India are fresh after a crushing win which saw them annihilate Australia by a mammoth margin of 295 runs at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The opening combination of Jaiswal and Rahul blossomed in the absence of Rohit who was away celebrating the arrival of his second child with his family.

The duo amassed a record-breaking 200-plus runs for the first wicket which laid the foundation for India to post a humongous fourth-innings target for Australia. In the end, that partnership put India well on course for a huge win as Australia were demolished for 238. 

On to the day-night Adelaide pink-ball Test

With the addition of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, India's batting order is likely going to be bolstered to a much greater extent. But the management will have their work cut out in terms of structuring the batting order. Moreover, it still remains doubtful whether Shubman Gill will become fit ahead of the second Test. The 25-year-old youngster suffered a finger injury during an intra-squad practice match and is currently under the close supervision of the medical staff.

Cheteshwar Pujara believes that the Indian opening combination of Jaiswal and Rahul should not be disturbed once Rohit and Gill make their way into the playing eleven. He advises the management to persist with the same winning combination and advises against making radical changes.

"I think, for some reason if we can carry on with the same batting order, like KL and Yashasvi to open, Rohit could come in at three, and Shubman could come in at five. If Rohit wants to open, KL should bat at No. 3. Nothing later than that. I think he has to bat top of the order, because it suits his game really well. I hope we don't tinker around with that."

It appears that Rahul has regained some form after experiencing a lean patch and Pujara insists that the right-hand batter should drop no further below the no.2 position. And by looking at how things panned out in the first Test, Padikkal had a forgettable outing with the bat scoring 0 from 23 balls and 25 from 71 balls and he is expected to make way for either Rohit or Gill subject to fitness. 

Where does Gill fit in then?

With Rohit and Jaiswal cementing their place at the top followed by Rahul and Virat Kohli later down the order, where does Gill slot in, if, indeed, he is fit for the game? 

Pujara feels that Gill could fit in at no.5 as it allows him to walk in at a time when his side has lost a few quick wickets at the top. Gill can be more than handy in situations like these and has demonstrated his potential to weather the storm against a new seaming ball time and again. Moreover, he can also prove to be a useful asset when he walks out to bat after 25 or 30 odd overs where he can then play his natural game.

"Ideally No. 5. Because it allows him to come in at a time, even if we lose two wickets early, he is someone who can negotiate the new ball. But if he walks in after, say, 25 or 30 overs, he can play his shots. He can play his natural game. And in case we lose the first three wickets early, Gill walks in and saves Rishabh Pant for the old ball. [Pant] doesn't have to face the new ball. I wouldn't want him to walk in to bat when the ball is hard and new."

Despite the Perth triumph, team India have an arduous challenge on their hands. The Men in Blue have a notoriously poor record in Adelaide and it was the same venue where they were bowled out cheaply for the lowest-ever test score of 36 all-out four years ago.  

But before that, India will play a two-day pink-ball warm-up game against a Prime Minister's XI in Canberra to get themselves full into the groove.

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