Team India captain Rohit Sharma has begun preparing for the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the pink ball. He was seen practicing in the nets at Optus Stadium in Perth after missing the series opener to attend the birth of his second child.
Rohit Sharma arrived in Australia on Sunday, November 24, and made his first appearance at the ongoing Test on the following day. He was spotted in the pavilion alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir during the first session on Day 4, Monday, November 25.
Having missed the team’s pre-series preparations and match simulations, Rohit was not part of the initial acclimatization efforts. While he was practicing in Mumbai, he will need time to adjust to Australian conditions before stepping into a Test match.
A significant 10-day gap separates the first and second Tests. During this break, the visitors will play a two-day pink-ball match against the Prime Minister’s XI to prepare for the day-night Test, their first since 2022.
There is considerable attention on how Team India’s batting order will shape up with Rohit Sharma’s return. Shubman Gill is also expected to recover from a finger injury.
Rohit Sharma has accumulated 173 runs in five innings with the pink ball in Tests
India have played just one pink-ball Test overseas, the infamous first Test in Adelaide during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Rohit Sharma missed that match due to injury but has a respectable record in day-night Tests.
Rohit showcased his abilities in the pink-ball format during the Test against England in Ahmedabad in 2021. Despite the team being bundled out for only 145 runs in the first innings, he stood out with a valuable knock of 66 runs. The right-hander also contributed with cameos in day-night matches against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
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