The upside for Australia is that India have a similar selection dilemma, mulling who should open the batting at Adelaide Oval in the four-Test series opener that starts in one week.
The downside is the tourists are set to pick record-breaking prodigy Prithvi Shaw, the latest teenager to shoulder the burden of being labelled the ‘next Sachin Tendulkar’, plus one of two proven performers in Australia.
Shaw, who was the most impressive of India’s five batsmen to pass 50 at the SCG on Thursday, started his maiden tour of Australia with Tendulkar-like style and is expected to retain his spot at the top of the order.
“There’s a bit of Sachin there, a bit of Viru (Virendar Sehwag) in him and when he walks there’s a bit of (Brian) Lara,” India coach Ravi Shastri said of Shaw last month.
KL Rahul, the other incumbent opener, was the only recognised batsman to fall cheaply on day two of India’s tour game and could yet come under selection pressure from veteran Murali Vijay.
Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary opener whose name adorns the trophy that Australia and India will battle for this summer, wants Vijay to partner the youngster.
“Because of his greater experience and the way he played in Australia in 2014,” Gavaskar told India Today.
Vijay didn’t bat in Sydney, where India were bowled out for 358 on what was effectively day one of their tune-up because rain ruined any chance of play on Wednesday, suggesting he may struggle to break into India’s Test XI. Either way, the visitors are likely to feel content.
Vijay scored 144, on a challenging Gabba pitch, during India’s previous Test tour of Australia. Rahul, playing his second Test, produced his maiden century, at the SCG during the same series.
Shaw scored 66 off 69 balls on Thursday, stroking 11 boundaries as he kept the scoreboard ticking over with even more ease than Virat Kohli. Rahul missed out on a golden chance to spend some time in the middle, out for three when a mistimed cover drive gifted Max Bryant a regulation catch at mid- off.
Shaw, the 19-year-old who last month became the youngest Indian to score a hundred on Test debut, had no such issues seeing off the new ball. The diminutive right-hander, who boasts a first-class average of 61, was eventually bowled around his legs by young legspinner Dan Fallins.
Shaw, Kohli (64), Cheteshwar Pujara (54), Hanuma Vihari (53) and Ajinkya Rahane (retired on 56) all blew out the red-ball cobwebs against an inexperienced Cricket Australia XI attack.
Teenage allrounder Aaron Hardie claimed 4-50, including the prized scalp of Kohli. CA XI captain Sam Whiteman won the toss but generously opted to bowl. The hosts reached 0-24 in response at stumps, surviving four overs.
TEAMS
India: Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane (vc), KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, M Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Murali Vijay
Australia: D’Arcy Short, Max Bryant, Jake Carder, Sam Whiteman (c), Param Uppal, Harry Nielsen (wk), Jonathan Merlo, Aaron Hardie, Luke Robins, Jackson Coleman, Daniel Fallins. Aaron Summers (12th)
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