IND vs AUS: Rohit Sharma expected to open Boxing Day Test against Australia at MCG | Cricket News

Rohit Sharma (BCCI photo)

Melbourne: It is very likely that Rohit Sharma will play for India against Australia in the opening round Boxing Day Test that starts on Thursday. This would mean KL Rahul drops to No. 3 in the batting order. The Indian captain played as a middle-order batsman in the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests but could well return to the top of the order in the fourth Test.
Rohit was asked about the batting order for the MCG Test during the pre-match press conference but the captain didn’t reveal anything unlike his clear words before the Adelaide game.

“Let’s not worry about who hits where. Something we need to figure out and not something I would discuss here. We will do what is best for the team,” Rohit had said on Tuesday.
Nothing was revealed but the statement lacked the clarity and conviction that was present when he revealed in Adelaide that India would endure with Rahul at the top of the order. It was difficult for Rohit to bat in the middle order but the captain was ready to get one for the team as the pair of Jaiswal and Rahul did a phenomenal job in the series opener.
“I came to the decision to turn down the assignment because we want results, we want success,” Rohit said in Adelaide.
“And those two guys at the top – just looking at that one Test match – fought brilliantly. I was at home with my newborn in my arms, watching KL fight. “Honestly, it was brilliant to watch.” And I felt like there was no reason to change that now. Maybe it will be different in the future, I don’t know. Based on what happened and what KL has shown outside India, he probably deserves this spot at this point,” he further explained.

Rohit suffered prolonged knocks during the team’s training sessions at the MCG and while he was hit on his left knee on December 22, the right-hander showed no discomfort while batting yesterday. He faced a mix of pace and spin in the team’s first two training sessions in Melbourne, but in the final session it was a heavy dose of sidearm, with a heavy emphasis on making throws down the length and outside the torso.

Two weirdos?
The weather in Melbourne has many tricks up its sleeve and they have been on display since the team landed here. There were showers, strong winds, cool mornings and very rough afternoons. The opening day predictions are also not very encouraging and that could well force the Indian think tank to look for an additional spinner for the upcoming Test.
The pitch that has enough grass will definitely burn out under the harsh sun and that has brought Washington Sundar back into the discussion, but the big question is: At the expense of who? If Rohit opens and KL falls to No.3, where does Gill bat? And what did he do wrong when he was dropped from the side after a poor game in Brisbane? Yes, there were no consistent runs but he looked good in Adelaide.
Likewise, even Nitish Reddy did what was expected of him and was India’s second best batsman in the series. So if they look at the extra spinner, one of Reddy or Gill could well miss out.

Pat Cummins expects spin and Nathan Lyon to play a role at the MCG, but Rohit continued to keep his cards close to his chest when asked about the possibility of playing an additional spinner.
“Whatever we need to do to put together the best possible XI in these conditions, we will do that – whether we bring in an extra spinner or not,” Rohit said on Tuesday.
The series is cautiously pegged at 1-1 and it’s all on the line at the iconic MCG, where over 2,50,000 spectators are expected to be in the stands over the next five days. Ever since India landed on Australian soil, they have continued to morph and change and this trend is likely to continue for the crucial match that begins tomorrow.