Rohit Sharma will bat down the order in Friday’s pink-ball second Test against Australia in Adelaide, with India’s returning skipper saying KL Rahul had earned his place as an opener.
Rohit, who usually opens, missed their 295-run first Test victory in Perth last week for the birth of his second child.
In his place, Rahul scored a patient 26 in the first innings then a solid 77 in a crucial 201-run opening stand with century-maker Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“KL will open. The way he batted and his partnership with Jaiswal was instrumental in that first Test win,” said Rohit on Thursday.
“The way he has batted outside India, he deserves it. I will bat somewhere in the middle.
“It was a fairly simple decision. Personally, it wasn’t easy, but for the team, it was an easy decision to make.”
Rohit would not reveal India’s starting XI, nor where exactly he will bat.
Meanwhile, Scott Boland will replace injured paceman Josh Hazlewood in Australia’s sole change for the second test, while all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been passed fit to bowl, captain Pat Cummins confirmed on Thursday.
Boland, 35, will play his first test since last year’s Ashes in England when he fronts up for the pink ball match at the Adelaide Oval starting on Friday.
Boland has been a fan favourite in Australia since his 2021 test debut at the age of 32, when he took an innings haul of 6-7 at his home Melbourne Cricket Ground to drive the hosts to a big win over England.
Cummins said Adelaide conditions suited the big Victorian quick.
“Traditionally here, there is normally a little bit of nip, which obviously suits Scotty quite well,” Cummins told media at the Adelaide Oval.
“All of last summer he was geared up to go, but no one fell over.
“It feels like it’s been quite a while (since Boland has played). As a captain, it’s pretty awesome to have someone like Scotty come straight in.
“You know he can bowl a huge amount of overs if needed, he is super consistent and has performed at this level.”
India leads the five-Test series 1-0.
