BGT 2024-25: Gautam Gambhir Set to Rejoin Indian Team in Adelaide on Tuesday
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New Delhi, Dec 2 (NationPress) India head coach Gautam Gambhir will rejoin the Rohit Sharma-led squad in Australia on Tuesday after returning from his home country. Gambhir had to miss the two-day tour match against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI as part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series due to personal obligations.
Having traveled back to India for personal reasons, Gambhir is scheduled to rejoin the team in Australia on Tuesday, according to a report from ESPNcricinfo.
He was absent during the two-day pink-ball tour match against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, which was shortened to a limited-overs format due to rain, and he had left the touring group on November 26, the scheduled last day of the first Test in Perth.
During his absence, the support staff, including Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate, and Morne Morkel, managed the team’s training and preparations for the tour match, which India won by six wickets. Harshit Rana (4-44) and Shubman Gill (50 off 62 balls) played key roles in the day-night encounter.
The Indian team arrived in Adelaide from Canberra on Monday afternoon and will conduct three practice sessions, two of which will take place under lights on Tuesday and Thursday prior to the pink-ball Test match at Adelaide Oval starting December 6.
Gambhir is now faced with crucial selection discussions ahead of the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India will see the return of full-time captain Rohit Sharma, who missed the first Test to support his wife during the birth of their second child. Jasprit Bumrah captained the team in Rohit’s absence, steering India to a commanding 295-run victory.
Gill, who was out of action for the Perth Test due to a fractured thumb incurred during training, is also back in the mix. If Rohit and Gill are included in the playing XI, potentially replacing Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel, the team management will need to revisit the opening combination. Yashasvi Jaiswal and K.L. Rahul established a double-century partnership as openers in Perth's second innings, making a strong case for their continuity.
Despite the pink-ball tour match in Canberra not being a full-fledged contest, it suggested that Jaiswal and Rahul might continue as openers, with Gill slotting in at No. 3, and Rohit positioned in the middle-order behind Virat Kohli. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is another certainty in the middle order.
