BRISBANE, Australia (AP) and Staff Writer — Former player Ravi Shastri gave his verdict on the two changes made by the Indian team in the third Test against Australia at the Gabba. After losing the second game by 10 wickets, the visiting team brought in Ravindra Jadeja and Akash Deep in place of Harshit Rana and Ravichandran Ashwin, who were not impressive at the Adelaide Oval.

When David Warner asked Shastri abouty the changes in the Playing XI, he lauded the team management for their decision.

“Ravindra Jadeja is too good a player to be left out. He is a good batter and take wickets with his slow bowling. He is always electrifying in the field. So I feel it is the right decision. Akash will enjoy bowling over here. I am sure he will have a good game,’” Ravi Shastri said on Star Sports.

Warner reminded Shastri of Washington Sundar. “He could have played had the sun was out and it was a bright sunny day. With weather around and rain expected in the game, they decided to go with Jadeja,” he added.

Meanwhile, Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney safely negotiated a stop-and-start first session of the third cricket test against India at a rainy Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday.

After India won the toss and sent Australia in to bat, rain first halted play for about 30 minutes in the sixth over. The showers returned about a half-hour later and until the scheduled lunch break.

Khawaja was on 19 and McSweeney 4 and Australia was 28-0 after 13.2 overs.

Australia earlier said Josh Hazlewood would return to the starting X1 for the Brisbane test after missing Adelaide with a side strain. Fellow fast bowler Scott Boland was the man dropped in the only change for Australia.

India won the first test by 295 runs at Perth, Western Australia while Australia came back to win the second day-night test in Adelaide by 10 wickets.