Ahead of the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide, Indian captain Rohit Sharma confirmed the batting order for the upcoming pink-ball Test. Addressing the media, Rohit announced that KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal would open the batting, while he himself would bat in the middle order.
This decision came after KL Rahul’s impressive performance in India’s 295-run victory over Australia in Perth, where he and Jaiswal formed a formidable opening partnership, scoring 201 runs in the second innings.
Rohit Sharma speaks ahead of Pink Ball Test
Rohit Sharma expressed his delight in watching Rahul and Jaiswal dominate the Australian bowling attack and emphasized the importance of continuity and stability in the batting lineup. He also mentioned that he was watching the match from home with his newborn baby in his arms, which added a personal touch to his decision.
“Yeah, he will be opening the batting. I will bat somewhere in the middle,” Rohit said.
“And how I came to the decision of batting down the order is clearly we want results, we want success, and those two guys at the top… just looking at this one Test match, they batted brilliantly,” Rohit said.
“I was at home with my newborn in my arms, and I was watching how KL batted. It was brilliant to watch. I felt that there was no need to change that now. Maybe in the future, things will be different. I don’t know.”
Rohit’s move to the middle order marks a significant shift, as he has predominantly opened for India since his elevation to the top of the order in 2019. Under the guidance of former captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri, Rohit found form and consistency as an opener, amassing nearly 3000 runs in 42 Tests with an average of 44 and 9 centuries. However, Rohit’s decision to step aside from his preferred spot was driven by the desire to maintain the successful opening combination that worked so well in Perth.
Rohit Sharma said "The way KL batted, I was watching from home with new born baby on arms, he played brilliantly so there is no need to change now, things might be different in future – the way KL bats in overseas, so he deserves that spot at this point of time". pic.twitter.com/Xn0USmDq1w
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 5, 2024
“So based on what has happened and what KL Rahul has shown outside of India, he probably deserves that place at this point in time. It is something that has brought us success in the first Test. You have that one big partnership with Jaiswal on the other side, and you know, it probably won us the Test match. When you come here, in a place like Perth, and you get 500 runs or so, it’s such a massive tick in the box.”
“So I don’t see why we need to change that. What I saw from the outside looked brilliant, and there was no need to change anything.
“It was actually pretty simple for me. Personally, it’s not easy. But for the team, it made a lot of sense,” he added.
The confirmation of the batting order sets the stage for an exciting and highly anticipated Test match in Adelaide, with India looking to build on their dominant performance in Perth and put additional pressure on the Australian team.
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