KL Rahul and Shubman Gill showed good intent in Adelaide: Cheteshwar Pujara
India’s batting struggles continued on Day 1 of the Adelaide Test against Australia, but Cheteshwar Pujara pointed out a silver lining: KL Rahul and Shubman Gill’s intent at the crease. Their 69-run partnership was the only substantial stand in an otherwise dismal performance by the Indian batting lineup.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Pujara praised the duo for their initial pitch assessment and handling of Australia’s bowlers, though he acknowledged that their inability to convert the start into a big score ultimately hurt the team. India faced an immediate setback as Mitchell Starc dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal on the very first ball of the pink-ball Test. Despite the early loss, Rahul and Gill steadied the innings for a brief period, combining resilience with a touch of aggression.
AUS vs IND, 2nd Test Day1: Highlights
“Their intent was really good. They were quite positive. They forced the bowlers to move their length because they were pitching it up. They played really well, but they forced the Aussie bowlers to go back off length and that’s where I think we didn’t tackle that well. Most of the dismissals from our top order, apart from Yashasvi, KL got out to a ball which was rising a bit, Virat got out to a ball which was back of length. He wasn’t decisive whether to play or leave that ball, and Gil got out to a fuller ball,” Pujara said.
“So we didn’t tackle the back of the length balls well, which is the key, especially with the new ball. With the pink ball and I felt that that middle order could have batted a bit better,” he added.
However, once their partnership was broken, with KL Rahul getting dismissed for 37 and Shubman for 31, India’s batting crumbled again—a recurring theme in this series. From a precarious 69/2, the side slid to 180 all out, with Nitish Kumar Reddy’s fighting 42 being the only other bright spot in the innings.
Starc Dominates with the Pink Ball
Mitchell Starc showcased his mastery under the lights, exploiting the pink ball’s movement to devastating effect. His 6/48 spell ripped through India’s lineup, exposing weaknesses in technique and temperament. While Gill and Rahul handled the Australian pacers better than their teammates, players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Rishabh Pant fell victim to Starc and Scott Boland without making significant contributions.
India’s bowlers, in contrast, struggled to find breakthroughs. Jasprit Bumrah provided the only moment of joy, dismissing Usman Khawaja and marking his 50th Test wicket of the year—a feat that placed him in elite company alongside Kapil Dev and Zaheer Khan. However, Australia ended the day at a comfortable 86/1, trailing by just 94 runs with plenty of wickets in hand.
Work Ahead for India
The Adelaide Test left the Rohit Sharma-led side with a daunting task heading into Day 2. While Rahul and Gill’s partnership gave a glimpse of what’s possible, the team needs its star-studded lineup to step up and counter Australia’s disciplined bowling. With the hosts in a commanding position, India’s bowlers will need to emulate their Perth heroics to bring the team back into contention.
