Team India captain Rohit Sharma chose to keep the fans and the Australia cricket team guessing when asked about his batting and bowling line-up ahead of the 1st Test in Nagpur. Rohit did reveal that India will go into the high-profile series with a "horses for courses" approach. With middle-order batter, Shreyas Iyer ruled out due to injury, Suryakumar Yadav is likely to make his Test debut for India.


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Rohit Sharma was specifically asked about his choice between Suryakumar Yadav and Shubhman Gill as there are enough indications that team management won't drop an out-of-form vice-captain, KL Rahul.


"Tomorrow at 9 o' clock at the toss," Rohit answered with a wry smile, knowing the line of questioning well. (READ: 'I Will Slap You Hard, Rishabh Pant': Kapil Dev Angry at Wicketkeeper-Batter for THIS Reason)


"It's going to be a tough one. We know a lot of guys are in good form, that's a good sign for the team," Rohit said.


"You have selection issues and it says a lot about the guys performing. That's quite crucial from the team's perspective, what we have to do is go to each venue, see the pitch, and pick the best eleven. We have been doing that in past and we will be doing that going forward," the skipper made it clear.


"Message to the boys is very clear. We are ready to play horses for courses. Whichever pitch, we need, we have to bring them in. As simple as that. That is something we have spoken to the guys about. We will have to assess conditions and see who are the right guys, so we are quite open with all options," he was more intent on hammering home the point.


IND vs AUS: Why KL Rahul is unlikely to get dropped?


In 2017, Australia visited India for a tour in which KL Rahul scored 393 runs with six half-centuries. In 2018, he scored a 149 at Oval before facing the axe. On his comeback in Test cricket in 2021, Rahul scored a ton at Lord's followed up by another century at the Centurion, to cement his place in the Test side of India. With Shubman Gill breathing fire on the opener spot, a debate is surely on inside the team management on whether Rahul should be pushed down to the middle for the Test in Nagpur or not.


"If the team wants to me to bat in the middle, I am ready to do it," said Rahul in the pre-match press conference in Nagpur.


Rahul has primarily played as an opener for India in Test cricket. He has scored 2513 runs with an average of 35.90 and also has seven centuries for his country. The last time he played as a middle-order batter for India in red-ball cricket was back in 2014 against Australia, in which he got dismissed for just three runs. (With PTI inputs)