Basit Ali, the former Pakistani batsman, has opined that India should “rest” KL Rahul from Test cricket now that Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan gave contrasting performances in the 1st Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru.
Knives are out on KL Rahul’s place in the Test XI once again following his twin failures against the Black Caps at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Rahul managed scores of 0 and 12. On the other hand, Sarfaraz, who was dismissed for a duck in the first innings, hammered his maiden Test century in the second innings, scoring 150 runs off 195 balls with the help of 18 fours and three sixes that, in partnership with Rishabh Pant, wiped out the first-innings deficit and took India into lead.
Sarfaraz got a chance to play in this Test match only because Shubman Gill was ruled out due to neck stiffness.
KL Rahul should be rested now: Basit Ali
If Gill is fit for the second Test, which he is likely to be, then India will have to make a tough call of either benching Sarfaraz, which won’t be received well, or Rahul, on whose immense talent and potential they have banked on, especially considering the Australia tour later in the year.
For Basit Ali, the call should be straightforward: drop Rahul.
In his YouTube video, Basit said,
“Once Shubman Gill is fit, there should not be an injustice to Sarfaraz Khan. KL Rahul should be rested now. People rate him very highly, but his performances haven’t been like that. He did very well in South Africa but hasn’t done the same in home matches.”
“A lot depended on KL Rahul after Sarfaraz and Rishabh Pant got out. He has played a lot of Test matches and is everyone’s favorite. However, he disappointed me today.”
Rahul’s failure in the second innings was in particularly disappointing as the pitch was good to bat on, as Pant and Sarfaraz showed, and India needed the senior batsman to take them to a sizeable lead.
The 32-year-old has done well in patches in Test cricket, with centuries in England, Australia, and South Africa. However, he’s been inconsistent and has failed to hold on to his position for a long period. His average of 33 after 53 Tests is quite underwhelming for a player of his class and calibre. But right now, India need runs and it’s not coming at a consistent basis from Rahul.
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