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While speaking to reporters in Adelaide on Thursday, Indian captain Rohit Sharma confirmed that KL Rahul will continue to open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal, and he will bat in the middle order.
India’s likely playing XI for the 2nd Test against Australia. (Picture Credit: X/@ICC, AFP)
The second Test of the ongoing five-match series between India and Australia is set to start on Friday (December 6). The second match of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be a day-night affair and is going to be played with a pink ball. Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who missed the first Test in Perth due to delayed arrival in Australia following the birth of his second child, is all set to lead the side but will not be seen in action as opening batter for India.
While speaking to reporters during the pre-match press conference in Adelaide on Thursday (December 5), Rohit confirmed that KL Rahul will continue opening with Yashasvi Jaiswal after the duo added 201 runs for the first wicket in the second innings of the Perth Test.
Shubman Gill, who also missed the first Test due to a thumb injury, proved his fitness by scoring a half-century for India in the pink-ball warm-up match against the Prime Ministers XI, and the 25-year-old right-handed batter is expected to bat at No. 3. In his place, Karnataka batter Devdutt Padikkal played at No. 3 for India in Perth but failed to do much in both innings.
Virat Kohli is almost certain to continue at his usual No. 4 position, and it will be interesting to see who between Rohit and Rishabh Pant comes out to bat at No. 5 for India in the pink-ball Test. Pant has batted in the No. 5 position for India since making his Test comeback against Bangladesh in September 2024.
Rohit, who has played as an opener for India in Tests since October 2019, has a batting average of 54.57 as a No. 6 batter in Tests, and there is a high possibility that he will bat at No. 6 once again.
Dhruv Jurel, who played as a pure batter in the Perth Test, is unlikely to play in the day-night Test.
India played with three pacers—Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Harshit Rana; one spinner—Washington Sundar; and one fast-bowling all-rounder—Nitish Kumar Reddy—in the first Test, and they are likely to maintain their position in the playing XI for the second Test as well.
India’s likely playing XI for the 2nd Test against Australia: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Rohit Sharma (C), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
