Border-Gavaskar Trophy: KL keeps batting line-up a closely guarded secret

KL Rahul has refused to divulge the makeup of India’s opening partnership for the second Test against Australia amid speculation that he will drop down the order to make way for returning captain Rohit Sharma.

Rohit missed India’s comprehensive victory in the series opener in Perth to care for his newborn baby in Mumbai but has since joined the squad ahead of the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval, which begins on Friday.

Rahul filled in for Rohit at the top of the order at Perth Stadium and forged a 201-run opening stand with Yashashvi Jaiswal to put India on course for victory.

With Rohit scoring just one fifty in his last 10 Test innings, India may be tempted to retain the opening combination from Perth and slot Rohit into the middle order instead.

Rahul knows where he will play but was keeping his cards close to his chest on Wednesday.

“I have been told but I have also been told not to share it,” the 32-year-old said, sporting a mischievous smile.

“You’ll have to wait for Day 1 or when captain comes here tomorrow,” added the right-hander, whose 77 in Perth was crucial to India’s big second-innings total.

Rahul said the only thing that mattered to him was that he is in the starting line-up.

“I just want to be in the playing 11, go out there and bat and play for the team,” he said. “Early on, when I was asked to bat at different positions, it was a bit of a challenge mentally. How to play those first 20-25 balls? What shots can I play? How early can I attack? How much I needed to be cautious? Now that I have played ODIs and Tests all over the place, it has given me an idea as to how I need to manage my innings.”

Rahul has yet to play a Day-Night Test match and has therefore turned to some of his teammates for advice on how to handle a swinging pink ball under the lights.

“This will be my first pink-ball Test match, so I don’t have the game experience like some other players have,” he said. “It is just about speaking to the guys who have played and try and understand what are the things that they found hard and how did they manage and if they made any changes.”

Not focussing just on Bumrah or Kohli: Lyon

Adelaide: India is a team of superstars, and the Australian side is not focused on countering just players like Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli but the entire group, spinner Nathan Lyon said. In the buildup to the Border Gavasakar Trophy and after India’s emphatic 295-run win in the series-opener, the chatter has revolved around specific Indian players including Kohli and Bumrah. “I look at the Indian squad and see a group of superstars. Cricket, however, is a team game, winning requires the entire side to perform well. India boasts extraordinary players like Bumrah and others, but it’s not just about the superstars,” Lyon said. “The rest of the Indian squad is also incredibly talented. They’re an incredible cricket team. We’re not focusing solely on any one player, that’s for sure. We have nothing but respect for every Indian cricketer who takes the field on Friday. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to compete. We respect them, but we’re determined to play our brand of cricket and compete hard against a quality side. India is one of the best teams in the world,” he added. pti