In the MCG Test, Shubman Gill was dropped for the second spinner.

According to India's assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, having Washington Sundar will be beneficial when the ball ages.

When Shubman Gill was on the field for a little moment during the warm-up, it was obvious that something was going on early in the day. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday, he did not do much and left before the toss. For a batsman who is regarded as one of the great cricket prospects in India, the decision to drop him must have been a serious setback.

India would be starting with six bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Reddy. The surprise was even greater when it was revealed that Gill had been dropped to make room for Washington Sundar, a second spinner. No matter how you look at it, you can't help but think that's too many bowlers.

One may also infer that the team management believed Gill would not contribute more to India's batting than players like Jadeja, Sundar, or Reddy. It would be interesting to watch if this bet is successful.

At the conclusion of play on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test, assistant coach Abhishek Nayar stated, "I think a lot of the decisions when they are made and the process of it being made, the communication is always there and transparency is there."

Looking at the pitch, I believe it's fairly clear that we believed that having Washi (Washington Sundar) in the bowling attack would provide us with that variation, particularly as the ball ages. We felt that was an area we needed to improve on after the 50 overs. The way Travis Head and Alex Carey were scoring runs further down gave us the impression that Washi might provide us with that consistency with Jaddu.

"Unfortunately for him, that's just how things panned out," Nayar continued. And occasionally, I feel sorry for a young player in that situation; he wants to leave his imprint on a big day. He is aware that it is regrettable and a team essential.

Although Gill hasn't had a fantastic away record, it has been better than some of the nearby seniors, if not better. This choice will give him a lot to consider, especially since he was practicing the hard yards.

Gill returned to the dressing room after hitting the nets and practicing for a while shortly after the game began. There is nothing else he could do. Given that Virat Kohli is also having form issues and Rohit Sharma is expected to begin the innings, it's unclear how soon the squad would need Gill's services once more.