India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl against Australia in the World Test Championship Final at The Oval, here on Wednesday.
The Rahul Dravid-coached side went in with a four-pronged pace attack and preferred Ravindra Jadeja over seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Terming the decision tough, Rohit said, "He (Ashwin) has been a match-winner for us, it is not a great occasion to leave him out, but you have got to do what is best for the team in the given conditions."
India included both Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav in the side and also picked KS Bharat as wicket-keeper, leaving out Ishan Kishan.
Teams:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj.
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland.
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Madikeri: With the monsoon season approaching, the Kodagu district administration in Karnataka has taken significant steps to mitigate potential damage, anticipating that around 10,922 people may be affected by the above average rainfall.
90 relief centres have been set up across the district to provide shelter and aid, as reported by Deccan Herald on Friday.
The district administration has identified 102 areas at high risk of landslides and floods. To ensure the safety of residents, temporary shelter has been arranged for 2,953 families living in these vulnerable zones.
Notably, 44 residential areas in Madikeri city, 30 in Kushalnagar, 18 in Virajpet, and 10 in Somwarpet have been flagged as particularly susceptible to natural disasters, added report.
Rescue teams conducted a mock drill at the Harangi reservoir on Thursday to prepare for any emergency situations.