Rohit Sharma takes over Virat Kohli’s No. 4 spot in India vs PM’s XI match, manages to score 3 runs

Rohit had arrived in Australia midway through the Perth Test.

India cricket team’s captain, Rohit Sharma, decided that he’d let KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal continue as openers in the India vs Prime Minister’s (PM) XI. That decision may seem shocking, but as captain of the team, it was the right call. To sacrifice your spot isn’t a small thing, but that’s what Rohit did. It suggested that Rahul and Jaiswal would open in the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide as well.

Rohit Sharma replaces Virat Kohli at 4

Shubman Gill, India’s designated number three who missed the Perth Test due to injury, arrived in the middle after Yashasvi Jaiswal skied one in the air. However, what was truly shocking was Rohit coming in to bat at number four, the position that has belonged to Virat Kohli since 2013. After the 18th over, Team India decided that Rahul had batted enough and someone new had to come in.

Kohli, who didn’t field in the India vs PM’s XI match, didn’t come to bat at number four either. Instead, Rohit arrived to join Gill. He hadn’t played a game since the Wankhede Test last month and needed some game time before the Day and Night game and therefore came in Kohli’s place.

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Spot change bears no fruit

The move, however, didn’t work wonders, as Rohit managed to score just 3 runs, edging a full ball outside off to the fielder at the first slip and walked back after facing just 11 balls. There is no use in judging where the Indian captain stands after facing a handful of balls, that too under the lights while facing the pink ball.

Uncertainty over India’s batting order for Pink ball Test

No one has a clue about what Team India’s batting order will look like in the India vs Australia 2nd Test. Neither Kohli nor Rishabh Pant came out to bat, both of whom will start in Adelaide. The question is, will Rahul and Jaiswal continue to open? If yes, then does Rohit bat at 4 or 5? Or will Gill be moved down the order? Can we expect the Indian captain, who used to bat at 5 from 2013-18, to return to his old position for the team?