Virat Kohli to lead as MS Dhoni rested for 1st Test against Australia

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will miss the remaining two ODIs of the ongoing five-match series against Sri Lanka due to a forearm injury and will also miss the first Test against Australia.

New Delhi: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will miss the remaining two ODIs of the ongoing five-match series against Sri Lanka due to a forearm injury and is going to miss the first Test against Australia.

Dhoni has sustained an injury in his right forearm and Virat Kohli will lead the side in the first Test against Australia.

Dhoni had opted to take rest from the first three ODIs and his deputy Kohli did an excellent job in his absence, as India took an unassailable 3-0 lead after the first three matches.

In another news, leg-spinner Karn Sharma and Karnataka opener Lokesh Rahul were included for the forthcoming four-match Test series against the Aussies. Suresh Raina too made a comeback as Naman Ojha too got the nod as the tour's third wicket-keeper. 

BCCI posted the Test squad through social micro-blogging site, Twitter.

Team for Aus Tests - Part II : Saha, Naman, Ashwin, Karn, Jadeja, Bhuvi, Shami, Ishant, Umesh, Aaron #AusvsInd — BCCI (@BCCI) November 10, 2014

Team for Aus Tests - Part I : MSD (C), Virat, Shikhar, Vijay, KL Rahul, Pujara, Rahane, Rohit, Raina #AusvsInd contd... — BCCI (@BCCI) November 10, 2014

The BCCI also confirmed that MS Dhoni will lead the squad in the rest of the series against Australia.

Virat will be the stand-in skipper for the 1st Test (MSD rested). MS Dhoni will lead the team for the rest of the Test series #AusvsInd

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 10, 2014

Rahul was one of the leading run-getters in the 2013-14 domestic season and recently scored a century in each innings of the Duleep Trophy final in New Delhi for South Zone. Rahul Dravid had recently hailed the youngster and said he deserved to be a part of the Indian team.

The Indian team is set to depart for Australia on November 21.

India and Australia will be playing a four-match Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from December 4, 2014 to January 7, 2015.

The Test matches are scheduled at Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.