Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has confirmed that KL Rahul will open the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in the highly anticipated pink-ball Test against Australia at Adelaide, starting Friday. In a pre-match press conference, Rohit clarified the team’s strategy, stating that he will move to the middle order to bolster the batting lineup.
“KL will open (in Adelaide). The way he batted and his partnership with Jaiswal was instrumental in that first test win. The way he has batted outside India, he deserves it. I will bat somewhere in the middle. It was a fairly simple decision. Personally, it wasn’t easy (as a batsman) but for the team, it was an easy decision to make,” he said, as quoted by The Indian Express.
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The decision follows the pair’s impressive showing in the Perth Test, where their solid opening partnership in the second innings laid the foundation for India’s mammoth 500-plus target. Australia faltered in response, managing only 238 runs, handing India a historic 295-run victory.
Rohit Sharma perished cheaply in the two-day pink-ball warm-up fixture
In the warm-up game against the Prime Minister’s XI at Canberra, the duo showcased their form again, contributing a 50-run opening stand in a successful chase of 241, with Jaiswal scoring 45 and Rahul 27 (retired out). Rohit Sharma, batting at No. 5, scored just three runs in a forgettable outing.
The 37-year-old also remained coy about Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja’s inclusion in Adelaide, adding:
“I wasn’t there personally to break the news to Ashwin and Jadeja that they won’t be playing at Perth. The management went with the best team they thought that suited that pitch. These two will play a role in the rest of the series. They have been massive to India’s record in the past. We shall look at the pitches and decide.”
Australia are yet to lose a day-night Test in Adelaide.
