India is gearing up for a shake-up in their batting lineup for the Boxing Day Test, with captain Rohit Sharma expected to return to the opening spot. According to various media reports, Rohit will team up with Yashasvi Jaiswal to kick off the batting in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the MCG in Melbourne on Thursday. It’s also being reported that KL Rahul will move up to No. 3, taking over from Shubman Gill, who will drop down the order.

This change might be a wake-up call for Shubman Gill, especially since his last Test fifty outside India was back in 2021.

Rohit has struggled in the middle order during this series. After coming back for the Adelaide pink-ball Test, he batted lower down the order because of the strong performance from the opening duo of Jaiswal and Rahul in the Perth Test. Unfortunately, Rohit managed only 19 runs across three innings while batting at number six, with a top score of just 10. Still, he boasts a solid average of 48.00 in 18 Tests at that position, racking up 1,056 runs, including three centuries and six fifties.

Rohit has had a tough time in the current Test season, which kicked off with the home series against Bangladesh. He’s managed to rack up just 152 runs in seven matches, averaging a concerning 11.69, and has only hit one fifty. Overall this year, he’s scored 607 runs across 13 Tests and 24 innings, with a below-average of 26.39, including two centuries and two fifties. His highest score stands at 131.

Since stepping into the opener role in 2019, Rohit has been a standout player for India in Test cricket. In 42 matches as an opener, he’s accumulated 2,685 runs in 64 innings, boasting an average of 44.01, along with nine centuries and eight fifties. His top score is 212. He’s also been a key player in the ICC World Test Championship, scoring 2,704 runs at an average of 42.25 over 39 Tests and 67 innings, with nine centuries and eight fifties.

When asked about his batting position, Rohit said, "Let’s not worry about who bats where. Something that we need to figure and not something I would be discussing here. We will do what is best for the team."

Washington Sundar is set to return to the Indian lineup

When it comes to the bowling lineup, all-rounder Washington Sundar might make an appearance. It's still unclear if he'll replace seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy, who's been one of India's standout batters in the series, or if he'll take the spot of Akash Deep.

With the series tied at 1-1, both teams are gearing up for the exciting Boxing Day Test, aiming to grab that crucial series lead to strengthen their chances for the ICC World Test Championship final.

Read Also: Ravichandran Ashwin reveals how Travis Head cleverly tried to outwit Jasprit Bumrah and the rest of the team.

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