Will Rohit Sharma make way for KL Rahul at the top in Adelaide?

Returning captain Rohit Sharma is set to rejoin the Indian playing XI for the second Test in Adelaide replacing young Devdutt Padikkal However the positioning of inform KL Rahul in the pinkball warmup game in Canberra is likely to spark significant discussion The decision largely hinges on whether the injured Shubman Gill is fit in time for the match If he fails to recover Rahul could be moved to number three filling Padikkalrsquos spot There is however a growing opinion that the team could benefit if Rohit were to bat in the middle order ideally at numbers five or sixWhile Rahul was originally considered a temporary opener due to Rohits absence leading into the first Test in Perth he has since proven his worth at the top of the order Technically Rahul has been the most solid of all Indian batsmen across both innings at Optus Stadium scoring 26 and 77 showcasing his adaptability and skillHaving already played an India A game at the MCG and now a Test match Rahul has settled nicely at the top of the orderThe Indian captain who is also searching for runs has been opening in Test matches for the past five yearsRohits numbers with the willow has been a bit underwhelming during the five home Tests but those were played on difficult tracks On Australian pitches with true carry and bounce he could get back to form with liberal usage of the horizontal bat shotsAlso ReadGreg Chappell wants all talk of Bumrahrsquos action to endGill who has suffered a hairline fracture during the intrasquad game at the WACA missed the first Test and is yet to start batting in the netsUnless Gill gets adequate net practice the team management might not risk him with only a couple of training sessions available with pink ball in Adelaide If he is fit then Dhruv Jurel will automatically get droppedSpin bowling options in AdelaideThe only possible tactical change in playing XI at the Adelaide Oval could be in spin bowlingThe two senior spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were benched in Perth at the expense of Washington SundarIf one goes back to the 2021 Pink Ball Test in Adelaide Ashwin with figures of 4 for 45 including a beauty to dismiss Steven Smith gave India the first innings lead before the 36all out happenedAlso ReadIts a perthfect start for IndiaBut going by current form in the nets there is not much to choose between Ashwin Jadeja and Washington at the moment There is also the fact that in Pink Ball Tests the spinners dont come into equation a lot and batting becomes keyJadejas batting has been key to Indias overseas Test success but the lefthanded Washington has also been more than a decent batter in Tests His 89run partnership with Virat Kohli in Perth was instrumental in taking India past the 500run leadAt the Adelaide Oval expect some rejigging in batting order if not in the playing XI