India opener KL Rahul failed to capitalize on another opportunity in the first Test of the Border- Gavaskar Trophy 2023, against Australia, as the right-hander scored 20 (71) in India’s first innings in Nagpur.
India bowled Australia out for 177 on Day 1 of the Nagpur Test, courtesy of Ravindra Jadeja’s five-fer. In reply, in the third session, Rohit Sharma attacked the Australian bowlers with a superb fifty, bringing his half-century in 66 balls and putting India very much in front in the game.
KL Rahul accompanied Rohit well, batting cautiously and holding his end while Sharma took his chances. However, KL Rahul fell to debutant off-spinner Todd Murphy, giving a catch back to the bowler, in the penultimate over of the day, putting a tinge on what would have been an ideal day’s play for the hosts.
It is not to forget that Shubman Gill was benched in Nagpur as Rohit Sharma returned to the side after missing the series in Bangladesh, where Gill hammered his maiden Test ton and has been in surreal form in white-ball cricket in the past month or so.
KL Rahul fell cheaply in Nagpur Test
KL Rahul now has a string of low scores: before his 20 in Nagpur, he had not gone past 25 in his last 7 innings; today’s 20 made it 8 scores of less than 25 in Test cricket.
The fact that KL Rahul was named the vice-captain ahead of the start of this Test series confirmed it that he will be starting in at least the first Test. And then India handed out a debut to Suryakumar Yadav in the middle-order while benching Gill.
Senior Times Of India journalist Arani Basu has now come up with a sensational tweet on KL Rahul, saying that the 30-year-old opener is “considered a BIG player” in the Indian cricket team by the management and selectors, on par with the likes of Rohit and Kohli. Basu added, this is the reason why KL Rahul is almost undroppable from the national side, despite his disappointing performances since his return in August last year.
“KL Rahul is considered a BIG player in Indian cricket by team management and selectors. Almost in the league of Kohli and Rohit. So, his pedigree shouldn’t be doubted and will be given as much time as possible to find form. PS: This is information & not my opinion,” Arani Basu of TOI tweeted.
