[Watch] Rohit Sharma begins practice with pink ball in Perth nets for 2nd BGT 2024-25 TestÂ
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has kickstarted his preparation for the upcoming second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the pink ball. He was spotted in the nets at the Optus Stadium in Perth after missing out on the ongoing series opener to attend the birth of his second child.
The ace batter landed in Australia on Sunday, November 24, and was spotted in the pavilion alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir during the first session on Day 4 on Monday, November 25.
Due to his absence during the build-up to the series, Rohit was not part of the match simulation and preparation that the rest of the team conducted to adjust to the conditions. The skipper was seen practicing in Mumbai but will need time on Australian tracks before taking the field for a Test match.
There is a massive 10-day gap between the first and second Tests. The break also includes a two-day pink-ball clash against the Prime Minister XI for the visitors to get a hang of the day-night Test, with their last such match coming in 2022.
Have a look at the Indian skipper battling it out in the nets against the pink ball:
There is a lot of focus on how the Team India batting order will look following Rohit Sharma's return. Shubman Gill is also expected to make a recovery from an injury to his finger.
Rohit Sharma has scored 173 runs in five innings against the pink ball in Tests
India have played only one pink-ball Test away from home, the infamous first Test in Adelaide during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Rohit Sharma had missed that contest due to injury but has a decent record against the pink ball.
He scored 66 runs during the pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad against England in 2021 when the team folded out for just 145 runs. The right-handed batter also has a couple of cameos in the day-night encounters against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.