InMobi

Green debuts as Aussies confirm new opening pair

Cameron Green becomes Australia's 459th Test cricketer as they pick an untried opener for the first Test against India, who have elected to bat first

Session 1: 3pm - 5pm | Session 2: 5.40pm - 7.40pm | Session 3: 8pm - 10pm (all times AEDT)

The first Vodafone Test between Australia and India in being broadcast live in Australia on Channel 7 & Fox Cricket and also online on Kayo Sports, ABC Grandstand and SEN via cricket.com.au and the CA Live app

Australia have lost the toss and will bowl first in the opening Vodafone Test of the summer against India, with captain Tim Paine confirming youngster Cameron Green will debut.

Paine also confirmed Matthew Wade will open the batting in the absence of the injured David Warner, with Green to bat at No.6.

In case you don't know me: Cameron Green

Green was presented his Baggy Green cap by vice-captain Pat Cummins before play, becoming the 459th men's Test player for Australia. He will wear No.42 on his back.

He is the first Australian men's Test debutant since Jhye Richardson 693 days ago, the longest gap between debutants in 50 years.

Wade has not batted any higher than No.5 in his 32 Tests to date but has faced the new ball in 21 innings in international limited-overs cricket, most recently against India in the Dettol T20 Series where he compiled scores of 58 and 80.

Image Id: D99DDF5F76094ECEB4E1A5E49323EE91 Image Caption: Green receives his Baggy Green from Pat Cummins // Getty

He has never opened at first-class level, but has batted as high as No.3 for Tasmania in recent seasons.

Incumbent opener Joe Burns retains his place in the side despite a lean run in first-class cricket to start the summer that has yielded 62 runs in nine innings.

India named their XI on match eve, with Wriddhiman Saha taking the gloves ahead of Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin playing as the sole specialist spinner.

Special Q&A: Steve Smith and Virat Kohli's full chat

Virat Kohli will lead India for the first and only Test this summer before he jets home at the conclusion of this match to be by the side of his wife for the birth of their first child.

Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will step up in Kohli's absence, as he did in 2017 when he captained India to series-clinching win in the fourth Test in Dharamshala.

India have held the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since that campaign nearly four years ago having won in Australia two summers ago, the first time they had won a Test series on Australian soil.

The tourists started that successful tour with a tense win in Adelaide but that match was played during the day with a red Kookaburra ball, conditions vastly different to those they can expect to face in their first twilight Test in Australia.

Neither side has ever lost a day-night Test, however Australia's unbeaten streak of seven Tests dwarfs India's sole victory, against Bangladesh last year.

Smith bats in Adelaide Oval nets before Test opener

Australia XI: Joe Burns, Matthew Wade, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Tim Paine (c & wk), Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

India XI: Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah

Vodafone Test Series v India 2020-21

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner

India Test squad: Virat Kohli (c) (first Test only), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj

First Test: December 17-21, Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (day-night)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG, 10.30am AEDT

Third Test: January 7-11, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Fourth Test: January 15-19, Gabba, 11am AEDT