"That would be foolish" - Aakash Chopra on KL Rahul's approach with nightwatchman in ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test being questioned

Former India player Aakash Chopra has questioned critics who criticized KL Rahul for giving Akash Deep the strike in the final over of Day 4 in the third Test against England. He noted that Rahul would have been foolish had he retained strike and gotten out himself.

India suffered a 22-run loss in the third Test against England at Lord's on Monday, July 14. They were bowled out for 170 while chasing a 193-run target.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener acknowledged that he is not a fan of using a nightwatchman, but highlighted that Rahul followed the right approach while batting with Deep.

"13 minutes were left. Personally, I am not a huge fan of nightwatchman. I feel if a batter can't do the job, how can a nightwatchman do it? I am not a fan of it, but it's an individual decision. I respect that as well. Every person sees it differently," Chopra said (10:15).

"When Akash Deep came, he had only one job to do. He had to protect his wicket, keep his partner away from strike, and not let the next batter come. That's his only duty in life. In the last over, if KL Rahul finds a single off the first ball, he must take it. If he doesn't take a single, stands there only, and gets out himself, that would be foolish. That is just common sense," he added.

KL Rahul took a single off the first ball of the final over of Day 4 to give Akash Deep the strike. The nightwatchman couldn't survive the final five deliveries, with Ben Stokes castling him on the fourth ball of the over.

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"I am shocked beyond my understanding" - Aakash Chopra on KL Rahul being trolled for giving Akash Deep the strike

Aakash Deep was bowled off the 11th ball he faced. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra lambasted the critics for trolling KL Rahul, terming them nameless and slightly shameless.

"I am shocked beyond my understanding. Either they are lockdown kids who haven't seen or understood cricket properly, and have an opinion about everything. They are nameless and slightly shameless. Rahul was trolled so much. I was like, what is the nightwatchman's job?" he said (11:20).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Akash Deep had done the job assigned to him before he was dismissed.

"He got out to the last ball, but he did his job. He survived for 13 minutes. KL Rahul was not out at the other end, and he didn't let Rishabh Pant come in. So Akash Deep did what he was asked to do. This is what the nightwatchman's job is," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra highlighted that the expectation from KL Rahul nearing Stumps on Day 4 was different from the one from Ravindra Jadeja while batting with Jasprit Bumrah on Day 5. He pointed out that while Jadeja was expected to farm the strike, Rahul needed to stay away from the strike as much as possible.