3 things to look forward to for Indian fans in the 2nd BGT 2024-25 Test ft. Rohit Sharma's return
After a long break, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will resume on Friday, December 6. The second Test between India and Australia will be contested at the Adelaide Oval.
The series has already witnessed an unprecedented result, with Jasprit Bumrah and his men coming up with a sensational performance in Perth to send a real statement. The two-day warmup game didn't see much action, and the pink-ball Test will add a layer of intrigue.
India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal.
Fans from both sides are gearing up for an enticing contest. On that note, here are three things to look forward to in the second Test between India and Australia.
#3 Rohit Sharma's return, in more ways than one, will be interesting
Rohit Sharma missed the first Test in Perth, with Bumrah doing a good job in his absence. KL Rahul opened the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, and the right-handed batter made important contributions in both innings.
Rohit has insisted that Rahul and Jaiswal will continue to open the batting, and he's likely to slot in at either No. 5 or No. 6. A move to the top of the order rekindled the Indian skipper's Test career and it'll be interesting to see how he fares upon his return to the middle order.
In a pink-ball Test, batting is unlikely to be easy at any stage of the innings. Rohit, whose ability to bat out time and blunt the bowling has been on the decline, will face a big challenge.
#2 How will India go about their team selection?
India have a few selection decisions to make ahead of the second Test. While Rohit and Shubman Gill will re-enter the fray after missing the series opener, there are plenty of questions in other departments.
Akash Deep's skiddy nature could make him a useful weapon with the pink ball, and Harshit Rana's accuracy hasn't been at its absolute best. Rana is a wicket-taker, though, and India will need to make a tough choice between the two.
Meanwhile, certain reports suggest that Ravichandran Ashwin, who has an excellent record at Adelaide, could come in for Washington Sundar. However, the latter offers more with the bat and could be valuable in a day-night encounter.
With Ravindra Jadeja, one of the team's best players, sitting out, India have more than one avenue to go down. The path they take could dictate their fate in the Test.
#1 Shubman Gill's comeback will be watched closely
Gill has played some important innings at No. 3 in India's last few Test assignments. While there's a case to be made for the youngster to bat at No. 5, allowing Rohit and Rahul spots in the top three, it seems like the visitors will stick to what has worked for them so far.
Gill probably still hasn't recovered fully from the finger injury he suffered, although he notched up a half-century without much discomfort in the warm-up game. He won't have any time to get himself back into the flow, with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Scott Boland likely to trouble him on both edges.
Gill's game is tailor-made for Australian conditions and will be essential to India's fortunes. Can he have another big impact Down Under?