After winning the opening Test with flying colors by 295 runs, Team India suffered a major setback and lost the second match by 10 wickets in Adelaide. With the five-match series currently tied at 1-1, Rohit Sharma will look to bounce back in the third Test to be played in Brisbane from Saturday. The pink-ball Test in Adelaide marked the return of skipper Rohit, who missed the first match due to the birth of his second child. However, the Indian captain failed to make a mark as he scored just three and six runs.
Rohit's elegance and Virat Kohli's class will face the ultimate 'Test' when India take on an Australian team eager to break the record on a tough Gabba circuit.
In terms of bowling, India have Jasprit Bumrah, who makes every other bowler in the series look pedestrian when compared.
He definitely needs more support at the other end, but more than that he needs flights from the likes of Rohit and Kohli as a psychological cushion as he breezes in to unleash his thunderbolts.
India's biggest problem has been its terrible first-innings batting over the past year, both home and away, with six totals of 150 or less during the period.
And Rohit and Kohli's first innings averages in the 2024-25 season are a rather poor 6.88 and 10 respectively.
Kohli managed to take some pressure off with a hundred on the relaxed Perth track. But for Rohit, a captain's knock is not only needed to boost his confidence but also help him assert himself as a leader who shows the way.
Senior off-spinner R Ashwin was chosen over Washington Sundar in the second Test. However, the visitors are likely to field Sundar for the Gabba Test.
In terms of pace bowling, India are likely to play Akash Deep after Harshit Rana's mediocre performance in Adelaide.
India's predicted XI: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
(With PTI inputs)
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