India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and K L Rahul, at a training session in Bengaluru recently.
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday (October 23, 2024) threw his weight behind under-fire batter K.L. Rahul, saying it’s the team management’s opinion that matters and not the criticism that he is facing on social media.

Rahul was dismissed for a duck in the first innings of the opening Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru and made 12 in the second essay as the hosts lost the game by eight wickets.

But it appears Gambhir is ready to give him a long rope.

“Social media does not matter one bit. What the team management and leadership group thinks is very important. He is batting really well, had a decent knock in Kanpur (against Bangladesh) on a difficult wicket,” Gambhir told reporters on the eve of the second Test when asked about Rahul’s place in the team.

Rahul had managed a 68-run knock in the first innings of the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh.

“I am sure he would be knowing that he has to score big runs and he has capability of scoring runs. That’s why he has been backed by the team…Ultimately, everyone is judged. International cricket is all about being judged,” Gambhir added.

Difficult choice

Nevertheless, Sarfaraz Khan’s maiden hundred in the first Test has made the job more difficult for Rahul, and the Karnataka man will look to get his act right in the second match should he play.

New Zealand lead the three-match series following their eight-wicket victory in Bengaluru.

It was a humbling experience for the mighty hosts who entered the series after completing a 2-0 sweep of Bangladesh including winning the Kanpur Test after a majority of the game was affected by rain.

“Cricket, sports are a big leveller. If we have enjoyed days like Kanpur we had to endure what happened in Bengaluru. We didn’t show any intention to bat out the remainder of the two and a half days,” Gambhir said of the defeat in Bengaluru where India were shot for 46 in the first innings, their lowest-ever total at home.

Sarfaraz Khan and KL Rahul are locked in a selection battle for the second Test against New Zealand in Pune which starts on October 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said on Tuesday (October 22, 2024) that middle-order batters KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan are locked in a selection battle for the second Test against New Zealand in Pune even though head coach Gautam Gambhir is keen to give the former, a long rope.

With India looking to bounce back from the eight-wicket thrashing at Bengaluru in the opening Test, focus will be on the team combination with Washington Sundar being added to the squad. Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are both aiming to shake off injury concerns for the match starting on Thursday (October 24, 2024).

“Yeah, there’s no point in sugarcoating it, there’s a fight for a spot,” ten Doeschate told the media when asked if Rahul and Sarfaraz were battling for a place in the team, in Pune at the MCA Stadium ahead of India’s training session.

“Sarfaraz was obviously brilliant in the last Test. I went to KL after the last Test (and) said how many balls do you play at (and) miss at? He didn’t play at (and) miss at one ball and that’s what tends to happen when you’re not getting runs.

“There’s certainly no concerns about KL, he’s batting nicely, he’s in a good mental space. But we are certainly going to have to fit seven pieces into six spots for this Test and look at the pitch now and decide what’s going to be best for the team,” he said.

Sarfaraz scored a second-innings 150 in the Bengaluru game, while Rahul remained off-colour in both essays.

While admitting that it is difficult to keep Rahul out of the equation in the Test format, ten Doeschate said head coach Gautam Gambhir is “keen to” give him a long rope.

“It’s not like we’re worried about his form. If you go on just the past three months since Gauti has been in here, he’s keen to give him (Rahul) as much rope as we can. We have a lot of faith in him,” he said.

“But at the same time, it’s a very competitive environment, with Sarfaraz getting 150 plus runs (222 not out) in the Irani Trophy final. The decision will be what’s best for the team, but we’ll certainly back all the guys in,” he added.

Pant, who did not keep wickets for a significant part of the opening Test, and Shubman Gill, who missed the match due to stiffness in his neck, are close to attaining their full fitness.

“Rishabh is pretty good. I think Rohit (Sharmna) touched on it the other day. He was having a little bit of discomfort at the end range of his movement with the knee. But fingers crossed, he’ll be good to keep in the Test as well,” he said.

“He (Gill) looks so (available for this Test). He has batted last week in Bangalore, he had a few nets, he’s got a little bit of discomfort, but I think he’ll be good to go for the Test,” he added.