Indian skipper Rohit Sharma.
Credit: PTI Photo
Adelaide: The Adelaide Oval, the most beautiful of Australia's traditional Test venues, evokes mixed feelings among Indians. It's the venue where India have the most number of wins (two) by a visiting team since 2001. And Australia have lost only three matches here during that period.
It's the venue where Rahul Dravid produced his magnum opus (233) before anchoring a successful chase with an unbeaten 72. It's the venue where Virat Kohli's 115 and 141 almost landed India a victory. It's also the venue where India suffered their biggest humiliation, being shot out for their lowest Test total (36) in a day-night match during their previous tour.
It's another matter India went on to script the greatest overseas turnaround in the history of their Test cricket but their greatest challenge and priority would be to exorcise the ghosts of 2020 when they take on Australia in the second of the five-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from Friday. There's a rain threat on the opening day, but the teams would still be left with plenty of time to produce a result given the record of day/night matches.
India have an impressive record in pink-ball matches, having won three of their four matches. But Australia have a better record -- just a solitary loss in 12 matches. The lone defeat came at the hands of West Indies in Brisbane last year. More worryingly for India, Australia have a 100 percent win record in day/night matches in Adelaide, a factor that will certainly weigh in on both teams' minds albeit differently.
Though Australia would think they have a psychological advantage, India, while not being oblivious to hosts' phenomenal record in D/N affairs, would have every reason to believe they have inflicted enough mental scars in the rival camp en route to a 295-run win in Perth.
Jasprit Bumrah, with an eight-wicket haul in the opener, has put the fear of God in Australian batters who are constantly reminded of their frailties against the Indian pacer, both in news conferences and podcast debates. While there may have been an overreaction of sorts to Australia's loss, their batting worries are genuine. The opening pair looks unsettled and the middle-order looks shaky with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, their middle-order bulwarks, seem to be out of their depth. Only Travis Head among top-order batters looks convincing.
Australia also suffered a big blow with Josh Hazlewood, who 36ed India with a 5/8 on the third morning of the Test, being ruled out with a side strain. Scott Boland has been inserted in his place but in a minor relief to Australia, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been declared fit to bowl.
A superlative bowling effort in both innings of the first Test and a solid batting show in the second, must have left the Indian team in good space. There will be two changes for sure from the previous Test with a fit-again Shubman Gill and skipper Rohit Sharma returning to the playing XI with Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel being the obvious exclusions. Rohit also disclosed that KL Rahul, who looked in great shape at the pole position in Perth, will be opening the innings in the second Test as well with the 36-year-old slotting himself "somewhere in the middle order."
The addition of pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy has beefed up India's batting, providing the depth they have rarely enjoyed in recent years. While it's a no-brainer that Harshit Rana will retain his place, off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar will most likely keep R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja out of the playing XI. A move that mirrors India's confidence and strategic clarity.
Teams
AUSTRALIA XI: Pat Cummins (captain), Usman Khwaja, Nathan McSweeney, Travis Head, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (wicket-keeper), Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon.
INDIA XI (likely): Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana.