KL Rahul’s spot in pink ball Test up for debate after Rohit Sharma drops down the order against PM XI

India captain Rohit Sharma during the toss (Pic: Amit Shah)

In a surprise move, India captain Rohit Sharma positioned himself at No. 5 in the lineup during the pink-ball warm-up match against the Australian Prime Minister's XI on Sunday.

Having joined the side midway through the Perth Test, Rohit seized the opportunity to get valuable match practice as India faced off against the Australian side in Canberra. This decision to bat at No. 5 could be a significant indicator of the possibility that Rohit may drop himself down to the middle order for the upcoming pink-ball Test match in Adelaide, scheduled to begin on December 6.

Team India's playing XI (Pic: Amit Shah)

The potential shift in batting order might be a direct consequence of the stellar performances from openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the second innings of the opening Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

In the Perth Test, Rahul and Jaiswal forged a remarkable 200-plus partnership, a historic first for Indian openers on Australian soil. Their outstanding contribution laid the foundation for India's dominant 295-run victory in the series opener, compelling Rohit to reconsider his position in the top order.

The lineup for the warm-up game featured a blend of seasoned players and emerging talents. KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Sarfaraz Khan were all included in the squad.

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The team's combination was designed to prepare the players for various challenges, especially ahead of the crucial pink-ball Test match in Adelaide.

Rohit, who had joined the team mid-Test, immediately immersed himself in preparations for the pink-ball match. Upon arrival in Perth, he headed straight into the nets, where he practiced with the pink ball on the sidelines of the opening Test. His focus was clearly on familiarising himself with the unique conditions of pink-ball cricket, which can behave differently from traditional red-ball formats, particularly under lights.

When it was time for the warm-up match on Sunday, Rohit took charge as captain and opted to bowl first, displaying his strategic acumen early on.

Meanwhile, India's bowlers got off to a promising start in the warm-up game, with Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj making early breakthroughs. The Australian PM XI was reduced to 28/2 in no time, with both wickets falling to some incisive bowling. However, the Australian response came strongly, with Sam Konstas playing a brisk and aggressive knock, scoring a rapid half-century. India's Harshit Rana wreaked havoc with the ball, taking four wickets and triggering a dramatic collapse that left Australia at 187 for the loss of seven wickets at the time of writing.