30 November,2024 02:42 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rohit Sharma (Pic: File Pic)
Constant rain forced the abandonment of day one of the two-day practice match between Team India and Prime Minister XI.
With this, it also robbed Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill of much-needed Pink ball game time ahead of their second Test match against Australia in Adelaide.
Both teams have agreed to play a 50-over-a-side match on Sunday at the Manuka Oval if the weather permits.
However, the day might have come as a dampener for captain Rohit, who had skipped the first Test at Perth to welcome a baby boy into his family, ahead of the Pink Ball Test, starting on December 6.
Though the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma had spent time in the nets with the Pink ball, facing some quality bowlers in a real-match simulation holds a different importance.
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Team India last played their day-night Test match against Sri Lanka in March 2022 in Bengaluru.
Following a finger injury, Team India batsman Shubman Gill missed out on the first Test match. Ahead of the second Test match, he is expected to feature in the playing XI.
Prior to that, Gill, who also had a good hit at nets on Friday, would have been hoping to enter the match zone through this side game.
Rohit Sharma and Gill are expected to replace Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel in the playing eleven for the Adelaide Test. Now, they will pin their hope to form some early plans for the Pink ball Test on Sunday through that 50-over game.
India has so far played four pink-ball Tests. After their victory over Bangladesh (2019, Kolkata), India lost to Australia in 2020 (Adelaide) before winning against England (2021, Ahmedabad) and Sri Lanka (2022, Bengaluru) at home.
Ahead of the second Test match, Australia will also miss the services of their star players such as pacer Josh Hazlewood and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh. However, their replacements have been added to the squad.
(With PTI Inputs)
