CHENNAI: Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini and T Natarajan. These are the options India have to choose from as they head to Sydney on Monday for the third Test starting on Thursday. Despite winning the second Test, India are in line to make a couple of changes to their XI, following the arrival of Rohit Sharma and the injury to Umesh Yadav.
After joining the team, India are ready to welcome Rohit back into the XI. But the question is where exactly will he fit in? Since expressing his willingness to open in Tests, a proposal the team management was happy to accommodate, they haven't spoken about making him play in the middle-order. Back then head coach Ravi Shastri, drawing comparison to David Warner, said Rohit could play a similar role at the top.
But he has opened in only five of his 32 Tests, the last of which came more than a year ago.
While India can slot Rohit in the middle-order should they wish to bench Hanuma Vihari, Mayank Agarwal's poor form at the top means they have a window at the top.
In the eight innings he has played so far on the tour — two ODIs, one tour match and two Tests, Agarwal has posted only one fifty which came against Australia A.
Considering the Australian bowling has worked out that he has struggled, this may allow the visitors to pair Rohit with Shubman Gill at the top, while retaining Vihari, a batsman they value.
Like Agarwal, even Vihari doesn't have a big score to his name in the two Tests. But between the two, he has looked more compact. More over, by Rohit's own words, he finds opening comfortable as it frees up his mind and there is a freedom to play his own game, which isn't possible in the middle-order. Since joining the team in Melbourne, he has gone about spending time with Gill to make the youngster feel comfortable.
But the bigger call is down to playing the third pacer behind Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Between Thakur, Saini and Natarajan, only the former has featured in a Test, but that lasted only 1.4 overs because of a groin injury.
However all three offer something different and India hasn't locked one of them as they want to take the final call after seeing the pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Thakur can be counted upon to deliver long spells and in 62 first-class matches has 206 wickets. He is also handy with the bat. But he isn't express quick, something that could work against him.
Asked to stay back after the limited-overs leg, Natarajan has been troubling the Indian batsmen in the nets and has been working closely with bowling coach Bharathi Arun.
Despite making rapid strides in his first tour, India feel it is too early to include him in the Tests. Which leaves India with Saini, a bowler who offers them pace, something this team clearly prefers.
The Indian team management believes Saini's extra pace can be the difference, especially with regards to cleaning up the tail – an area they have struggled in. Although he can be expensive at times, Saini can get the ball to hurry up.
He can also bowl well-directed short balls. Unlike the other two, he has been part of the Test squad since the New Zealand tour, something India feel makes him match-ready. Fitness permitting, Saini can dream of making his Test debut in Sydney. This is, of course, subject to Covid protocols considering both Saina and Rohit were isolated following an incident in Melbourne on Friday.