India captain Rohit drops down the order for the second Test in Adelaide | Cricket news

Rohit Sharma will move to the middle order after KL Rahul was retained as the visitors’ opener.

Rohit Sharma will bat in the order in Friday’s second pink-ball Test against Australia in Adelaide, with the returning India captain saying KL Rahul has earned his place as the opening batsman.

Rohit, a regular opener, missed their 295-run first Test victory in Perth last week due to the birth of his second child.

In his place, Rahul scored a patient 26 in the first innings and then made a solid 77 in the crucial opening of 201 runs with 100 by Yashasvi Jaiswal.

“KL will open. “The way he batted and his partnership with Jaiswal played a big role in his first Test victory,” Rohit said on Thursday.

“The way he batted outside India deserves it. I’ll hit somewhere in the middle.

“It was an easy decision. For me it was not easy but for the team it was an easy decision to make.”

Rohit would not reveal India’s starting XI, and where exactly he will bat.

Meanwhile, Scott Boland will replace injured paceman Josh Hazlewood in Australia’s second Test Test, while all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been passed fit to bowl, captain Pat Cummins confirmed on Thursday.

Boland, 35, will play his first Test since the Ashes in England last year when he takes on the pink ball at the Adelaide Oval starting on Friday.

Boland has been a fan favorite in Australia since his Test debut in 2021 at the age of 32, when he took an innings haul of 6-7 at his home Melbourne Cricket Ground to power the hosts to a massive victory over England.

Cummins said Adelaide’s conditions suited the Victorian giant quickly.

“Traditionally here, there’s always been a little nip, which suits Scotty well,” Cummins told reporters at Adelaide Oval.

“All last summer he was preparing to go, but no one fell to the ground.

“It seems like it’s been a long time (Boland has played). As a captain, it’s great to have someone like Scotty step right in.

“He knows he can bowl more overs if he needs to, he has not changed and he has performed at this level.”

India lead 1-0 in the five-Test series.