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Injury problems seem to keep affecting the Indian team ahead of every crucial away Test series. After the side had to test their bench strength in Australia, they will once again be looking to their reserves ahead of the first India vs England Test. The match is set to take place in Trent Bridge on August 4.
Shubman Gill has already been ruled out of the series with an injury while Mayank Agarwal will also miss the first India vs England Test with a concussion. This has led once again lead to several debates and deliberations about who should open the batting with Rohit Sharma. As it stands, KL Rahul seems the most obvious choice to walk out as an opener.
We take at three reasons why KL Rahul should be the opening batsman for India in this first Test match.
Man in form
KL Rahul highlighted his form with a brilliant century in the practice match ahead of the Test series. This should give the selectors the confidence to send him in as an opener alongside Rohit Sharma. In his previous outing in England, Rahul scored a brilliant knock of 149 runs. This indicates that he can be a successful opener in conditions where the ball seams and swings considerably.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar opined:
“KL Rahul scoring a hundred in the warm-up game, I think he should be the person who should open for India in the first Test. Also, on the back of a hundred, Rahul has the confidence. He’s the one who should open the batting."
Ability to play the waiting game
When KL Rahul started Test cricket, he was a great absorber of pressure who had the ability to time his innings. He was extremely disciplined outside the off-stump and had the patience to wait for the bad balls to score his runs. However, over the years Rahul has become more assertive in his stroke-play and this has seen him move away from Test cricket.
This series could be his opportunity to play the attritional cricket that led to his success in first-class games and brought him into the national spotlight.
Experience in England conditions
KL Rahul believes that all his failures and struggles in the past have made him understand his game better and this will help him in the upcoming Test series. India are grappling with options and Rahul should be the choice to walk out to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma.
His last Test was in the West Indies in 2019 in the series that started India's World Test Championship campaign. His white-ball credentials have skyrocketed after failures and since then but his stock in red-ball stocks has gone down. This is his chance to be the all-format batsman that he was always touted to be.
"I'm happy, time off from Test cricket has helped. Like they say, failure makes you strong, makes you more focused and determined about the game. It's no different for me. I'm looking forward to the opportunities, trying to stay a lot calmer and more disciplined," KL Rahul told bcci.tv.
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