WATCH: Rohit Sharma’s captaincy instincts grab spotlight in Adelaide as he fine-tunes Washington Sundar’s plan

Even if Rohit Sharma is no longer the captain of India in the ODI format, his leadership on the field is still evident. While Shubman Gill continued to concentrate on arranging the field during the second clash of the current three-match series against Australia in Adelaide, Rohit took over to provide Washington Sundar with animated, tactical guidance. It was evident from the scene that he still has an impact on the team's strategy and choices even when he is not wearing the captain's armband.

In the incident that took place after the 33rd over, Rohit approached Sundar and offered him a dose of feisty on-field advice after noticing that the spinner was mishandling his bowling strategy to left-handed batsman Cooper Connolly. With Rohit making a lot of hand motions that suggested he was directing the off-spinner on what adjustments to make, it appeared to be an intense conversation. Gill could be seen in the background, busily preparing the field for the next over, while Sundar remained silent and was all ears to Rohit.

After watching Rohit’s animated gestures, former India fast bowler Varun Aaron on commentary said: "The key for the off-spinner to the left-hander is to move the ball away from the batter, and bowl a little slower. Generally captains come and tell the bowlers what to do...”

Rohit produced a spectacular comeback in Adelaide earlier in the game. The 38-year-old scored a potentially career-extending 73-run knock on Thursday, which prepared the groundwork for India's respectable total of 264 for 9 against Australia in Adelaide, following his dismissal for just eight runs in the rain-shortened series opener at the Optus Stadium in Perth last week.

After losing Gill (9) and Virat Kohli (0) in quick succession, India rallied behind a patient 97-ball knock from Rohit, who hasn't missed a training session since arriving in Australia last week. Along the way, he even formed an innings-building 118-run stand for the third wicket with vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, who scored a 77-ball 61.