In a massive move ahead of the second Test against Australia, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who is returning to lead the side, has confirmed that KL Rahul will once again open the innings for the team alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rohit’s announcement comes after Rahul’s standout performance in the first Test, where he played a gritty and determined knock while opening the batting.
"He [Rahul] will be opening the batting; I will bat somewhere in the middle," Rohit said on Thursday while speaking to media.
Rohit Sharma, who missed the opening Test due to the birth of his second child, is returning to lead India and will take up a position further down the order in the middle. Rohit’s return to the squad comes at an opportune time, with the team looking to build on the solid foundation laid in the first Test. Rohit explained the reason behind promoting KL Rahul at the top of the order.
"How I came to that decision of batting down the order is clear. We want results. We want success. And those two guys at the top, just looking at this one Test match, they batted brilliantly. I was at home with my new-born in my arms and I was watching how KL Rahul batted, it was brilliant to watch to be honest. And I felt that there is no need to change that now... maybe in the future things will be different. I don't know," Rohit said.
“So, based on what has happened and what KL has shown outside of India, he probably deserves that place at this point in time. It is something that has given us success in the first Test to have that big partnership with Jaiswal on the other side. When you come here, to a place like Perth and get 500 runs, it's a massive tick on the box. I don't see why we need to change that but what I saw from the outside looked brilliant and there was no need to change anything. It was pretty simple for me. Personally, not easy but for the team it made a lot of sense," Rohit Sharma noted.