India captain Rohit Sharma is expected to bat lower in the order for the second Test against Australia in Adelaide. After missing the first Test due to the birth of his son, Rohit listed himself at No. 5 in a two-day pink-ball warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI. This decision hints at the possibility of him adopting a similar role in the upcoming Day-Night Test at the Adelaide Oval. Rohit’s flexibility comes in light of KL Rahul’s impressive performance as an opener in the series opener alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Rohit Sharma’s decision to bat at No. 5, despite being the team captain, reflects his selfless approach to leadership. His move allows the successful Jaiswal-Rahul opening combination, which played a key role in India’s victory during the Perth Test, to continue their momentum. It was widely speculated that Rohit’s return might push Rahul down the order, but the skipper had other plans.
The warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI faced rain disruptions on both days. Initially planned as a two-day game, it was reduced to a 50-over contest and later cut to 46 overs per side. Batting first, the PM XI posted 240 runs, powered by a stellar 90-ball century from Sam Konstas. His performance adds pressure on Australia’s struggling batter Marnus Labuschagne and debutant opener Nathan McSweeney, who failed to impress in the Perth Test.
For India, Harshit Rana stood out with impressive figures of 4/44, ensuring the opposition couldn’t cross the 250-run mark.
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Prime Minister’s XI Line-up:
Sam Konstas, Matt Renshaw, Jayden Goodwin, Jack Clayton, Oliver Davies, Jack Edwards (C), Sam Harper (WK), Aidan O’Connor, Hanno Jacobs, Mahli Beardman, Charlie Anderson, Scott Boland, Lloyd Pope, Jack Nisbet.
India Line-up:
KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, R Ashwin, Sarfaraz Khan.or Hamilton.
