KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the innings in Canberra, which indicates what to expect in the Adelaide Test next week.
In an interesting move during the game between Prime Minister’s XI and India, Rohit Sharma didn’t come to open for India in the second innings. Instead, India persisted with the same options that opened in the first Test in Perth last week.
KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the innings in Canberra, which indicates what to expect in the Adelaide Test next week. The Indian captain Rohit Sharma didn’t play the first Test in Perth due to the birth of his second child, and KL opened in his absence, while Dhruv Jurel took the No.6 spot.
However, with Rohit and Shubman Gill returning, India must shuffle several batting positions. While Gill will be a straight swap with Devdutt Padikkal at No.3, the conundrum remains at the top and the middle.
With Rohit not opening the innings, it looks confirmed that he might look to bat at No.5, with Rishabh Pant moving a position below and slot at No.6. When the team sheet came out in the morning, Rohit’s name was placed at No.5, which might be his position in this game as well as in Adelaide in the Day-Night Test.
It will maintain continuity if India continue opening with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, followed by Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli. Rahul did nothing wrong to bat in a new position again, while Gill is finding his feet as a No.3 batter,
He has done well one down in Tests this year and seemed to have cracked the code in his preferred position. If Rohit opened the innings, India must move one of Rahul or Gill below, which would have undone all the hard work done to maintain stability in the batting order.
Instead, Rohit moving to No.5 won’t make much difference, with only Rishabh shuffling a position below. Pant has played enough at No.6 and will acclimatise easily.
That would mean Dhruv Jurel, who batted at No.6 in the previous game, will have to miss out, even though he didn’t do anything wrong. Unfortunately, India don’t have a spot for him in the XI for now.
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