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The Stumps Show: Can India Make It 2-0?

December 05, 2024 12:46 IST

Prem Panicker previews the day-night Test at Adelaide.

Jasprit Bumrah

IMAGE: Jasprit Bumrah played a key role in India's win in the first test at Perth. Photograph: BCCI/X

There are many intriguing elements to the second Test in the Border Gavaskar Trophy -- a day/night encounter at Adelaide beginning December 6.

India, on a high after a thumping win in the first Test at Perth, returns to the venue where they were bowled out for 36 in the 2020-21 series.

That was India's only defeat in the four day/night games the side has played thus far, and a team in form and on a high will want to wipe that memory out.

Against that Australia -- which had won 11 straight day/night games -- suffered its first defeat in the format at the hands of the West Indies earlier this year.

That is not a memory the home side will want to carry into the forthcoming encounter.

Both sides have issues with team selection. For Australia, it includes forced changes thanks to the non-availability of Josh Hazelwood and the question mark over Mitchell Marsh's fitness.

For India, it is a problem of plenty -- Rohit Sharma and Shubhman Gill are back, and the team management has to solve questions around who to drop, and also who takes which batting position.

The wicket is, as per reports, well grassed and promises pace and bounce over the first three days before it settles down and begins to assist spin.

The weather forecast, which indicates possibilities of a thunderstorm sometime in the afternoon of day one, adds a layer of intrigue, over the question of how the pitch will behave in the wake of rain.

We discuss these, and other questions, in the lead-up to the Test in this installment of The Stumps Show.

 

Rediff.com's Production Team: Hitesh Harisinghani, Rajesh Karkera, Manisha Kotian, Satish Bodas.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani

PREM PANICKER