As per reports, Shubman Gill and Ravichandran Ashwin are likely to return to India’s XI along with captain Rohit Sharma for the second test against Australia. The first test between both teams in Perth saw India secure an unprecedented 295-run victory under the leadership of pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
Rohit missed the Perth test due to the birth of his second child and joined the team during the game. Meanwhile, Gill sustained a thumb fracture during the intra-squad game ahead of the first test. Although, there has been no news on him recovering from the blow, he could replace Dhruv Jurel in the XI if fully fit.
Ashwin was left out of the XI due to Perth offering little to no assistance for spinners. However, the veteran spinner has a credible record in Adelaide, with 14 wickets in three games. In particular, he claimed six wickets during the 2018 test.
It will also be interesting to see if KL Rahul is pushed down the order, if Rohit opts to partner with Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top. The Perth test saw Rahul slamming 77 and stitching an impressive 201-run stand with Jaiswal to help India gain a dominating edge.
Jasprit Bumrah ready to offer his inputs to Rohit Sharma
Jasprit Bumrah served as an aggressive captain in the Perth test, which saw India playing fire-with-fire, especially with the ball. He rotated the bowlers well, went for wickets, and also helped Nitish Kumar Reddy flourish on his debut test.
Now with the return of Rohit Sharma, Bumrah will take a backseat and serve as the vice-captain for the rest of the BGT 2024-25. Here’s what the pacer said during the post-match press conference on the arrival of Rohit:
“He is the captain of our side, he has done a phenomenal job. I was filling in for him, I had a discussion with him when he was in India, we kept discussing how we are shaping up. I am not going to tell him that I am going to lead, but yeah, I am going to help him in whatever capacity I can.”
The second test between India and Australia kicks off on December 6 in Adelaide. It will be a day-night test and involve the usage of the pink ball. Before the test, India will clash with Prime Minister’s XI for a two-day game, which will also be played with a pink ball.
