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Dhruv Jurel And...? Rohit Sharma Likely To Drop These 3 Players For 2nd Test vs Australia

Debashis Sarangi

Rohit will be back for Adelaide Test [Source: @ThalapathiRISHI/X, @CricCrazyJohns/X]Rohit will be back for Adelaide Test [Source: @ThalapathiRISHI/X, @CricCrazyJohns/X]

After securing an emphatic 295-run victory in the first Test in Perth, India are gearing up to face Australia in the second game of the ongoing five-match series. The high-voltage affair will take place at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia. 

In Rohit Sharma's absence, Jasprit Bumrah led the visitors to perfection, as they recorded a commanding win over the Aussies in Perth. Chasing a mammoth target, the hosts were bundled out for 238 runs, losing the game by a massive margin. 

However, considering Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are all set to be back for the second Test, India might drop a few notable names heading to the highly-anticipated encounter. So, as the visitors get ready for the Aussie challenge, here are three players who will likely sit out of this game. 

Dhruv Jurel

With KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal firing at the top, India are unlikely to change their opening combination for the Adelaide Test. In such a scenario, Rohit Sharma might play in the middle order, replacing Dhruv Jurel in the lineup. 

In fact, the Indian captain surprised everyone by batting in the middle order in the recently held warm-up match against the Australia Prime Minister's XI. So, as he makes a straight walk into the XI, Jurel has to make room for him. 

Devdutt Padikkal

India's promising batter Shubman Gill missed the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to a finger injury. However, he has recovered from the setback and looked sublime in the warm-up fixture. 

Therefore, Gill will make his return to the Indian Test XI, replacing Devdutt Padikkal in the lineup. Padikkal had a modest outing in the Perth Test, managing only 25 runs across two innings. So, Gill will be India's first-choice number three in the upcoming game in Adelaide.  

Nitish Kumar Reddy

Perth Stadium, which hosted the first India vs Australia Test, had extremely seam-friendly conditions. Therefore, India decided to keep an additional fast bowling option, including Nitish Reddy in their playing XI. 

However, the pitch in Adelaide will have lesser pace and bounce than that in Perth. Generally, the spinners find a hint of turn as the game progresses at this venue. This might prompt India to tinker with their four-seamer strategy and bring Ravindra Jadeja back into the mix. 

Considering the pink ball skids through, Jadeja could be a lethal spin weapon in Adelaide, courtesy of his accuracy and ability to nail the arm ball. He is also a solid batter against fast bowling and can add valuable runs to India's tally in the lower middle order.