India’s victory in Perth sets the stage for the upcoming day-night Test in Adelaide, with reinforcements in the form of Rohit Sharma and potentially Shubman Gill. Cheteshwar Pujara believes both should join the playing XI, but he insists on keeping Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul as the opening pair. Pujara suggests that if Rohit wants to open, Rahul should move to No. 3, as that position suits his game best. He emphasized the importance of not tinkering with the current batting order.
If Gill is fit for the Adelaide Test, Pujara believes he should bat at No. 5, where he can handle the new ball if wickets fall early or play his natural game if he comes in later. This would mean Rishabh Pant, who batted at No. 5 in Perth, would move down the order to No. 6. Pujara also mentioned that Dhruv Jurel, after two low scores, might make way for Gill.
Pujara is firm on retaining the current bowling attack, which has brought India success. He praised Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj for their excellent performances and supported debutant Harshit Rana for his impressive outing in Perth. He also emphasized that Washington Sundar, chosen more for his batting, should continue as the lone spinner, despite his mixed performance with the ball.
Pujara is confident that Washington’s ability to contribute with the bat will be crucial in case India loses early wickets. The second Test in Adelaide begins on December 6, after a two-day warm-up match against a Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.
Leave a Reply