Top-Order Worries Remain As India Eye Another Big Win In Cheteshwar Pujara's 100th Test

KL Rahul's prolonged run of failures remains a worry but India will still start as overwhelming favourites for another three-day finish when they take on Australia in the second Test in New Delhi from Friday. The match will be one of Indian cricket's understated warrior Cheteshwar Pujara's 100th Test, a feat achieved after 13 years of sweat and toil. While Pujara would like to savour the momentous personal milestone with a 20th Test ton, one can't but paper over the concerns around India's top-order.

Save skipper Rohit Sharma, who was regal in attack and classical in defence during his hundred on a slow turner in Nagpur, the others failed to get going in the opener. Besides Rahul, the list of strugglers includes the peerless Virat Kohli and, to an extent, Pujara.

Kohli is leaving no stone unturned to up the ante while facing the spinners. Round two of Kohli versus Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy could be equally enticing.

Rahul and his woes

Time is running out for Rahul as Virat Kohli's heir apparent, Shubman Gill, is waiting in the wings despite being in prime form.

Having wasted so many opportunities in his 46-Test career with a below par average of 34, it will be interesting to see what call is taken by the Indian team management if the 30-year-old Karnataka man endures another failure before the squad for the last two Tests is announced.

With Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja putting enormous pressure on the Australians during the hosts' comprehensive innings win in Nagpur, one can confidently say that another slow turner will greet the visitors at the Ferozshah Kotla.

Unless Australia bat out of their skin, they won't even be able to stretch it to the fifth day.

The Ferozshah Kotla tracks, after the initial