Why India should replace KL Rahul with Mayank Agarwal in Melbourne

A lot has been said about KL Rahul's dismal run in Test cricket. Everyone is baffled with the way Indian team management is persisting with Rahul. The most worrisome fact about Rahul's dismal run is not his form, but the way his confidence seems shaken.

He looks like a sitting duck every time he walks in to bat, with multiple 'bowled' and 'LBW' dismissals in his recent Test innings.

Persisting with Rahul is not only handing over the advantage to the opposition, but also sending out a wrong message to players playing in domestic cricket. By persisting with a struggling player, the Indian team management is perhaps closing the door on many promising players who haven't gotten enough chances yet.

They have been caught in a vicious circle of team selection. They keep on going back to the same set of players- Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul are some of the examples of this approach. Not only have their performances been dismal, their technique is also questionable as far as Test cricket is concerned. These players have been found wanting in overseas conditions on multiple occasions

Keeping in mind the performance the Indian openers have put up in Australia, players like Mayank Agarwal could not have done worse. On the positive side, it would have given much-needed opportunities and exposure for young players to prove themselves, but this opportunity has gone a-begging now, with Prithvi Shaw's recent success an example of what could have been.

A player like Mayank Agarwal, who has scored loads of runs in domestic competitions and for India A, must be wondering what he needs to do to grab the attention of the Indian team management.

It is a bit late to bring in young blood at the top of the order with the South African and English series already lost, but, as they say, better late than never.

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