Before the Test, India have a two-day tour match lined-up in Canberra that begins from November 30. Despite India’s comfortable win in the opening match of the five-match series, the match at Manuka Oval against Australia’s Prime Minister’s XI will generate immense curiosity. That is because of the return of Indian captain Rohit Sharma and batsman Shubman Gill.
Both Rohit and Gill were absent from India’s playing XI in Perth. While Rohit had stayed back in India to be with his wife to welcome his second child, Gill was ruled out due to a thumb fracture. The two are now expected to play the match in Adelaide.
With the duo set for comeback there are questions around India’s batting order? And for once, it is a happy headache for the Indian selectors.
In Rohit’s absence, KL Rahul opened the batting alongside Yashavsi Jaiswal in Perth. Despite there being apprehensions around Rahul batting at the top of the order, the senior batter proved his detractors wrong as he played two solid knocks of 26 and 77. Rahul’s performance in Perth has made cricket fans inquisitive whether returning Rohit will sacrifice his opening slot for in-form Rahul.
Before the series began there were questions being raised around Rohit’s form. In 2024, the Indian skipper has managed to rake up only 588 runs in 11 match at an average of 29.40. A major chunk of those runs came up in the first half of the year when Rohit hit two hundreds against England. In the five matches (two against Bangladesh and three against South Africa) leading up to the series against Australia, Rohit could only score 131 runs.
So when Rahul came up with those knocks, defying his poor form along the way, it convinced the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara that the current opening combination should not be fiddled with and Rohit can bat at no.3.
Rohit batting one-down remains a long shot. But if Rohit indeed decides to take the no.3 slot, where does it leave Shubman Gill? Gill, a default opener, was moved pushed down the batting order to accommodate fast-rising Yashasvi Jaiswal. Gill, despite not being his efference best, has scored 806 runs in 10 matches at an average of 47.41 this year batting at no.3. Gill has never batted below no.3 in the 29 Tests that he has played so far. So why take the unnecessary risk of asking him to bat in the middle order?
There could be the case where Rohit and Gill end up taking their usual places in the batting order and Rahul is asked to bat further lower, possibly after Virat Kohli and just ahead of Rishabh Pant. One of either Devdutt Padikkal or Dhruv Jurel, will likely be benched for the Adelaide Test. Padikkal could be the one, as he was the one who looked out of place in Perth.
India will have to think hard and think through get its its batting order absolutely spot on in order to avoid the re-run of Adelaide from four year ago. During its last Test tour of Australia, in the day-night Test played at the same venue, the frailties of the Indian batters, playing under the floodlights and negotiating a moving pink ball were brutally exposed. The consequence: The team was bowled out on out for 36, its lowest Test score.
First Published: Nov 29, 2024 4:54 PM IST
