With every passing game, KL Rahul has seemed a lot more vulnerable as he fails to rack up the numbers that are being expected from him. He got off to a fine start where he dropped anchor at the other end, allowing Rohit Sharma to go on with his business of laying waste to the Australians but somehow when the spinners came knocking, especially the debutant Todd Murphy, he somehow anticipated his downfall.
It has been a while since Rahul has scored big and despite all the hue and cry of the fans making it a point to have Gill in the side, the management wanted some experience heading into a crucial fixture as this. However, as things stand, in all likelihood, Shubman Gill will be getting the nod ahead of Rahul if he fails to fire in the second innings provided India has to bat again.
India’s batting coach, Vikram Rathour opened up on Rahul’s dwindling form, stating, “I won’t be able to comment on that. To be fair to KL, he (Rahul) has scored two hundreds in his last 10 Tests – one in England and other in South Africa and also has a couple of fifties. So yeah, I don’t think we are there.”
Rathour further added, “It was a special innings by Rohit and it is a great feeling (to see him score runs). He showed good temperament and it was very important innings as the surface wasn’t easy to bat on.”
Despite the assuring words of Rathour, somehow KL Rahul has hit a roadblock ever since his stint at England in 2021. The runs from his bat has come forth occasionally and it seems that he has made very little effort to get the momentum going his way and somehow he seems unfazed by the receding numbers from the bat. If he has to keep his position in the Indian side, especially in the opening slot, he needs to find his firing form shortly.
