INDIA captain Rohit Sharma remained non-committal about his team’s lineup for the Boxing Day Test against Australia, indicating that a second spinner could be included.
The match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is expected to see temperatures soar to 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday. The pitch is predicted to favour fast bowlers, according to the curator earlier this week, but Rohit hinted at the possibility of a change in strategy.
"Whatever we have to do to make the best possible XI in these conditions, we will do that -- whether that is playing an extra spinner or not," Rohit said during a media interaction.
With off-spinning allrounder Ravichandran Ashwin retiring from international cricket after the Brisbane Test, Ravindra Jadeja is likely to retain his spot in the playing XI. Washington Sundar is another spin option being considered.
India’s pace attack has largely been carried by Jasprit Bumrah, who has performed strongly throughout the series.
However, the other fast bowlers have struggled to provide consistent support. Speedster Akash Deep replaced Harshit Rana after the latter’s poor performance in Brisbane and is expected to play alongside Mohammed Siraj and Nitish Kumar Reddy, should India stick with three pacers.
Despite the mixed performance from the pace attack, Rohit expressed confidence in his bowlers. “When you talk about our bowling unit, I have enough faith in all our bowlers to get the job done,” he said. “Anyone can have tough games or series. It doesn’t mean they are not good enough to perform at this level.”
Rohit himself has been under scrutiny, having missed the first Test in Perth for personal reasons. In the subsequent games in Adelaide and Brisbane, he batted at number six instead of opening, allowing Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to stay at the top of the order.
There is speculation that Rohit may open in Melbourne, but he deflected questions on the topic. “Let’s not worry about that,” he said. “I think who bats where is something that we need to figure out within ourselves. Whatever it takes for our team to look good or gives us the best chance to succeed, we’ll try and do that.”
The series is currently tied at 1-1. India secured a dominant 295-run victory in Perth but suffered a 10-wicket defeat in Adelaide. The third Test in Brisbane ended in a draw due to persistent rain.
(With inputs from AFP)
Pakistan fans are seen outside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Satish Kumar