After taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India aims to maintain their momentum in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide, starting Friday, December 6. The visitors secured a dominant 295-run victory in Perth, making a strong comeback after being bowled out for 150 in the first innings.
Veteran pacer Jasprit Bumrah captained India in Rohit Sharma‘s absence during the opening Test in Perth, leading by example with five wickets in the first innings and three in the second. Rohit returns to captain the side in the second Test in Adelaide, a venue where Australia has never lost a pink-ball Test.
Rohit has played three day-night Tests, scoring 173 runs at an average of 43.25. His first pink-ball Test was against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in November 2019, where he was dismissed for 21 in the first innings by Ebadot Hossain. India won the match by an innings and 46 runs.
Rohit’s second pink-ball Test was against England in Ahmedabad in February 2021. He scored 66 in the first innings and an unbeaten 25 in the second, helping India win by 10 wickets after chasing down a target of 49.
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The Indian captain also featured in the pink-ball Test against Sri Lanka at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in March 2022. He was dismissed for 15 in the first innings by Lasith Embuldeniya.
In the second innings, he made 46 off 79 balls before being caught at long-on off Dhananjaya de Silva’s bowling. India went on to win the match by a commanding 238-run margin.
Rohit will be eager to return to form in the pink-ball Test.
Although India leads 1-0 in the five-match series against Australia, their captain will face pressure to perform. The right-handed batter had a disappointing series against New Zealand at home, scoring fewer than 100 runs in six innings. To make matters worse, India suffered a 3-0 defeat in the three-match series.
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Rohit also has a below-par record in Tests in Australia. In 14 innings, he has accumulated 408 runs at an average of 31.38, with three half-centuries and a best score of 63*.
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