New Delhi: India captain Rohit Sharma has confirmed that he will bat in the middle order in the second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Friday. In this day-night match, KL Rahul will continue to be Yashasvi Jaiswal’s opening partner after the duo performed well in the first Test match in Perth.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Rohit, who missed the series opener due to paternity leave, returns to a team that registered 295 runs in Perth. Rahul seized the opportunity at the top of the order and scored 26 and 77 while setting up a 201-run stand with centurion Jaiswal in the second innings.
Rohit explained the decision at the pre-match press conference: “KL will start batting and I will bat somewhere in the middle. The two at the top are batting really well and it will be good to keep the momentum going. Important. It’s not an easy change for me, but it’s the best for the team.
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Rohit Sharma’s middle-order record
Rohit made his Test debut as a middle-order batsman in 2013, scoring a memorable 177 against West Indies at Eden Gardens. In the first six years of his career, he batted mainly at Nos. 5 and 6, scoring 1,585 runs in 27 matches at an average of 39.62, including three centuries.
His transition to opening duty was a huge success in 2019, with Rohit scoring 2,685 runs at an average of 44.01 in 37 openers, including nine of his 12 Test centuries.
Returning to the middle-order after five years, Rohit aims to bring stability and depth to the Indian squad, which will be crucial in the pink-ball Test.
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Adelaide stadium and match background
The Adelaide Oval is expected to help the pacers and spinners. India will be keen to capitalize on their 1-0 lead in the five-match Border-Gavaskar series, while Australia will be looking to make a comeback after a heavy defeat in Perth.
Rohit’s adaptability and leadership will be tested under the lights as India battle for another historic victory in Adelaide, where they were bowled out by just 36 runs four years ago.
