” Langer said as quoted by Cricket.com.au.
Crowd capacity increased for second Test: Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia (CA) has confirmed that the Boxing Day Test’s crowd capacity has been increased to 30,000 per day.
Earlier, only 25,000 fans were allowed each day inside the MCG for the second Test, but the Australian board has now increased the capacity.
Meanwhile, Langer has expressed his happiness over the scheduling of Boxing Day Test amid the coronavirus pandemic. Langer said that 30,000 crowd is any day better than none.
“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.
Australia’s playing XI for the second Test:
Tim Paine (c, wk), Joe Burns, Matthew Wade, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.
