Perth Test: Will India pick KL Rahul as opener against Australia despite dip in form?

India started the year on a bright note in Tests at home, crushing England 4-1 and winning both the matches against Bangladesh. The recently-concluded series against New Zealand, however, proved to be a shocker, as India were whitewashed 0-3—their first series loss at home since 2013.

Indian batters, especially seniors like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, were brutally exposed on spin-friendly pitches. Up next is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting on November 22, in Perth, where the pitch and conditions are going to be vastly different.

With skipper Rohit Sharma likely to miss the first Test in Perth as his wife is expecting their second child, all eyes are on his possible replacement as the opener. Young Yashasvi Jaiswal has been promising at the top, adjusting his game according to the conditions and match situations. But he hasn't had much support from Sharma at the other end.

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KL Rahul is likely to be drafted into the playing XI to partner Jaiswal at the top, despite an ordinary run in Tests this year, which saw him getting dropped after the first match against the Kiwis in Bengaluru. He scored 0 and 12 in that Test. Rahul has played five Tests this year, at an average of 33.42 and highest score of 86.

He has primarily batted in the middle order in Tests, but may be considered for the opener's role given Sharma's unavailability. The other option is to promote Shubman Gill to the top from the middle-order, or bring in Abhimanyu Easwaran. In fact, both Rahul and Easwaran opened in the first innings for India A in the ongoing unofficial Test at Melbourne. While Easwaran was out for a duck, Rahul scored four runs. Interestingly, none of the India A players, except Rahul, had ever played a match at the iconic MCG. India are set to play the Boxing Day Test there from December 26.

In the first unofficial Test between India A and Australia A in Mackay, too, Easwaran disappointed, scoring only seven and 12 in the two innings. Rahul did not play that match.

There will be a warm-up match between India and India A at Perth, on November 15, ahead of the first match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. It will probably be the last chance for both Easwaran and Rahul to stake a claim for the opener's slot. Rahul's experience might tilt the scales in his favour, having scored centuries in Australia, England and South Africa. But his overall record as an opener isn't too promising—Rahul has scored 2,551 runs in 75 innings at an average of 34.94.

Having failed to win a single Test in the series against New Zealand, India need four wins from the five Tests in Australia to qualify for the World Test Championship Final.