IND vs AUS: Pujara Wants Rahul to Retain Opening Spot Despite Rohit's Availability For Adelaide Test

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Cheteshwar Pujara is hopeful that KL Rahul retains the opening spot alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in the second Test against Australia in Adelaide despite the arrival of skipper Rohit Sharma.

Rohit's absence in the series opener in Perth saw Rahul move to the top of the order from the middle order. Jaiswal scored a memorable hundred while Rahul too was impressive, collecting 26 and 77 in the two innings in Perth.

Pujara, the rock of Indian batting on the previous two tours of Australia, feels the opening combination should not be tinkered with after a 295-run win in the series opener.

"I think, for some reason if we can carry on with the same batting order, like KL and Yashasvi to open, Rohit could come in at three, and Shubman could come in at five," Pujara said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo.

The 36-year-old, who is currently doing commentary in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, added that Rahul can bat number three should Rohit want to open with a potentially injury-returning Shubman Gill moving into the middle-order.

"If Rohit wants to open, KL should bat at No. 3. Nothing later than that. I think he has to bat top of the order, because it suits his game really well. I hope we don't tinker around with that," Pujara added.

"Ideally No. 5 (for Gill). Because it allows him to come in at a time, even if we lose two wickets early, he is someone who can negotiate the new ball. But if he walks in after, say, 25 or 30 overs, he can play his shots. He can play his natural game.

"And in case we lose the first three wickets early, Gill walks in and saves Rishabh Pant for the old ball. [Pant] doesn't have to face the new ball. I wouldn't want him to walk in to bat when the ball is hard and new," Pujara said.

Gill, who missed the first Test due to a thumb injury, is also expected to feature in the playing eleven in the day-night Test beginning December 6 after the young batter was seen batting in the nets on Friday (November 29).

Gill has opened the batting in Australia but has now moved down to number three. If he does pass fit for the second Test, then Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel will make way for the returning duo of Gill and Rohit.

Rohit linked up with the Indian camp last week during the Perth Test, and is available for the remainder of the series, having missed the series opener due to personal reasons.

Rohit and India also play a two-day pink-ball warm up game in Canberra ahead of the second Test in Adelaide. An India XI will take on Prime Minister's XI from November 30 to December 1 at the Manuka Oval.