A lot can change in a day, and KL Rahul is a prime example of that. It’s only been a day since the right-handed batter scored a match-saving 75 against Australia last night, but he has turned a lot of critics into fans. The latest to join the party is former Indian coach, Ravi Shastri.
What did Shastri say?
Even though Shastri has not been Rahu’s critic per se, had not spoken on the entire KL Rahul drama that took place a couple of weeks ago. Nonetheless, Ravi Shastri laud praises on his techniques and said that he should be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper moving into the World Test Championship Final.
Speaking about Rahul’s performance on Star Sports, Shastri said, “He has really done well to keep the selectors interested ahead of the WTC final. Two things, one for the ODI series when returns and the other for the WTC final… India can bolster their batting if Rahul can keep wickets.”
Speaking on where Rahul should bat during the final, Shastri further added, “Rahul can bat in the middle-order — No. 5 or 6. In England, you have to generally keep wickets from far behind. You don’t have to keep up to the spinners a lot. He (KL) has two more ODIs to go before the IPL. He can cement his place in that Indian team.”
Rahul’s redemption?
Rahul had been struggling with a series of low scores and was eventually dropped from the Test team after the first two Tests against Australia at home. However, his recent knock in the ODI has put him back in contention for a spot in the Test squad.
Although KS Bharat, the current Test keeper-batter, has also been underperforming with the bat, Rahul’s previous experience in England could give him an edge in the race for the Test spot. Furthermore, Rahul has a good record in England, where the WTC Final will be played, which could work in his favor.
Overall, Rahul’s performance in the ODI against Australia has rekindled hopes of a Test comeback for the talented batsman. The selectors will have a tough decision to make as they weigh up the options available to them ahead of the WTC Final.
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