Virat Kohli-led Indian cricket team leaves for Australia Test series

Director cricket Ravi Shastri and skipper Virat Kohli at a pre-departure conference before the team leaves for the Australia tour, in Mumbai. (PTI)

An 18-member Indian team, led by Virat Kohli, today left for Australia to play in the four-match Test series starting at Brisbane from December 4.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will miss the first Test due to a right thumb injury and he is expected the join side from the second Test onwards.

Naman Ojha is the reserve wicketkeeper for the first Test and he will return home once Dhoni joins the team for the second Test.

The team left in wee hours today.

The Australia tour commences on November 24 with a two-day practice game in Adelaide against Cricket Australia XI. The visitors will then play one more two-day warm-up game against Cricket Australia Invitational XI (November 28-29) in Adelaide before the four-match Test series starts on December 4 at Brisbane.

The other Tests are to be played at Adelaide (December 12-16), Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7).

The Test series will be followed by a tri-nation series comprising hosts Australia, India and England from January 16 to February 1.

The Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), 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.