Predicted India XI For 2nd BGT Test: India began the BGT 2024-25 series on a resounding note with a massive win by 295 runs in Perth. Jasprit Bumrah, the stand-in skipper and spearhead pacer, bagged the Man of the Match award for his 8 wickets in the match for only 72 runs. Siraj and debutant Harshit Rana supported him well.
In the batting department, India produced an impressive batting performance in the second innings after folding for only 150 runs in their first innings. Yashasvi Jaiswal hit his maiden Test century in Australia in his maiden Test match in the country, while Virat Kohli recorded his 7th Test ton on Australian soil.
The action will next move on to Adelaide. This will be a day-night contest, and it will be contested with a pink ball. India have horrific memories of their previous day-night Test in Adelaide when they were bowled out for only 36 runs four years ago but stage a historic comeback to win the series.
This time, not only are they leading the series, but they also are bolstered in their batting department. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are set to return to the lineup after missing the Perth Test.
Rohit missed the Perth Test due to the birth of his child, while Gill had sustained a thumb injury during training. Both featured in the practice match against PM’s XI on December 1. They will be replacing Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel in the lineup, but where they will be slotting is not confirmed yet.
This is because KL Rahul had a terrific game on his return to the opening role. In Perth, under testing conditions and against one of the greatest-ever Australian pace attacks, Rahul successfully and carefully saw off the new ball in both his innings.
Rahul scored 26 (74) and 77 (176) in Perth. As much as the runs were important, it was the amount of balls he negotiated and the time he spent at the crease that was crucial, especially in the second innings, as it allowed the other batsmen to breathe easy with the ball getting softer and the Aussie pacers tiring out.
In the warm-up match, while Gill returned to his No. 3 position and scored a breezy fifty, Rohit batted at No. 4 with Kohli rested, and Rahul opened the innings with Jaiswal. This is a huge indication, if not a tacit confirmation, that Rohit will take Jurel’s place in the middle order and Rahul will continue to open in Perth.
The rest of the playing XI is likely to be retained, barring any late injury. This would mean that Washington Sundar is expected to continue in the XI, with Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin on the bench.
Predicted India XI For 2nd BGT Test:
KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Rohit Sharma (C), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj
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