Rohit Sharma removes KL Rahul as opener, finalizes India’s new opening pair for MCG Test

India national cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma is likely to alter his batting position in the upcoming Test match against the Australia national cricket team. In-form batter KL Rahul will be demoted in the batting order during the fourth Test match of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series.

The fourth Test between India and Australia is scheduled to begin on Thursday, December 26, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. The highly anticipated five-match Test series is locked at 1-1. Fans are excited about the next match, with much anticipation surrounding the team combination.

Rohit Sharma To Open For Team In Boxing Day Test

RevSportz journalist Rohit Juglan took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share that Rohit Sharma will open the batting, with KL Rahul set to play at number three in the upcoming Test at the MCG.

"Breaking - Rohit Sharma to open - KL to play at 3 in MCG," Juglan wrote.

Breaking - Rohit Sharma to open - KL to play at 3 in MCG

— रोहित जुगलान Rohit Juglan (@rohitjuglan) December 25, 2024

India's batting has been the primary concern on the tour. The opening pair of Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal has forced Rohit to bat lower in the order. Rahul has been the leading run-getter for India, scoring 235 runs in six innings at an average of 47. In contrast, Rohit has managed only 19 runs in three innings.

Let's Not Worry About Who Bats Where - Rohit Sharma

However, Rohit Sharma admitted the struggles with India's batting order but declined to disclose any potential changes. He emphasized that the team would focus on what is best for their performance.

"Let's not worry about who bats where. (It is) something that we need to figure (out) and not something (that) I would be discussing here. We will do what is best for the team," Rohit said in the pre-match press conference.

On the other hand, Australia announced their playing XI for the upcoming Test match. Sam Konstas replaced Nathan McSweeney, who made his debut in the first Test. Scott Boland is returning to the playing XI after missing the last Test. Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the series due to injury.

Gill, Jaiswal, They're Both in the Same Boat - Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma stated that it would be unwise to alter the mindset and technique of players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal at this stage in their careers. He emphasized that Jaiswal should be allowed to play freely without burdening him with too many thoughts on his batting.

"Gill, Jaiswal, they're both in the same boat. You don't want to be telling Jaiswal too many things about his batting. He has come here for the first time and already shown what he's capable of. You don't want to tamper too much with his mindset. Let him be as free as possible and not overburdened with too many thoughts regarding his batting. He understands his batting more than any of us. It's about trying to figure out certain areas of his game." Rohit said.

Also read: Cheteshwar Pujara highlights Ravichandran Ashwin's Mid-Series retirement to remind Rohit Sharma what he's missing out on