In the 1st Test against New Zealand at his home ground, Rahul got out for a duck in the first innings and only made 12 runs in the second innings
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir in the pre match press conference has backed KL Rahul even though he has struggled in the Bengaluru Test. Gambhir said that the criticism on social media doesn’t bother him.
In the first Test of the series at his home ground, Rahul got out without scoring in the first innings and only made 12 runs in the second innings.
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“You don’t pick players on social media because of social media or for that matter even what the experts are saying,” Gambhir told the reporters in the press conference. “What the team management thinks and what the leadership group thinks is very, very important. Ultimately, everyone is judged.
Gambhir also praised Rahul for his composed performance in the second innings against Bangladesh in Kanpur during the second Test.
“International cricket is all about being judged, to be honest, because everyone’s performance will be judged eventually. But I feel that he is batting really well. Obviously, he has had a decent knock in Kanpur (against Bangladesh), on a difficult wicket. And obviously, he played according to the plans as well. And I am sure, I think, he would also be knowing that he wants to score big runs and he has that capability of scoring runs. That’s why he has been backed by the team management,” Gambhir added.
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Shubman Gill will be back to bat at No. 3 in Pune after missing the first Test because of neck stiffness. This means India has to choose between KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan, who scored his first Test century in Bengaluru. Sarfaraz took a short break for the birth of his child but returned to train with the team in Pune on Wednesday.
Even though Sarfaraz’s 150 runs in Bengaluru give him an advantage over Rahul, Gambhir didn’t say which player the team is likely to pick.
New Zealand are in a commanding position at 1-0 in the three-match series, courtesy of their win by eight wickets against India in Bengaluru in the 1st Test. India will come out all guns blazing to level the series as they haven’t lost a home series since 2012. They are also eyeing to better their winning percentage on the WTC table, where they are currently at at the top. The second Test is set to start on October 24 in Pune.
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