'Retired hurt' Rahul leaves major question unanswered for India

In a scenario not dissimilar to that faced by their hosts a few weeks ago, India seemingly found more questions than answers about their Test opening combination after the first day of their warm-up match in Perth.

With skipper Rohit Sharma yet to join the touring party and at increasingly short odds to take part in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener starting at Perth Stadium next Friday, his likely replacement KL Rahul retired hurt today casting doubt over his potential recall.

The fact Rahul partnered incumbent Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal at the start of the three-day intrasquad match simulation session at the WACA Ground suggested he loomed as a probable substitute should Rohit be unavailable.

But the 32-year-old, who lost his place in India's Test team during their recent 0-3 series loss at home to New Zealand, lasted less than half an hour at the crease this morning before he was struck on the right elbow by a rising delivery from quick Mukesh Kumar.

Rahul received medical treatment on the field for several minutes before retiring to the changerooms, and did not return to the action for the subsequent seven hours of centre wicket practice.

He remained at the ground and did not appear to be greatly inconvenienced by the blow but it leaves a question unanswered for the tourists with a week until their Trophy defence kicks off.

Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah – who did not figure in the on-field action – was seen in lengthy conversations with coach Gautam Gambhir today adding further to speculation he will lead India in the opening NRMA Insurance Test if Rohit does not join the squad in coming days.

Should India feel the need to look elsewhere for Rohit's temporary replacement, Test squad member and specialist opener Abhimanyu Easwaran might come into the reckoning and he will have a chance to press his claim when the match simulation continues tomorrow.

While Rahul's innings ended prematurely, other members of India's first-choice Test batting line-up were restricted to low scores with most dismissed in similar fashion to catches behind the wicket.

Jaiswal, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill all edged behind after finding the boundary a few times, while left-hander Rishabh Pant broke the pattern by having his stumps scattered.

The WACA Ground pitch prepared for the three-day fixture between India's 17-member Test squad and the similarly sized India A outfit that recently played games against Australia A yielded few demons, but occasional 'tennis ball' bounce.

Kohli began his first centre-wicket hit out of the current tour with a couple of sweetly struck boundaries through the off-side, before falling in similar fashion to several of his dismissals in the recent NZ series when he flirted outside off stump.

Mukesh celebrated the prized scalp, though not quite as animatedly as his fellow seamer Navdeep Saini did when he had Gill fending a catch to gully.

It appeared India's brainstrust had opted for formal match conditions in the three-day trial as a bulk of India's first-choice Test batters were denied an extended stay at the crease against the probing pace bowling of Mukesh, Saini, Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy.

But with spin-bowling allrounders Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja at the crease inside the day's first half, the match-like conditions were changed and a new ball was introduced after 35 overs.

When Jadeja was adjudged lbw from the first delivery with the fresh ball – although he immediately challenged the official umpire's verdict with a mock call for a DRS review – Jaiswal and Gill returned to the centre for a second hit out.

Left-hander Jaiswal, who is tipped to prove a revelation on fast Australia pitches, blazed his way to a half-century and took particularly heavy toll on Test squad spinner Washington Sundar and India A's left-arm orthodox Manav Suthar.

Jaiswal and Gill retired at tea, and were replaced at the crease by Kohli and Pant with the latter unveiling a trademark array of audacious strokes including a reverse ramp before he was bowled for the second time in a day aiming a wild heave.

Kohli played and missed a couple of times but looked increasingly assured against short-pitched balls that he muscled through the leg side, and peeled off several textbook drives through extra cover.

Despite passing 50 just once in his past 12 Test innings, Kohli called time on his second hit today after reaching 30, about half an hour before stumps were drawn.

However, after being dismissed cheaply earlier in the day he had spent a couple of lengthy sessions facing throw downs in the adjoining WACA Ground nets to dispel any doubts about his fitness level.

India received a further boost prior to today's session with news veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami had made an impressive return to first-class cricket after more than a year on the sidelines with ankle and knee problems,

The 34-year-old, who has not played at international level since last year's ODI World Cup Final loss to Australia, claimed 4-54 from a hefty 19 overs (across four spells) playing for Bengal in a Ranji Trophy game against Madhya Pradesh.

Once medical staff have made an assessment on Shami's recovery after that match ends tomorrow, he may be a chance to be added to India's squad in time for the second Test at Adelaide Oval.

Should the right-armer be recalled for that day-night game it would represent a bittersweet return given it was at the same venue four years ago he sustained a broken forearm when struck by Australia skipper Pat Cummins as India were bowled out for 36.

NRMA Insurance Men's Test Series v India

First Test: November 22-26: Perth Stadium, 1.20pm AEDT

Second Test: December 6-10: Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (D/N)

Third Test: December 14-18: The Gabba, Brisbane, 11.20am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10.30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 3-7: SCG, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT

Australia squad: (first Test only) Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar. Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed