The Indian cricket team is set to play a five-match Test series against Australia. The arrival of Indian players in Australia has already begun. Before departing for Australia, Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir attended a press conference in Mumbai on November 11 (Monday). During the press conference, Gambhir answered several questions.
‘How many countries have such players…’
During the press conference, Gautam Gambhir made a significant statement about KL Rahul. Gambhir said, “KL Rahul can open the innings. He can bat at number 3. He can also bat at number 6. He keeps wickets in ODIs. It requires a lot of talent to do all these things. Just imagine, how many countries have players like KL Rahul? It’s a positive thing, as many players cannot offer such options.”
It’s clear that head coach Gambhir is backing KL Rahul strongly and considers him the ‘trump card’ for the Australia tour. If captain Rohit Sharma is unavailable for the first Test, the Indian team management might ask KL Rahul to open the innings. Gambhir hinted at this possibility during the press conference.
Gambhir said, “There’s no confirmation on Rohit Sharma yet. Hopefully, he will be available. You’ll know everything before the series starts. If Rohit Sharma is unavailable, KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran are our opening options. I can’t reveal the playing XI, but we will go with the best combination. Bumrah is the vice-captain, so he will definitely captain in Rohit’s absence.”
KL Rahul’s Recent Form
KL Rahul has played 53 Test matches so far, scoring 2,981 runs at an average of 33.87. He has scored eight centuries and 15 half-centuries, with his highest Test score being 199 runs. A positive aspect is that most of Rahul’s eight centuries have come on foreign soil, which raises expectations for a good performance. Rahul has scored 1,832 runs in Tests overseas, while he has accumulated 1,149 runs on Indian pitches.
However, KL Rahul’s recent form has been underwhelming. He was dismissed for a duck in the first innings of the Test match against New Zealand in Bengaluru and scored only 12 runs in the second Test before being sent back to the pavilion.