Ranchi test: Aus win toss, elect to bat

Australia have won the toss and asked India to bowl first in the third test of the ongoing four-match series at at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi on Thursday. The test match is also the first ever Test hosted by the city.

The Border-Gavaskar series is currently locked at 1-1. India had lost the first Test at Pune by 333 runs, while it bounced back in the second game at Bengaluru with a 75-run victory.

Yet again, like it happened with the first two matches, the pitch remains the focal point considering the rank turner in the first test match and the unpredictable patch in the second.

For the Test, Australia made two changes in the form of Pat Cummins and Glen Maxwell, while Murali Vijay was included in the India squad in place of Abhinav Mukund.

Australia will be playing their 800th Test in Ranchi.

The Playing XI for India, hence, include Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Kohli, Rahane, Nair, Ashwin, Saha, Jadeja, U Yadav, and Sharma.

The Playing XI for Australia include Warner, Renshaw, Smith, Marsh, Handscomb, Maxwell, Wade, Cummins, O'Keefe, Lyon, and Hazlewood.

The fourth Test will be played at Dharamshala.