A light-hearted exchange between Nathan Lyon and KL Rahul provided some comic relief during India’s first innings on Day 2 of the fourth Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. The banter, captured on the stump mic, occurred after Rohit Sharma’s dismissal for a low score, which led to some changes in India’s batting order.
Rohit Sharma’s struggles continued as he could only manage three runs off five balls before being dismissed by Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins. This came after Rohit had returned to his regular opening position for the Boxing Day Test. His continued failure with the bat highlighted the ongoing issues India faced with their top order. As a result, KL Rahul, who had previously been moved out of the opening slot, found himself batting at No. 3, a position he hadn’t occupied in recent times.
WATCH – Pat Cummins Delivers A Jaffa To Dismiss KL Rahul On Day 2
Just as KL Rahul prepared to face the next delivery, Lyon, ever the banter-loving character, quipped about Rahul’s shift in position. The Australian spinner was caught on the stump mic asking, “What did you do wrong to bat one down?” The playful comment added a moment of humour to the otherwise tense proceedings.
Was the change in #TeamIndia‘s batting order justified? Sanjay Manjrekar shares his thoughts! 🗣#AUSvINDOnStar 👉 4th Test, Day 2 | LIVE NOW! | #ToughestRivalry #BorderGavaskarTrophy pic.twitter.com/zvfQ04QlhA
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 27, 2024
KL Rahul has batted at No. 3 on a few occasions, including during India’s 2014 Boxing Day Test against Australia, but it’s not a position he frequents. The last time he batted at this spot in a Test match was during India’s 2018 series against England at Edgbaston.
— hsns (@sharmahu45) December 27, 2024
Meanwhile, former India selector MSK Prasad raised concerns over Rohit Sharma’s captaincy during the Test. Prasad pointed out that captaincy directly influences the team’s performance, and according to him, Rohit had not been proactive enough, especially when Sam Konstas was taking charge against India. Prasad cited an example where, despite the situation demanding a change in approach, Rohit persisted with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj for 11 overs, failing to explore other options.
ALSO READ: Netizens Slam Rohit Sharma’s Clueless Captaincy And Batting In Boxing Day Test
Prasad also compared Rohit’s leadership to that of his predecessors, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, both of whom had captained the team with great authority in previous Australian tours. He criticized Rohit’s lack of form, which started well before this tour, noting that Kohli and Rahane had set strong examples with their leadership and performances, with Rahane’s century at the MCG after the Adelaide collapse being a notable instance.
India’s team selection for the Boxing Day Test was also unconventional, with Shubman Gill left out of the playing XI. Instead, India opted to include three all-rounders, two of whom were spinners, showing their tactical adjustments for the conditions at the MCG.
