Former Indian batter Robin Uthappa reckons another poor series for KL Rahul can put his spot in jeopardy in the Test team as the selectors can lose patience with him. After scoring 532 runs in five Test matches against England while playing away, Rahul scored 196 runs in two Test matches against the West Indies in Indian conditions.
However, the flamboyant batter was not at his best against South Africa, managing only 68 runs in two Test matches at an average of 17. Rahul has all the experience under his belt but he doesn’t have great numbers in Test cricket. In 67 Test matches, he has amassed 4053 runs at an average of 35.17, which doesn’t do justice to his class and batting technique.
Robin Uthappa said on his YouTube Channel, “For whatever reason, KL has had to work through his inconsistencies and moving positions in this Test squad. For me, the fact that he has actually stacked up these kinds of numbers even (after) how much he has been changed around itself is phenomenal. He has had to endure a lot within Test cricket.
“Even as a senior pro, it leaves him in a position of weakness and which is why him performing for his own spot, even though he is a senior pro, is important for his own cricket. I am telling you, one more series of him playing middling series like he has had this one, this has been a poor one, but one more of this, and then they will run out of patience with him,”
The former KKR batter said head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill will need to give longer run to their players in Test cricket.
“You can tell when you look at the squad, even while watching it on television, that they are not a cohesive unit yet; they are a work in progress. They are still finding their feet. There is a lot of insecurity about their own spot, if they are going to be there in the next Test match or not, and which position they are going to be playing in.
“You saw that in the past as well, but the generation of players that played was quite different to this team. This group of players know to play cricket a certain way. They haven’t experienced playing cricket another way, and that needs to be developed into them. This team needs a lot more consistency and a lot more surety, and I think Gautam and Shubman are the ones who can provide this for this team.”
India will next take on South Africa in a three-match ODI series.
