India captain Rohit Sharma has confirmed that KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will retain their opening roles for the pink-ball Test against Australia in Adelaide, starting Friday.
Rohit himself will take a position in the middle order, a strategic move to sustain India’s momentum in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Rohit stated on Thursday, “He’ll be not opening the batting; I’ll bat somewhere in the middle.”
This decision comes on the back of the pair’s remarkable partnership in the second innings of the Perth Test, where they put together 201 runs to set up India’s victory.
KL Rahul, filling in for Rohit during his absence for the birth of his second child, showcased excellent form in Perth, scoring 26 and 77 against a challenging Australian bowling lineup.
Rahul faced 176 balls in the second innings alone, withstanding Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Nathan Lyon. Rohit praised Rahul’s adaptability, saying, “Rahul stepped up brilliantly under pressure. His innings gave us the stability we needed.”
Jaiswal, though dismissed for a duck in the first innings, made a stunning comeback with a composed 161 in the second. Commenting on Jaiswal’s performance, Rohit said, “Jaiswal’s innings showed maturity beyond his years. His partnership with Rahul was the turning point.”
The decision to alter Rohit’s batting position stems from his recent form, with 133 runs in his last ten Test innings, and the need to capitalise on the effective Jaiswal-Rahul pairing.
With Shubman Gill recovering from an injury, the likely batting order for India includes Jaiswal, Rahul, Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit, and Rishabh Pant, followed by the allrounders and bowlers.
As India prepares for the day-night Test, Rohit emphasised the importance of adapting to conditions. “The pink ball adds another dimension to the game. We’re focused on executing our plans and continuing the momentum from Perth,” he said.
India currently leads the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-0 and aims to consolidate their position in the ICC World Test Championship standings with another strong performance in Adelaide.
