India Shifts Focus to Brisbane for Third Test amid Changing Dynamics

The jamboree will now be held in Brisbane, the city where they achieved a historic win three years ago. The unforgettable victory at the Gabba, where Australia had maintained an unbeaten record since 1988, secured a series triumph that will go down as one of the most surprising in history.

The belief in the squad had stood out then and that is what India will need again as this series gets set for the third Test. Rohit Sharma and Co have some decisions to make before the match gets underway on December 14.

Rohit’s batting spot

The big decision for India will be about their skipper’s batting position. He has now spent time in Australia and should be back up to Test pace. So, does that mean a move back to the top of the line-up is in order?

Rohit scored 3 and 6 at Adelaide while KL Rahul made 37 and 7, but if one looks at their overall record as opener, Rohit (44.01) is better than Rahul (35.03), and that may be key for the team management. There is also every chance that the older pro might decide to go on the counterattack early in the innings. That could also present Australia with a different problem to begin with.

The 37-year-old Rohit didn’t look great in the nets though. He was beaten multiple times over his one-hour session in the net. He first batted with Pant and looked comfortable against the spinners but the pacers seemed to catch him out often.

However, one shouldn’t read too much into this because it wasn’t exactly clear what the skipper was attempting to work on. The bowlers, though, had shiny new red balls in their hand and were clearly not holding back.

Time for Akash Deep?

Rohit has put his weight behind the young Harshit Rana (16-2-86-0 in Adelaide), but it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore Akash Deep. The latter was in fine rhythm during the nets on Tuesday.

He was getting the ball to come back in sharply, and he tends to attack the stumps too. This is what worked for India at Perth and with Gabba expected to have some good bounce as well, Deep’s line of attack might work for the visitors.

When asked about Rana’s performance in Adelaide, and whether the team had considered playing Deep instead, Rohit had said: “Rana didn’t do anything wrong in the first Test. Whatever he did, he did well. He gave the team crucial breakthroughs when they needed them. I believe that if someone hasn’t done anything wrong, then it can’t be done because what confidence does the team have that you give me one match and you give away the other match. This is not good for any player or team. I understand this.

“We should see what the situation is and how helpful the conditions are. But see, judging someone after a match is not the right thing. We always keep the options open for any player to play. We have to win this Test. If we have to make such changes to win this Test, then we will.”

Akash is usually pretty accurate and that will allow the team to keep the pressure on Australia for a longer period. The final decision may also depend on how the bowlers shape up in Brisbane. But for now, it looks like Deep has the edge.

Spin tweak?

India played Washington Sundar in the first Test and Ravichandran Ashwin in the second. Could it perhaps be time to look at Ravindra Jadeja in the third?

There is very little to choose between the three — they can all bat, but Australia’s left-handers have meant that India have leaned towards the off-spinners so far. But Jadeja’s fielding and his overall batting form could allow him to add much needed steel to the team.

With spinners not really playing a major role in the series, it may not mean much but Jadeja can sometimes produce magic moments in the field and that alone may be worth his price of admission into the playing XI.

Rest for Bumrah, Siraj

While many of the younger pacers had a good workout in the nets, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were kept on the back burner, and that is a good thing as well. The two have been India’s best bowlers by a fair distance and India hope to have them play all the five Tests.

They arrived around 30 minutes after the net session began and went straight to the gym for a stretching session. They will hit the nets hard in Brisbane, which is where the team leaves for on Wednesday.