KL Rahul will bowl “wherever”, India have a problem ahead of the second Test against Australia after Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are likely to be fit, KL Rahul told reporters on Wednesday.
The 54-Test veteran played his first Test at Perth which India lost by 295 runs, and subbed for Yashasvi Jaiswal who was left to take care of Rohit, who was at home for his second child’s birth.
Gill, number three also missing out on the match due to thumb injury, but will both be available for the day-night series which begins in Adelaide on Friday, leaving selectors headaches.
Rahul and Jaiswal had a 201-run second innings opening partnership in Perth that came in handy for claiming victory, with both back to pad-up.
Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel would probably go in place of Rohit and Gill but who will bat where is yet to be decided.
“They told me and I’ve also been told not to tell anybody,” Rahul was asked by reporters when asked if he knows where he will bat in Adelaide.
‘I just want to be in the playing XI. Fit me in wherever. I want to go out and bat and play for the team.
“Fortunately for me I’ve batted in different positions,” he said.
“Top of the order, middle order, if I can bowl the first 30-40 balls in the start then all that seems normal and that’s what I try to focus on.
Rahul struck a patient 26 in Perth first innings and 77 in the partnership with Jaiswal who knocked 161.
Indians will go into the second test of the five-Test series feeling a lot more comfortable, they are not used to pink ball cricket as much as Australia.
And Adelaide has served the home side well as they have won all seven day-night Tests there, including against India in 2020-21 when the tourists were dismissed for 36.
Rahul hasn’t played a day-night Test match and so asked some of his teammates for tips on how to bat an swinging pink ball in the dark.
“This is my first pink-ball Test match, so I am not having the experience as some other players are,” he said.
“All it is is just chatting to the guys, who played and try to figure out what was that hard for them and how did they handle and did they change.