KL Rahul outlines India's 'temptation to play three spinners' in first Test against Australia

Left-armers Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja, wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have all been named in the Indian squad.

"We did see it the pitch, but it's too early to know what the pitch will be," said Rahul.

"We will still have to come here on the day of the game and only then we'll know what the pitch is going to.

"We can only look and assume that it's going to play a certain way. But you never know. There could be a temptation to play three spinners.

"We know the pitches here in India and it's going to spin. We'll make the call on the day of the game or a day before the game.

"Obviously, we've worked on spin. We know how the pitches are going to be here in India and what to expect. Keeping that in mind, each person has their individual plans.

"Everyone wants to play a certain way. Everyone has their own set way that has been discussed with the coaches and the batting group, and trying to get used to playing in spinning conditions and see how we can score runs."

Australia will be without fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for the series opener. He has been sidelined by injured. All-rounder Cameron Green won't likely be selected. He, like Starc, is nursing a finger injury.

Australia also have four spinner in the squad, including the experienced Nathan Lyon and uncapped Todd Murphy, and will likely name two in the XI for the first Test.

"I wouldn't say picking two spinners is a given. It's very conditions dependent, particularly this first Test, so once we get to Nagpur, we'll see," said head coach Andrew McDonald.

"I think sometimes, talking about a couple of spinners, you forget how good a lot of our fast bowlers have been in all conditions.

"We'll obviously pick the bowlers that we think can take 20 wickets - how are we going to split that up I'm not 100 percent sure yet."