India Makes Three Changes and Chooses to Bat First in Second Cricket Test Against Australia.

ADELAIDE, Australia — In a strategic move, Rohit Sharma made a comeback in India's starting lineup for the second test against Australia. He won the toss and decided to bat first, making one of the three changes from the series-opening win.

Sharma missed the first test in Perth last week to be at home for the birth of his second child and paceman Jasprit Bumrah led India to a lopsided victory to start the five-match series.

Australia made one change with Scott Boland recalled to replace the injured Josh Hazlewood, who sustained a side strain while taking match figures of 5-57 from 34 overs in Australia’s heavy 295-run defeat in the first test.

Australia and India have met in only one day-night test previously – at the same venue in 2020, where India was bowled out for 36 runs in its second innings to lose by eight wickets.

It was India’s only loss in four pink-ball tests since 2019, having beaten Bangladesh, England and Sri Lanka at home.

Australia has played more pink ball tests than any other nation – 12 – and has lost only once, its most recent game against West Indies in Brisbane in January.

India has three changes, with Sharma returning in the middle order after India retained the opening pairing of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal following their match-winning 201-run partnership in Perth.

Shubman Gill recovered from his thumb injury and returned at No. 3 in the order. Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel miss out.

Offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin returned in place of Washington Sundar.

of the 22 pink-ball tests to date have ended in a draw, and both sets of bowlers once again are expected to be on top. There is an even layer of grass on the Adelaide Oval surface, and it might favor batters from day two onwards.

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Lineups:

Australia: Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins , Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaisval, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma , Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohamed Siraj.

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