Why is Mohammed Siraj not playing today’s 4th Test between India and Australia in Ahmedabad?

During the first day of the fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 Test match between India and Australia in Ahmedabad, Australia stand-in captain Steven Smith has won the toss and chose to bat. Readers must note that it is the third time in four matches that the visiting captain has opted to bat first after winning the toss.

“We are going to have a bat. Playing with the same team. Looks like a nice surface. Does look like a good wicket. The guys performed well last week,” Smith told host broadcaster Star Sports Network at the toss on Thursday.

Coming on the back of winning the third Test in Indore, Australia would be keen to win two Tests in a series in India for the first time since 2004. While the same won’t allow the Aussies to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they would still take pride in not losing a Test series in India.

Another win for Steve Smith will make him only the second Australian captain after Bill Lawry to win three Tests in India. #INDvAUS

— Dixit Bhargav (@dixitbhargav09) March 6, 2023

Why is Mohammed Siraj not playing today’s 4th Test between India and Australia in Ahmedabad?

Much like his counterpart, India captain Rohit Sharma was also looking to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium today. Iterating about the different nature of the pitch here as compared to Nagpur, Delhi and Indore, Sharma hoped for it to remain the same throughout the course of a five-day match. It is noteworthy that this series is yet to witness a match being played on Day 4.

“We would have batted first. It’s always nice to have some time off. We need to regroup as a team, you can reflect on so many things. Not the surface what we saw in the first three Tests, looks a good pitch, I hope it stays the same for all five days,” Sharma told Star Sports Network at the toss.

Unlike the opposition, the hosts have made a solitary change to their Playing XI by bringing pacer Mohammed Shami in for pacer Mohammed Siraj in a like-for-like replacement. “[Mohammed] Siraj is rested and [Mohammed] Shami is back,” Sharma added.

While Shami was rested in the last match, Siraj has been rested in this match after him playing three matches in a row. Pacer Umesh Yadav, meanwhile, has retained his spot and will be playing his second match of the series.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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