BGT 2024-25: Rohit Sharma Names Rahul and Jaiswal as Opening Duo for Adelaide Test
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Adelaide, Dec 5 (NationPress) Indian captain Rohit Sharma confirmed on Thursday that KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will continue to be the opening batsmen for the upcoming pink-ball Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, which begins on Friday.
In the second innings of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener held in Perth, Jaiswal scored an impressive 161 runs, while Rahul contributed with 77 runs, leading India to a commanding 295-run victory.
“KL will open (in Adelaide). His performance and partnership with Jaiswal were crucial for our win in the first Test. Given his form outside India, he absolutely deserves this opportunity. I will take on a middle-order role. Although it was a personal challenge for me as a batsman, it was a straightforward decision for the team,” Rohit stated during the pre-match press conference on Thursday.
Rohit had to miss the first Test due to the birth of his second child. In his absence, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah captained the team, while Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana made their Test debuts.
In the day-night Test scheduled in Adelaide, Rohit will not bat in his usual opening position. His captaincy and batting were questioned following India's historic 0-3 defeat against New Zealand at home last month. Over the last six innings, he has managed only 93 runs, including a half-century, resulting in a batting average of 15.16, the lowest of his Test career in a series with at least three matches played.
Discussing their limited-overs pink-ball practice match against the Australian Prime Minister's XI at Manuka Oval in Canberra last week, Rohit expressed satisfaction with the team's preparations ahead of the genuine challenge they are about to face.
“It was primarily a practice match. We aimed to play whatever came our way, especially since one day was washed out, and we wanted to gain some game time. We didn't delve too deeply into the details; we simply wanted to experience the pink ball as we don't play with it often,” he added.
