Subhayan Chakraborty in Adelaide
Something seems off with Rohit Sharma. Is it the pressure of not scoring enough runs for India in recent Test matches, or the burden of losing four consecutive games as red-ball captain? Whatever it is, India need Rohit at his best at the Gabba in Brisbane when the third game of the five-Test series starts on December 14. Following a crushing 10-wicket defeat against Australia in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval, the Indian team held a net session where both veterans and young players were present. The series is now tied at 1-1, with both teams eyeing a go-ahead win in Brisbane.
The Australian team flew to Brisbane on Tuesday, while the visitors chose to spend additional time in the nets. Due to his batting form, all eyes were on the Indian skipper as he stepped into the nets to face some spinners early on. While it’s too early to determine if he’ll continue at No. 6 or move back to opening, Rohit began his session by tackling the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar.
After defending the first ball, Rohit struggled, failing to time several deliveries to perfection and even catching the top edge while attempting a sweep off a full toss from Sundar. After about 10 minutes, where he alternated with Rishabh Pant, Rohit moved on to face pacers like Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal, and some throwdown specialists. Although Rohit had been training since landing in Perth, this session, his first against the red ball, might have been his least effective.
Nets are typically where batters fine-tune their game and correct mistakes, yet Rohit appeared ordinary, often beaten by the pacers and miscuing several strokes. Despite some glimpses of his usual confidence, Rohit would have preferred more consistency with the bat. He took some time to have casual conversations with the Indian media present at the venue. All hope that the change in venue from Adelaide to Brisbane, and from pink to red ball, will bring some runs for the captain.
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Virat Kohli also started shakily, getting beaten and bowled by Harshit Rana and Navdeep Saini a few times. However, he quickly regained his focus and intensity, playing some well-timed strokes. Interestingly, Kohli has shortened his backfoot trigger movement, possibly to adjust for the red ball. Yashasvi Jaiswal, in particular, seemed to enjoy Kohli’s sumptuous hits, constantly praising him with “Shot hai, Paaji.” With Rana facing a reality check in Adelaide after a mediocre bowling performance and being hit by numerous bouncers from the Australians, the senior players like Kohli and Shubman Gill were seen applauding Rana for his good deliveries.
India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, was proactive at the nets, closely monitoring the batters, including Jaiswal, Kohli, and Gill. Gambhir had brief discussions with Jaiswal, focussing on his stance and pull shots with hand gestures. Jaiswal, who has two ducks in the series but also scored a match-winning century in Perth, will need to perform with Josh Hazlewood returning to boost Australia’s attack. The onus will be on Jaiswal and his opening partner, whether KL Rahul or Rohit, to handle the new ball in Brisbane, which has experienced significant rain recently. Moisture could play a role, making conditions tougher for the openers.
Gill and Rahul appeared the most assured at the nets, timing the ball well with few errors. While Rahul faced the new ball against the pacers on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see if he continues to open at the Gabba. Akash and Prasidh Krishna were impressive, but with the Indian management favouring Rana, the decision on the third pacer could be crucial. Akash cleaned up Rohit a couple of times and even troubled Kohli with his sharp seaming deliveries.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar was also present, closely observing the proceedings. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Nitish Kumar Reddy had a more relaxed day, not bowling at the nets. India will fly out to Brisbane on Wednesday and will train on Thursday.
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