Subhayan Chakraborty from Perth
Rohit Sharma was back in action as the Indian skipper hit the nets during the Lunch break on Day 4 of the ongoing first of the five-Test series at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The experienced batter had a 40-minute session at the nets as he acclimatised to the Australian conditions, facing the likes of Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Yash Dayal, Ravindra Jadeja and a couple of throwdown specialists.
Interestingly, it was the first time that the pink ball was brought out at India nets as the visitors started gearing up for the second Test, a day-night affair, in Adelaide starting December 6. Rohit is expected to take his opening position, with KL Rahul moving back to middle order.
Upon arriving in Perth on Sunday, Rohit was seen in the Indian dressing room on the morning of Day 4. As soon as lunch was called, he walked out, fully padded up, ready for throwdowns. Under the watchful eyes of bowling coach Morne Morkel and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, Akash was the first to bowl at Rohit. The Bengal pacer was terrific with the new pink ball, managing to beat Rohit several times in the initial 10 minutes as the Indian skipper adjusted to the bounce and lateral movement.
One memorable delivery from Akash, possibly his third or fourth, swung away from middle stump and clipped the top of off, catching Rohit off guard. Yash Dayal soon joined in, with his left-arm pace, hitting hard lengths effectively. Rohit concentrated on leaving the ball and defended with a straight bat, gradually settling in to play with more of a horizontal bat and started connecting better.
Mukesh Kumar, bowling in the last 10 minutes, managed to trap Rohit LBW on a couple of occasions. David Warner, now part of the Fox broadcasting team, was seen briefly observing from behind the nets.
Later in his session, Rohit unleashed some splendid drives and his trademark pull shots against Dayal. Adjacent nets saw Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sarfaraz Khan also practicing, mainly facing throwdowns. However, Akash’s performance with the pink ball was particularly impressive, potentially strengthening his case for inclusion in the playing XI for the upcoming Day-Night Test if he maintains this form. Morne Morkel was observed having detailed discussions with Akash, advising on wrist positions, and giving him pats of appreciation for his excellent bowling.
After concluding the Perth Test, Team India will move to Canberra for a two-day pink-ball warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI, before heading to Adelaide for the Day-Night Test against Australia.
For More Sports Related Content Click here