India pulled off a remarkable win in the first Test of the series in Perth, emerging victorious by 295 runs. As they gear up for the pink-ball Test in Adelaide, the team management does have a conundrum to solve.

Captain and opener Rohit Sharma, and batter Shubman Gill, are expected to return but how they fit back is not quite straightforward given the exceptional display by KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order last time out.

Here, we try to work through India's ideal batting line-up.

Abhishek Mukherjee, Wisden India head of content

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma

KL Rahul was India’s best batter against the new ball in the first innings at Perth. In the second innings, he adapted well, dug deep, and – along with Yashasvi Jaiswal – helped set up the platform that enabled India to set an insurmountable target.

On his previous tour of Australia, a debutant Shubman Gill opened batting and immediately showed that he belonged to the big league. Over the time, he lost his opening slot to young Jaiswal, but seems to have found his mojo at one-drop. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, the incumbent four and five, will follow.

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That brings one to Rohit Sharma, whose recent Test career has been characterised by early strokeplay. It may not be a great idea against the pink ball, but Rohit had demonstrated an ability to dig deep before, particularly in England in 2021. However, the runs have dried up of late for him, especially in this format, and a change in batting position may help sort that out. At that position, he may also be required to negotiate the second new ball.

Of course, a day-night Test can be tricky, so expect batters to be promoted or demoted based on how much the ball darts around. One of the all-rounders may be sent up the order, or a specialist held back to see off the day.

Naman Agarwal, Wisden India news editor

KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma

No.6 might feel a little too low for the captain of the side, particularly one who doesn't bowl, but with the kind of zone Rahul looks to be in, it would be criminal not to give him another opportunity at facing the new ball.

I wouldn't mind Rohit at three and Gill at six either. That would give Rohit more of a chance of setting the tone of the innings from the top and Gill the freedom to express himself in the middle order. But the same can be said for Rohit at six.

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The Pant-Rohit nexus at five and six can cause immense damage, especially if they come in after a decent start. The mantra of this team also seems to be that of senior players taking the responsibility of shuffling around the batting order as and when needed, as we saw with Kohli in Bengaluru, and there's merit in that.

Another aspect of Rohit batting at six would be his ability to take the tail along with him. Lower order partnerships will be (as they have been) crucial, and Rohit might be the best among the Indian batters at navigating them.

Shubham Pandey, Wisden India social media manager

Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill

I can see where the idea of moving Rohit Sharma to the middle order and opening with KL Rahul and Jaiswal is coming from, but I have a different view on this. I believe Rohit should keep opening the batting, with Rahul taking the No. 3 spot.

I reason that as the captain, Rohit should be the one to fight his time at the crease to set the tone for his team, and as an opener, Rohit can not only do this, but can score big for his team and lead by example. I would surely give him a chance to shut out the noise and to remember how solid he was against England earlier this year.

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While I also understand it is harsh to push Shubman Gill down to No. 6, I think with his versatility and skill, it won’t be a significant issue. It might actually help him express himself more freely and play his natural game without the extra pressure of being in the top order.

KL Rahul batting at No. 3 makes sense because of his consistency and ability to dig in deep and hold the innings together. If there’s anyone who can step into the role of wearing down Australian bowlers, especially like Cheteshwar Pujara did on the last couple of tours, it’s Rahul.

Atri Sanfui, Wisden India staff writer

KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma

With captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill back, India will undergo at least two changes to the side that played in Perth. During the tour game against Australia Prime Minister’s XI, the tourists persisted with openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, the pair which put up a decisive partnership in the first Test.

Given Rohit, who opened in Tests since 2019, batted at No.4 during the practice fixture, India will most likely keep the opening combination intact.

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Gill automatically slots back at three in place of Devdutt Padikkal, having recovered from a finger injury. He has been India’s second-highest run-scorer in Tests this year – 806 runs at an average of 47.41 – and looked good en route to his fifty during the warm-up match. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant are certain to bat at four and five.

The only place to accommodate Rohit is in the middle order, in place of Dhruv Jurel, who played the series opener at six, on the back of consecutive fifties in the preceding ‘A’ series.

Rahul Iyer, Wisden India staff writer

KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma

Three of India's top six – Jaiswal, Kohli and Pant – should be set in stone. At the risk of falling to recency bias, the Jaiswal-Rahul show in Perth has convinced me that India should stick with this opening pair for the pink-ball Test at least. At this point in time, they look better-suited to seeing off the new ball.

To me, Rohit's recent struggles seem to come from a place of not picking up length as quickly as usual – combine that with some iffy pink-ball visibility and a moving ball at the top of the order, and it could be more of the same.

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I understand the temptation to move Gill into the middle-order, but he's just started to get comfortable at No.3. Besides, his game looks tailor-made to handle the extra bounce on Australian wickets. He is also talented enough, and looks confident enough, to work out any concerns around his technique against the ball coming back into him.

In any case, India’s choice of bowlers (which I thought was not ideal in Perth) for this match should have a more significant bearing on this result than the order of batters.

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