KEY POINTS:
Indian stand-in captain Mahendra Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first against Australia after home skipper Anil Kumble was ruled out of the second cricket Test at Mohali's PCA Stadium due to a shoulder problem.
Kumble's inability to get himself fit in time means wicketkeeper Dhoni's second Test as captain, after also filling in during the third Test against South Africa at Kanpur earlier this year.
Legspinner Amit Mishra replaces Kumble in Indian team on a pitch that has dried markedly in the past 48 hours and now looks like it will favour spin more and more as the game goes on.
Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir will open the batting, with No. 4 Sachin Tendulkar only 15 runs short of Brian Lara's world record for most Test runs.
Australia is giving a Test debut to 23-year-old Victorian seamer Peter Siddle, who was presented with his baggy green cap by captain Ricky Ponting.
Ponting has become quite an admirer of Siddle on tour and believes he will give a good account of himself in unrelenting Indian conditions.
"He doesn't think too much about the outside distractions," said Ponting.
"I've looked at him pretty closely since I've been here and been very impressed with him. I don't think it will affect him too much.
"As far as his bowling goes he's ready, he's still a little restricted with his outfield throwing, but what he can give us with the ball is a real bonus for the side.
"He's got good pace, good presence, will keep running in for you.
"A no-nonsense sort of guy and no-nonsense sort of bowler and you can't ask for any more than that."
Teams
India: Mahendra Dhoni (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, S.Badrinath (12th man).
Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Cameron White, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Jason Krejza (12th man).
- AAP