Rohit Sharma's Test blues continue after he departs for three in Adelaide

Rohit Sharma (Pic: AFP)

Rohit Sharma's much-anticipated return to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) on Friday did not go as planned.

After missing the first Test due to the birth of his baby boy, Rohit joined the Indian squad midway through the Perth Test. He worked hard to get back into match fitness, even featuring in the practice game against the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra.

Also Read: KL Rahul gets reprieve on no-ball, Kohli's return cut short in Adelaide: WATCH

To accommodate the successful opening partnership of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit sacrificed his spot at the top of the order and slotted into the middle order. However, his return to the middle-order proved disappointing as he was dismissed for just three runs in the second Test in Adelaide.

After winning the toss, Rohit opted to bat first on a greenish Adelaide pitch, but his decision was immediately tested by Mitchell Starc, who struck with the very first ball, leaving the Indian batsmen on the back foot.

Also Read: A deep dive into Rohit Sharma's middle-order numbers

Shubman Gill looked promising before his dismissal brought Rohit to the crease. Batting at number six, a position where he had made a strong start to his Test career, Rohit faced an early challenge. Despite his failure in this inning, he still maintains an impressive average of over 52 at number six.

Rohit tried to navigate the early turbulence but was undone by an in-swinger from Scott Boland. As with many of his teammates, Rohit played the delivery from the front foot but failed to make contact, leaving him trapped plumb in front of the stumps. He briefly discussed with Rishabh Pant about reviewing the decision but sensibly decided against it and walked straight back to the dressing room.

Rohit Sharma's Test numbers this year

Matches: 12

Innings: 22

Runs: 591

HS: 131

Average: 28.14

Strike Rate: 66.03

100s: 2

50s: 2

0: 1

4s: 75

6s: 11