NEW DELHI: Former India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar is of the opinion that India will make at least two changes for the day-night Adelaide Test against Australia that starts from December 6.
After the stupendous victory in the first Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India is scheduled to play a two-day warm-up match against Prime Ministers XI at the Manuka Oval in the Australian capital of Canberra from Saturday.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
The pink ball warm-up match in Canberra is of utmost importance for India as it will be the only practice game they will get to play ahead of the day-night second Test in Adelaide.
And it will be also the first game for captain Rohit Sharma on this trip to Australia as he missed the first Test in Perth due to the birth of his son.
Talking to 7Cricket, Gavaskar said, “I think there will be two changes for sure, both Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill coming back into the 11.”
Young Devdutt Padikkal is set to be replaced by returning captain Rohit Sharma in the Indian playing XI for the second Test in Adelaide.
Everyone will be intrigued by KL Rahul’s batting position in the pink ball warm-up match in Canberra.
Where will KL Rahul bat when Rohit Sharma returns to Playing XI for Adelaide Test
Rahul might be positioned at number three instead of Padikkal, depending on whether the injured Gill recovers in time for the game.
Gill missed the first Test match and has not yet begun batting in the nets after suffering a hairline fracture during the intra-squad match at the WACA.
Gavaskar continues, “My feeling is that the batting order will change. Where Rohit Sharma will replace Rahul, Shubman Gill will bat at three, Padikkal and Jurel will go out of the team, Rahul will bat at six.”
At the Adelaide Oval, spin bowling might be the only tactical change made to the starting lineup.
In Perth, Washington Sundar was selected ahead of the two veteran spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Before the 36-all-out occurred in the December 2020 Pink Ball Test in Adelaide, Ashwin handed India the lead in the first innings with statistics of 4 for 45, including a brilliant dismissal of Steven Smith.
However, based on their recent performance in the nets, Ashwin, Jadeja, and Washington don’t now provide much of a choice. Additionally, batting becomes crucial in Pink Ball Tests because the spinners aren’t used as often.
Gavaskar concludes, “And one other change that could happen is that Jadeja comes in place of Washington Sundar.”
India’s success in overseas Test matches has been mostly attributed to Jadeja’s batting, although Washington, a left-hander, has also performed admirably in Test matches. In Perth, he helped India surpass the 500-run mark with an 89-run partnership with Virat Kohli.
