MS Dhoni to Miss First Test in Australia Due to Injury; Virat Kohli to Lead

Mahendra Singh Dhoni will miss the first Test against Australia starting in Brisbane from December 4. Dhoni, who is injured, is missing the five-ODI series currently underway with Sri Lanka. Virat Kohli will lead the side in Australia. Dhoni is expected back from the second Test. (Kohli to Lead India in Last 2 ODIs vs Sri Lanka, Rohit Comes Back)

The national selectors in Mumbai on Monday picked Team India for the four-Test series against Australia. Karn Sharma and Lokesh Rahul have made the cut. Suresh Raina, who has also been included, last played a Test match during the 2012 New Zealand tour of India. (India Rule Sri Lanka)

Stuart Binny, who was earlier taken to England for a five-match Test series has been dropped. Karn Sharma has made it to the Test team for the first time after an excellent performance for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL this year and also in 2013. Naman Ojha and Wriddhiman Saha will be the two back-up keepers in the squad considering Dhoni will most likely not be available for the first Test. Varun Aaron has also been rewarded for a good show in England this year as he finds a place in the Test squad once again. (Lokesh Rahul: A New Era)

BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said that Dhoni's right thumb is injured and he will join the squad after the first Test. Patel also clarified that the squad has 18 members. Naman Ojha has been included as a back-up to Saha for the first Test. "Ojha will come back once Dhoni joins the squad after the first Test." (Naman Feels he is at his Best)

Test Squad for Australia:MS Dhoni (captain), Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Karn Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron.