The wicket for the first Test at the Optus Stadium is expected to be similar to the traditional WACA surface, with significant pace and bounce. Pictures of the pitch a few days out have also shown a slight covering of grass on the wicket.

India have played one match at this venue before – in 2018. On that occasion, they went in with four fast bowlers in Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah. Part-time bowler Hanuma Vihari was the lone spinner.

Ahead of this contest, there has been much discussion over India's combination – whether to play three pacers or four, and which spinner(s) should make the XI. There are two aspects of India's team selection to unpack here: the combination of bowlers, and the personnel.

Read more: Mohammed Shami hits back at Sanjay Manjrekar over IPL 'price drop' comments

At this point, it is a given that at least three specialist fast bowlers will play – one will be captain Jasprit Bumrah, and two will be selected from Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana.

With six batters also more or less confirmed to play, uncertainty remains over the No.7 and No.8 slots. If India do not want to fill these positions with one more specialist batter and one more specialist bowler, the only remaining course is some combination of their all-rounders – R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy.

India No.7-No.8 axis will be crucial in Perth

These options for the slots make the situation such that each cannot be picked in isolation. Rather, they should be looked at as a pair. Therefore, there are six possible options for India – Ashwin-Jadeja, Ashwin-Reddy, Ashwin-Sundar, Jadeja-Reddy, Jadeja-Sundar and Reddy-Sundar.

If the team management have already decided that Reddy is to take one spot as the only pace-bowling all-rounder, that leaves only three possibilities – pairing him with Ashwin, Sundar or Jadeja.

"On the face of it, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s selection in the Test squad looks more guts than brains."

The 21-year-old all-rounder could be in line to play in Perth.@Aadya_Wisden tries to make sense of one of the potential debut.

READ: https://t.co/9EFeO8Crag pic.twitter.com/vxRLkoMKEz

— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) November 20, 2024

Reddy is yet to play Test cricket, and looked a tad uncomfortable with the bat during the 'A' games against Australia earlier this month. If he is to play, the most suitable spot for him would likely be No.8, effectively as a direct replacement for Shardul Thakur, India's previously preferred seam bowling all-rounder.

This then theoretically forces India to pick either Sundar or Jadeja, in order to bat at No.7. Ashwin, based on his Test record, is a spot too high there.

If India have not already decided to play Reddy, they retain the option of playing any combination of the two spinners in these two slots. Jadeja and Sundar have shown the ability to slot in as a genuine Test-quality No.7, and Ashwin at No.8 gives India some added security in the batting department (over Reddy).

Reports: India to go in with Nitish Kumar Reddy and R Ashwin

However, early reports have indicated that India will go in with a four-man pace attack, with Reddy as the fourth seamer and Ashwin as the lone spinner. The reports further suggest that the reason for Ashwin's inclusion is his ability to trouble left-handers, of which there are three in Australia's top seven.

But this presents India with an issue. Both Ashwin and Reddy would likely be one spot too high in the lineup at No.7, and for a team already missing Rohit Sharma and potentially Shubman Gill, this only adds to the uncertainty. In addition, this weakening of the batting doesn't appear to give India a significantly better chance of taking 20 wickets.

Another strain of thought against Reddy's selection is that India do not need to play four pacers, simply for the sake of it on a fast and bouncy wicket. With their height, Ashwin and Sundar are both capable of using the bounce to their advantage, and Jadeja has a fantastic record with both bat and ball in Australia (from just four Tests, though).

Also read: India add top-order batter to squad one day before Perth Test

If the reports about their team selection are true, India are likely trusting Reddy, a player with a first-class batting average of 21 (albeit on the rise) to bat at No.7 in Test cricket. It's undoubtedly a gamble, and could pay off, but by the same token could go horribly wrong.

In summary, India's safest options are these – play two of the three spinners, or Reddy alongside Jadeja or Sundar for their proven ability to bat at No.7 at this level. The option to instead play a specialist batter as well as one more specialist pacer (if they are bullish on playing four quicks) also remains open.

But all signs at the moment point to Reddy and Ashwin being the pair that walk out on Friday. It would be a bold call to take, and could end up deciding whether India sink or swim in Perth.

Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.