Rohit Sharma did not have a memorable outing against the Prime Minister's XI and he departed early. Coming out to bat at number 4, the India captain only managed to score 3 off 11 balls. Rohit didn't look comfortable during his stay in the middle and he departed early. He sacrificed his batting position for KL Rahul.
Rohit, who has been opening in Test cricket since 2019, might bat in the middle order in the pink-ball Test match if the team management decides to stick with Rahul.
Rahul only came into contention to play the series opener in Perth after it was confirmed that Rohit would not be available for the fixture. The former India vice-captain scored a gritty 26 off 74 balls in the first innings as India put on a total of 150.
Rahul continued his form in the second innings and slammed a 77 off 176 balls. He added 201 runs for the first wicket with Yashasvi Jaiswal as India put on a total of 487/6 on the board. The visiting team won the fixture by 295 runs.
Rahul, who was on the bench in last two Tests against New Zealand, pipped Abhimanyu Easwaran to get a spot in the final XI. Abhimanyu is uncapped and is unlikely to get a chance in the series now.
Is Shubman Gill fit for 2nd Test?
Shubman Gill missed the first Test due to a thumb injury. He is batting in the practice game and looks confirmed to play the pink-ball Test match. Shubman, who is a full-time opener, has been batting at number 3 since Yashasvi's debut and his batting position will remain unchanged. Virat Kohli bats at number 4.
Rohit, if he decides to bat in the middle-order, might come to bat at number 5 as Dhruv Jurel looks set to get benched. Rohit started his Test career as a middle-order batsman.