India kept their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship final alive with a resounding win over Australia in the first Test of the five-match series. Not only did they become the first team to win at the Optus Stadium but they did so by a 295-run margin, their biggest in Australia in terms of runs.

What makes their feat even more remarkable is that they were without Mohammed Shami, one of their premier fast bowlers, and captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. While Gill is the incumbent No.3, Rohit has not relinquished the opening slot since he was promoted in 2019.

At Perth, India had replaced Gill with Devdutt Padikkal, who had made 65 on debut, against England at Dharamshala earlier this year but had not played since. Now, he struggled throughout his 23-ball duck in the first innings but looked better during his 25 in the second.

Despite that, there is little doubt that Gill will replace him in the second Test match, at Adelaide. Rohit’s case, on the other hand, is trickier.

India could have replaced Rohit with an opener straight away, but they chose not to. Instead, they promoted KL Rahul to the top – and one can understand why. After being dropped from the Test side in 2023, Rahul returned as a specialist keeper who batted at No.6, and responded with a hundred for the ages at Centurion.

He then made 86 and 22 against England at Hyderabad, got injured, was recalled, and lost his place after he failed against New Zealand at Bengaluru. Before the Perth Test, Rahul averaged only 34.26 (34.94 as opener), but at the top, he had a hundred in each of Australia and South Africa, and two in England.

Here, he made 26 (before getting a controversial dismissal) and 77. There is little doubt over his selection, as there is over his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal’s, who celebrated his first Test in Australia with an emphatic 161.

If Rohit has to return, thus, it will be for Dhruv Jurel, who had replaced the No.6 spot vacated by Rahul. On the tour as reserve wicketkeeper, Jurel had made 190 runs at 63.33 in his first Test series, against England at home earlier this year. This included the 90 and 39 not out at Ranchi, efforts that won him the Player of the Match award. At Perth, Jurel made 11 and 1, and will almost certainly make way for Rohit at Adelaide.

However, that will not answer the other question, of who will open at Adelaide. With two double hundreds (and several fifties) at home and 161 at Perth, Jaiswal – also the only left-hander in the mix – is a certainty at the top. As for his partner, it will come down to whether Rohit, the incumbent and the captain, backs himself over Rahul, who impressed so much at Perth.

If Rohit does open with Jaiswal, Rahul will have to return to six. Otherwise, Rohit will bat at that place, after Gill, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant, the incumbent three, four, and five. Rohit has batted at No.6 twenty-five times, averaging 54.57, but hasn't occupied that spot since 2018.

That question, along with a couple around India’s potential bowling combination, may be answered during India’s tour match at Canberra.

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