Time for India to revisit playing combination

The Indian team’s heavy reliance on all-rounders will be tested by a plucky Australia in the second ODI but the spotlight will continue to stay firmly on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom would look to turn back the clock with series-saving knocks here on Thursday.

The opening ODI of the three-match rubber was a forgettable affair for India with multiple stoppages at Perth that affected the momentum of their batting unit, eventually leading to a seven-wicket loss.

The bowling unit also failed to impress but to be fair to the likes Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel, the batters gave them only 136 to defend.

The challenges at the Adelaide Oval won’t be any different with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood once again set to ask probing questions down that “corridor of uncertainty”, relentlessly.

With the Australian summer just about starting, there would be bounce and lateral movement on the country’s fresh tracks, combining for conditions that can deflate the best in the business.

With a talent like Yashasvi Jaiswal warming the bench, there is enormous pressure on Rohit Sharma to perform and the former skipper arrived at the Adelaide Oval practice arena at least 45 minutes before some of the members joined him for an optional net session.

And the only person from the coaching staff who was present at the nets was head coach Gautam Gambhir. He was accompanied by two throw-down specialists -- Dayanand Garani and Raghavendra. The other coaching staff came some time later.

The absence of Hardik Pandya always affects the balance of the white-ball set-up and it is once again evident in Australia where Pandya, the medium pacer, who can crank up to 140 clicks, is being missed.