India face a dilemma ahead of the pink-ball Test against Australia, starting December 6 at the Adelaide Oval. Rohit Sharma, who missed the first Test due to paternity leave, is set to return as a captain.
Shubman Gill, who was ruled out of the Perth Test due to a fractured thumb, is also back in contention. With Rohit and fit-again Gill set to return to the playing XI, likely replacing Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel, the team management must address the opening combination.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul stitched a double-century stand as openers in Perth’s second innings, making a strong case to retain their partnership.
Recently, former India head coach Ravi Shastri weighed in on the situation and advocated for Rohit’s potential return to the middle order for the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test.
“It’s a fantastic boost because there’s no doubting his quality. He’s very experienced. You need that experience in the middle order,” Shastri said while speaking on the ICC Review.
Rohit has played seven Tests on Australian soil, scoring 408 runs at an average of 31.38 with three half-centuries. However, Shastri backed him to deliver Down Under.
“It’s the right mix of experience and youth in the setup, so whether he opens the batting or goes in the middle order, the choice is his,” Shastri said.
“He’s experienced enough to see where he’s most dangerous when it comes to Australia. Where would Australia not like to see him? That’s the position he should choose. And he’s the leader of the pack, so he can afford to do that.”
Shastri further highlighted Rahul’s good form as the latter played a crucial knock of 77 in the second innings of Perth Test while opening the innings.
“I think he (Rahul) should carry on (opening) because Rohit has not had much time since he’s come here (Australia),” he said.
“Very quickly he had to play that Prime Minister’s XI game. But I would say carry on with the same setup. He [Rohit] can bat at five or six.”
Shastri also acknowledged that the Indian batting line-up has been bolstered by the return of Shubman Gill.
“The fact that Shubman Gill is fit as well makes it a very strong Indian side,” Shastri said. “I would say in the last 10-15 years, of all the sides that have come out to Australia, you get the feeling that this is one of the strongest batting line-ups simply because of the experience.
“You have Shubman fit, bats at three. Rohit’s fit, he comes back and plays instead of (Devdutt) Padikkal and (Dhruv) Jurel. But the bowling, I won't touch. I'll keep it the same because you'd rather have the same line-up.”
On the bowling front, Ravi Shastri emphasized the potential impact of Akash Deep with the pink ball.
“Only thing that you must remember, this is a pink-ball Test,” he said. “I know Harshit Rana did very well in that Test match, but the pink ball with extra lacquer, it's a little harder, might seam around a bit and swing. [That’s] where I think Akash Deep should be in the mix.
“Now when you reach the ground, you see the conditions, [whether] you opt for extra bounce and pace, that’s your choice. But I’d definitely keep him in that 12 and keep an eye on him.”
(With ICC Inputs)
