The likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Cheteshwar Pujara and Mohammed Siraj haven’t found a place. However, Rohit Sharma has been named the captain by Nasser. Virat Kohli, who bats at four in the longest format of the game, has been slotted at number five.
Hussain has explained his big decision of not including star all-rounder, saying that the English conditions would be more suited for pace-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green. The former England captain has also picked Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of Australia’s Nathan Lyon.
“If the World Test Championship Final was in the subcontinent or India, I might go Jadeja at six. But I’m not, because it’s in England,” Hussain told The ICC Review.
“I’m going to go for a bowling all-rounder, seam-bowler in Cameron Green. That’s who I want as my all-rounder. My spin bowler would be Ravi Ashwin at eight. And he bats, obviously, very good at No.8.
“Rohit Sharma, very easy, top of the order and captain for me. I love the way Rohit captains. I’d like to have Shubman (Gill) in but I think it’s just a little bit early for him to break into my combined XI, so I’m going to go with Usman Khawaja to open the batting,” he added.
The middle-order is studded with right-hand batting gems Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli. Rishabh Pant would have been an automatic entry in Hussain’s combined India and Australia Test XI but he has missed out due to his injury. Alex Carey has been picked for the spot at number seven.
“Then into the very easy bit, three of the all-time world greats in (Marnus) Labuschagne, (Steve) Smith and (Virat) Kohli come in at three, four, five.”
“Wicketkeeper is a bit hard because of the injury to Rishabh Pant. I would just have him in straight away, no questions asked, but he’s not there. He’s injured, unfortunately. India is still trying to work out which one they’re going to play, so I’m going to go with Alex Carey as my keeper at seven,” Hussain said.
Likewise, in absence of injured Jasprit Bumrah, Hussain has gone with Shami who finds himself in the company of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
“(Pat) Cummins at nine, easy choice. (Mitchell) Starc at 10 to give me that left-arm variation. Mohammed Shami, just so that we can have so many replays of his seam position going down. I would have obviously Jasprit in there if he wasn’t injured, but he is so I’m having Shami at 11.”
Nasser Hussain’s combined India-Australia Test XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Mohammad Shami
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