India vs Australia second Test: Rohit Sharma Confirms Batting Order

India captain Rohit Sharma has officially confirmed that he will bat in the middle order during the India vs Australia second Test against Australia at Adelaide Oval, starting 6 December 2024.

KL Rahul will open the batting in India Australia 2nd Test

This tactical adjustment follows the success of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal as openers in the first Test, where their 201-run partnership was instrumental in securing a dominant 295-run victory. Rohit emphasized that Rahul’s recent performances, especially overseas, merit his position at the top of the order.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Rohit revealed, “KL Rahul will open the batting. Watching him bat during the first Test, I felt no need to disrupt the combination. His performance in challenging conditions speaks for itself. As captain, I am happy to adjust and bat in the middle order to maintain the team’s balance.”

This marks a significant shift for Rohit, who has predominantly opened in recent years. The skipper acknowledged the challenge, saying, “I haven’t batted in the middle for a while, but I’m ready for it. The team comes first, and sometimes we must step out of our comfort zones.”

CAPTAIN ROHIT SHARMA WILL NOT OPEN FOR TEAM INDIA IN ADELAIDE. END OF AN ERA🙂💔 pic.twitter.com/eTJb63hbR3

— Kuljot (@Ro45Kuljot_) December 5, 2024

There was speculation ahead of the series about the batting order, particularly after the warm-up game against the Prime Minister’s XI, where Rohit batted at number four, hinting at a change. In addition, with Rahul excelling as an opener, the management appears committed to stability at the top.

India’s middle order now boasts significant flexibility with Rohit joining players like Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant. This restructured lineup provides depth and strength as the visitors aim to maintain their lead in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Probable India Playing XI for Pink Ball Test

KL Rahul
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Shubman Gill
Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma (c)
Rishabh Pant (wk)
Nitish Reddy
Washington Sundar
Jasprit Bumrah
Mohd Siraj
Harshit Rana

Australia Squad: Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Beau Webster, Josh Inglis, Brendan Doggett, Sean Abbott

India Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant(w), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep

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