Aakash Chopra, a former opening batsman, analyzed the situation before the second Test match between India and New Zealand in Pune. He argued however that though the home ground of India is in favor of KL Rahul to get back into scoring runs, there is still pressure on him to deliver. There have been questions about the continuation of Rahul in the playing eleven, in view of his current poor form. This was after he scored a resolute 68 during the second Test match against Bangladesh in Kanpur but failed to make an impression in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand scoring duck and twelve runs respectively.
With Shubman Gill who sustained neck stiffness and missed the first Test returning in Pune, and with Sarfaraz Khan making 150 – his first Test century in Bengaluru, Rahul faces lots of challenge to keep his position in the twelve. But Chopra sees him playing the Pune Test.
“I am not stakeholder in any inside information but it feels that there are chances of playing the second Test match. But then of course the pressure is building because one is his own form and I am not just thinking about one Test match here or there because that will be just unfair to start judging people and then start picking or dropping people based on their single performance.
‘He Hasn’t really performed that well over the last 8-10 Tests and that’s a fact. So time is running out. Sarfaraz has already scored 150 in the last game so that pressure is also there. So this game is an important one for him and team has also thought of it.’
“So you can also say that everybody feels that Rahul is an opener in the strictest sense but he has been buffeted up and down the order too many times and one of these days someone will have to draw the line. Yes, the sporting system shall put pressure on him but at the end of the day runs have to be scored. So yes, there will be pressure, there is no doubt about it,” said Chopra, who is with JioCinema & Sports18, in a selected virtual interaction on Wednesday.
Responding to a query about the time by which Rahul had to be back into form for the Tests especially with Border-Gavaskar Trophy coming next month, Chopra was of the opinion that no Timeframe can be placed on anybody’s run in the system.
“It is true that no matter how your name is linked with cricket, he has to score runs and take wickets in season. This rule is for each and every player who plays for India. So, it is not just for KL Rahul. It’s clear that the team has valued him.”
“Now if you want to look at it the other way around, there was a Kanpur Test he played and in the first series he batted quite well. In the first Test match he did bat but the rain came and the captain called for the declaration. Then there is the series before last which he did not figure in, the aforementioned due to injury England series (After playing in Hyderabad Test, he was ruled out).”
“In the series before that, he had played in South Africa, for that too he hit a hundred. Because of this, the franchise has multiple reasons reasons that he is carrying and adding benefits. And the fact that seven out of the eight hundreds that he has scored are while playing away, including SENA nations adapted. From all those respects, you feel that the lad has a lot in him, so let us support him for some more time.”
“However, it is not me who should be assigning a date or even a time for that matter. To decide if they have given enough chances, it is up to the Indian team. If and when they need to explore other options, they will make that decision at that point in time. But as of now, it seems like they are completely in support of KL Rahul.”
