KL Rahul set to continue as opener in Adelaide with returning skipper Rohit Sharma to go down in the middle order.
KL Rahul set to continue his stint as opener along with Yashasvi Jaiswal in tomorrow’s pink-ball test at Adelaide.
Rahul gave a good account of himself in testing conditions at Perth, with scores of 26 and 77 in the two innings he played. He also struck a good dynamic with young Jaiswal as they put up 201 runs for the opening stand in the second innings. It is the highest opening stand by an Indian pair on Australian soil.
“He’ll (Rahul) be opening the batting; I’ll bat somewhere in the middle.” That was Rohit Sharma’s short answer to the big question for India
In ideal situations, the discourse for the opening spot would be a no-brainer because Rohit has been the opener for India since 2019. But the skipper’s recent torrid run with the bat coupled with Rahul and his composed innings in the first test only muddled the discussion further.
Rahul and his ability to blunt the new ball will be very crucial in the pink-ball test, thereby bringing his ability to play time in the fray. He played 74 balls in the first innings and then followed it up with a 176-ball vigil in the second.
The move to the middle could also be a potential blessing in disguise for Rohit at the current juncture of his test career. With him potentially walking in after the ball gets old, it would be the perfect chance for him to get runs under his belt in what is shaping up to be a fascinating test series.
The second test begins tomorrow at the Adelaide Oval. India leads the 5-test series 1-0 after their dominating 295-run victory in Perth.