Team India batter KL Rahul has ramped up his preparations for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 Test series against Australia, sharing glimpses of his intense gym sessions on social media.

Rahul, along with teammate Dhruv Jurel, arrived in Australia early to represent India A, aiming to acclimatize to local conditions before the Test series begins. With doubts surrounding regular opener Rohit Sharma’s availability for the first Test, Rahul and Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran have emerged as backup contenders for the opening slot. However, both struggled to make a strong impression in the recent four-day match between India A and Australia A at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Rahul scored 4 and 10 in his innings, while Easwaran’s combined tally across two games was limited to 7, 12, 0, and 17 runs.

Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar commented on Rahul’s repeated chances despite an average of 33 over 53 Tests. “KL Rahul should consider himself very lucky to be getting opportunities,” Manjrekar said in a discussion on ESPNcricinfo. “Such chances are rare in Indian cricket, especially given his current form. He’s had success in Australia before, which seems to keep him in contention. But, his average has dropped to 33, which may signal concern for the management.”

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Manjrekar also suggested the team management carefully consider Easwaran for the opening role, noting that it may be unwise to overlook the Bengal opener without providing a fair chance. “There have been players who, despite initial reservations, have surprised with their performances,” he said. “The right choice could yield unexpected results.”

Australia, led by Pat Cummins, will be eager to end their decade-long drought and will enter the series with renewed confidence following India's 3-0 defeat by New Zealand on home turf. However, India faces several challenges heading into the series, including a lack of form among senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

The series is also crucial in terms of the World Test Championship standings, with both teams currently occupying the top two spots. The winner of the series will strengthen their case for a spot in the next World Test Championship final.

India has made history by winning back-to-back Test series in Australia, defeating the hosts 2-1 in both the 2018-19 and 2020-21 tours. In contrast, Australia's last Test series win against India came in 2014-15 on home soil. Since then, India has won four consecutive Test series against Australia, including two series victories on Australian soil.

Australia (for 1st Test):

• Pat Cummins (C), Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

India:

• Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar

Travelling reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed