India vs PM XI: Five takeaways for India from two-day tour game at Canberra

India might have answered questions regarding their opening pair for the second Test at Canberra on Sunday

India, in a rain-curtailed two-day tour game against Prime Minister’s XI, proved why they are not a team to be taken lightly as they won the match by six wickets, continuing their winning streak in Australia. The game was supposed to be a two-day match, but after Day 1 was washed out, it was reduced to a 50-over-a-side game for Day 2 on Sunday, December 1. The match was further shortened to 46 overs after more rain interruptions on Day 2.

 

Prime Minister’s XI, after being asked to bat first by Rohit Sharma, put 240 runs on the board despite a 107-run innings from Sam Konstas. Indian pacer Harshit Rana, with a fiery spell of 4 for 44, ripped apart the PM XI’s middle order.

 

 

In reply, India, with the help of a half-century from Shubman Gill and contributions in the 40s from Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Reddy, and Washington Sundar, chased down the target to secure a six-wicket win.

 

The match was supposed to provide India with much-needed game time with the pink ball ahead of their day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide, but how much did India capitalise? Let’s explore five takeaways from the India vs Prime Minister’s XI tour game.

 

1. New pace sensation in town 

One of India’s biggest takeaways from the tour game was Harshit Rana’s deadly bowling. While Indian vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah has been leading India’s pace attack across formats, he needed a consistent partner to complement him. Harshit, with his fiery spell on Sunday, proved that he is ready to take up the role and help India secure a 2-0 lead in the series after the second Test in Adelaide.

 

2. Gill is back 

Star Indian batter Shubman Gill, who was sidelined from the first Test in Perth due to a thumb injury, made an impressive return, scoring 50 runs to help India win before retiring out in the match. The team management will be happy to see their number three batter in good form ahead of the day-night second Test.

 

3. Skipper disappoints 

One negative takeaway from this tour game was skipper Rohit Sharma’s cheap dismissal. Rohit missed the Perth Test as he stayed back in India for personal reasons but is set to return for the second Test in Adelaide. However, his failure to perform with the pink ball might raise concerns, especially as KL Rahul, who opened in Perth in his absence, performed exceptionally well. 

 

4. Opening pair debate 

Skipper Rohit Sharma has almost ended the debate over whether KL Rahul, despite performing well alongside Gill in Perth, will be moved down the order once Rohit returns in Adelaide. However, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill might be seen opening the innings again in the second Test, with Rohit possibly batting at number five.

 

5. Short ball attack 

Indian pacers utilised the short ball effectively in Canberra, taking several wickets with this strategy. They may want to replicate this against the struggling Australian batting line-up in the second Test. However, this tactic could prove risky, as Adelaide’s square boundaries are not large, and batters might score more runs off short balls than lose wickets.