I t was clear something was afoot early in the day when, during the warm-up session, Shubman Gill was on the field for only a short period. He didn’t do much and left way before

In a bid to return to that top order while also playing an extra spinner, Gill was dropped in the fourth Test. Former India cricketer, Sunil Gavaskar was left surprised as the young batter was dropped and suggested that there could have been a different change.

It was an entertaining Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test match between India and Australia as the hosts were on the top with the bat at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). While the talk was about youngster Sam Konstas,

India's assistant coach Abhishek Nayar addressed the elephant in the room after Shubman Gill was dropped from the Playing XI.

Indian assistant coach Abhishek Nayar clarified that Shubman Gill's exclusion from the fourth Test against Australia was a strategic decision based on pitch conditions. All-rounder Washington Sundar was preferred to add depth and balance to the team.