IND vs AUS: 3 bold decisions Team India must make against Australia in Brisbane Test

Team India will have their task cut out when the Test against Australia gets underway at Brisbane’s The Gabba on Saturday (14 December). India, under Jasprit Bumrah’s captaincy, scripted a spirited comeback in the first Test in Perth after being bowled out for 150 in the first innings, with the visitors winning by 295 runs. Regular skipper Rohit Sharma returned for the second Test in Adelaide, which was a pink ball affair, but questionable tactics led to batting collapses in both innings as India suffered a 10-wicket loss.

A defeat in such a fashion means that changes could be in the offing and having said that, India will need to make a few bold decisions ahead of the Brisbane Test.

Rohit Sharma to return as an opener?

Rohit Sharma’s move to demote himself down to the middle-order for the second Test in Adelaide backfired big time. The move from the Indian skipper to do so came at a time when KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal had come fresh off a double-century partnership in the first Test in Perth.

Sure, Rohit demoting himself down the order was in itself a big sacrifice, and a bold decision, and even though that was an eleventh-hour pick, it probably wasn’t the right time to make that call, especially with a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) at stake.

The possibility that Rohit moving to the middle-order would backfire was evident even during India’s practice match against Australia Prime Minister’s XI, when Rohit was dismissed for three off 11 balls. After all, Rohit was returning to the middle-order in Tests for the first time in six years, so there wasn’t any assurance as to how he would turn up in Adelaide.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise if Rohit returns to his openers’ slot along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, because that is where he can bat aggressively and with full freedom. Barring a couple of centuries against England this year, Rohit has not had a fruitful year as far as Tests are concerned, but a return to the top order could put him in good stead psychologically.

Harshit Rana to be dropped?

After an impressive start to his Test career in Perth, where he picked four wickets, pacer Harshit Rana returned forgettable figures of 0/86 in the second Test in Adelaide during Australia’s first innings. While it would be unfair to drop Harshit after only one bad performance, such is the situation currently that India cannot afford to take any more risks. This is why the team management could bring in Akash Deep, who is also new to the Test setup but has impressed during net sessions and in matches at home.

What works in Rana’s favour is that he did perform quite brilliantly in the warm-up match against Australia PM’s XI, registering figures of 4/44. Harshit also has the ability to extract bounce, which could help India in Brisbane. Akash Deep, on the other hand, is known to be more versatile due to the seam and swing movement that he brings to the table.

He has proven his mettle on multiple occasions too, most recently during India’s home series against Bangladesh in September. In this case, going by form, it would only make sense to go with Akash Deep ahead of Harshit, but it will be a tough decision to make.

Washington Sundar in for R Ashwin?

Another possibility is Washington Sundar coming in place of Ravichandran Ashwin.

India had picked Ashwin over Washington for the Adelaide Test but the former endured a disappointing outing with figures of 1/53. While Washington has the ability to extract bounce, Ashwin is someone who depends on the variation of deliveries to take wickets.

Since his century against Bangladesh in Chennai in September, Ashwin has not played any substantial role with the bat and Washington, in the lower middle-order could be a solution for that thanks to his ability to provide resistance. This is not to underestimate Ashwin’s talent, but it is in moments like these when tough decisions need to be taken as per the match situation. After all, Washington knows the Gabba quite well, having starred for India in 2020, the last time India played at the venue.