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With Shubman Gill ruled out of the England series and Mayank Agarwal unfit for the first Test with concussion, India were forced to open with KL Rahul in Nottingham. It proved to be a blessing in disguise as Rahul played a classy knock of 84 and was India’s best batter by some distance.
The 29-year-old occupied the crease for 346 minutes in the first innings and faced 214 balls, during which he hit 12 boundaries. KL Rahul played the traditional opener’s knock, seeing the shine off the new ball and displaying tremendous application and dedication. Mind you, Rahul went into the game under tremendous pressure, playing his first Test in nearly two years.
Had Gill and Agarwal been fit, KL Rahul might not have even featured in the starting XI. But following his defiant effort in Nottingham, the Karnataka man deserves to retain his place for Lord’s, although it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is left out.
Batsmen who can make way for KL Rahul at Lord’s
As India prepare for the second Test at Lord’s, here are three batters whose place in the playing XI could be in the line of fire if India play both KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal.
#1 Cheteshwar Pujara
India’s No. 3 Cheteshwar Pujara was at one point compared to Rahul Dravid, and deservedly so. He was putting up some wonderfully resolute batting performances. Over the last couple of years though, ‘The Wall 2.0’ has been crumbling steadily.
As every Indian cricket fan would be aware by now, Pujara hasn’t scored a Test century since January 2019. Also, since the start of January 2020, the Saurashtra batsman has only 543 runs to his name from 12 Tests at an average of 25.85.
It is not just the lack of runs but the manner in which he is getting out that is worrying. For the onlooker, it may seem that Pujara has been on the receiving end of some unplayable deliveries. However, another theory suggests that he is allowing bowlers to get him out with beauties by staying rooted to the crease.
Former Aussie spinner Brad Hogg summed up Pujara’s woes perfectly though his comments on his YouTube channel. Hogg mentioned that unless the batter moves his feet, he is going to be a sitting duck in English conditions. Given the current scenario, KL Rahul is undoubtedly the better option in the Indian team. He could either continue to open or come in at No. 3.
#2 Ajinkya Rahane
If India want to keep the faith in Pujara, Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane could be shown the door to ensure KL Rahul’s presence in the playing XI. Fortunes can change rather swiftly in sports. At the start of the year, Rahane became an unexpected hero when he led India to a Test series win in Australia against all odds.
His batting, however, has gone down rather swiftly since. Like Pujara, he too has lacked confidence out in the middle. The manner in which he ran himself out in Nottingham was a clear indicator of how desperate he was to score runs.
After a memorable hundred in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, Rahane has just 268 runs to his name from eight Tests at an average of 20.61. In two Tests in Australia, he scored a meager 87 runs at an average of 20.61. In four Tests in India against England, he averaged just 18.66. On the current tour of England, he has only managed 69 runs from three innings (WTC final included).
Even before the latest barren run, he endured tough times. But Rahane redeemed himself on the tour of West Indies in 2019, scoring 271 runs in the two-match Test series. If India want Agarwal to open, KL Rahul can replace Rahane in the middle-order.
#3 Rohit Sharma
This might come as a surprise to some, but the harsh question must be asked - has Rohit Sharma done enough to retain his place in the playing XI? In his last four Tests away from home (including the WTC final), he has scored 241 runs at an average of 34.42.
It has been the same story all through, getting starts and getting out. His four scores in Australia read 26, 52, 44 and 7. In the WTC final, Sharma made 30 and 34, again disappointing and getting out after getting his eye in. There was no course correction in Nottingham as he threw his wicket away for 36 at the stroke of lunch. Instead, there was a defence that he would go for his shots if the ball is there to be hit.
Since his Test debut in 2013, Sharma has played 22 Tests outside India and has an average of 27.81 with a best of 79. If Ravichandran Ashwin can be dropped despite solid performances, Sharma’s place in the team can at least be questioned by that same yardstick.
Former openers Aakash Chopra and Sadagoppan Ramesh were also dropped from the Test team for their inability to convert starts into bigger scores. How long will India continue to persist with Sharma and hope he can deliver? As Sanjay Manjrekar rightly pointed out, he’s 34 now. India might as well give the younger pair of Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul a go at the top of the order.
